Look out NCAA hockey!
Here come the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
The four-time Big Ten regular-season champion Gopher Hockey program has been selected as the favorite to win their conference in the 2017-18 Big Ten Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Four Gopher players are being recognized as ones to watch this season.
Gopher captain Tyler Sheehy was one of two Big Ten players selected as a unanimous pick while he was joined on the list by Ryan Lindgren, Rem Pitlick and fabulous freshman Casey Mittelstadt.
Here are your 4ï¸âƒ£ #Gophers on the @B1GHockey Preseason Watch List! #PrideOnIce pic.twitter.com/XmLSaS2vZY
— Minnesota M Hockey (@GopherHockey) September 18, 2017
The Gophers are the defending Big Ten regular-season title holders. The Gophers have won six straight overall regular-season conference titles, which is an NCAA record. The Gophers were selected first in the preseason conference poll. Notre Dame was selected second followed by Wisconsin, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State.
Sheehy returns to the Gophers after one of the top individual seasons in recent years. The junior forward was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, a First Team All-American and a finalist for the Hobey Baker. Last season, Sheehy scored a career high 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) - the most points in a season by a Gopher in the last ten years.
Lindgren, a sophomore defenseman, was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season with seven points (one goal, six assists) and 50 blocked shots in 32 games.
Potluck was also selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season. The sophomore forward notched 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 36 games. Pitlick was named the recipient of Minnesota's Frank Pond Rookie of the Year Award.
A hometown kid from Eden Prairie, Mittelstadt will be a fan favorite. Mittelstadt achieved rock star status at Eden Prairie High School last season when he earned the 2017 "Mr. Hockey Award", which is given to the Minnesota Player of the Year. Mittelstadt was also a First Team All-State honoree.The forward was drafted.
Drafted eighth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft, Mittelstadt reminds many observers of Gopher legend Phil Kessel.
In a rare turn of events, Mittelstadt split time between high school hockey and the USHL last season. For his high school team, Mittelstadt cashed in for 21 goals and 43 assists in 21 games played. For Green Bay, Mittelstadt scored 13 goals and 17 assists in 24 games played.
An electrically charged forward, Mittelstadt can skate, create and score. His creativity and offensive flair is already NHL caliber. Mittelstadt will likely play a one and done opportunity at Minnesota. It's likely that the 18 year old will dominate the Big Ten and will help lead his Gopher teammates to a national championship before turning pro next summer. Mittelstadt dropped jaws with his dominant performances at Buffalo's prospect development camp in July. He also impressed with his scoring and playmaking at the World Juniors prospects tourney in August.
Mittelstadt will be a featured star for Team USA when Buffalo hosts the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in December and January.