Minnesota Gophers are making headlines — but it’s not for the reason you’d expect

The Minnesota Gophers are back in the national spotlight — but not for the sports everyone usually talks about.

This time, it’s hockey putting them on the map. The Gophers had five players selected in the 2025 NHL Draft, including three within the top 100 picks. That brings the program’s all-time total to 248 NHL Draft selections — the most of any college program in the country.

It’s the biggest Gophers draft class since 2022, and continues a run of consistency for the program. 

Minnesota has produced at least three NHL Draft picks in 11 of the last 12 drafts, with at least one player taken in 51 of the past 52 years. The only exception? 2001. From 1974 to 2000, the Gophers set an NCAA record with 27 straight drafts featuring at least one selection, and they’re currently riding a 24-year streak.

The first Gopher off the board this year was Jacob Rombach, going No. 35 overall to the Nashville Predators. Mace’o Phillips followed at No. 80 to the Calgary Flames, and Mason Moe rounded out the trio of top-100 picks, landing with the New Jersey Devils at No. 90.

LJ Mooney kept the run going in the fourth round, getting selected No. 113 overall by the Montreal Canadiens. Jacob Kvasnicka was the final Gopher taken, going No. 202 in the seventh round to the New York Islanders.

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When it comes to college sports, the Gophers might not be the first program that comes to mind for football or basketball success. But in hockey, they’ve built a national reputation — and they’ve backed it up on the ice.

The Gophers have won five national championships, with the most recent coming in 2003. And while their success at the college level has been well-documented, the production is clearly translating to the pro level. 

NHL teams continue to bet on Minnesota’s developmental pipeline — and that’s becoming the new norm.