Minnesota Hockey: Three Gophers Named First Team All-Americans

The 2022-23 CCM/ American Hockey Coaches Association All-American teams were announced on Friday afternoon with the Minnesota Gophers earning three of the twelve available west spots. Brock Faber, Mathew Knies and Logan Cooley all were named to the First Team in the West Region. They become the 48th, 49th, and 50th First Team All-American selections in program history and with that honor comes three more spots on the Mariucci Mural!

The three First Team All-Americans for the Gophers is only the second time in program history that the number has been reached. The 2023 class joins the 1954 class of Ken Yackel, Sr, Dick Dougherty and John Mayasich as the only seasons the Gophers earned half of the Frist Team All-American selections.

Faber is the two-time defending Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and the captain of this Gopher squad was nothing short of brilliant all season. Besides being a total shut down defensemen he has his best offensive season as a Gopher recording career highs in goals (4), assists (22) and points (26). He will play his final collegiate game Saturday night before signing with the Minnesota Wild and beginning a professional career.

Knies had an exceptional sophomore season with the Gophers. He recorded a career-best 42 points split evenly between 21 goals and 21 assists. He leads the country with seven game-winning goals, three of which came in overtime. He’s second on the Gophers in goals behind the third Al-American listed below. He was a Hobey Baker Award Hat Trick Finalist. Knies is expected to play his final collegiate game on Saturday night before signing a professional contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Freshman Logan Cooley has had a historic season for a Gopher rookie. He is the first freshman since Jim Mattson in 1953 to earn All-American honors. Cooley joined Knies as a Hobey Baker Award Hat Trick Finalist, leading the Gophers with 60 points and 22 goals on the season. Cooley’s 60 points are the the fifth-most points by a rookie in single-season history at Minnesota and he trails Thomas Vanek and Lou Nanne by just two points headed into Saturday night’s Championship Game. Cooley leads the NCAA with 38 assists. Cooley will need to decide at the end of the season if he will sign with the Arizona Coyotes who made him the #3 pick in the NHL Draft last summer or return for his sophomore season in Minneapolis.

Unfortunately Knies and Cooley would lose out on the Hobey Baker to Michigan’s Adam Fantilli. But, I think we can all agree they would rather have the hardware they give out at the end of the night on Saturday, then the one they give out on Friday.

Congrats to Brock, Mathew, and Logan who will be up on the walls of 3M Arena at Mariucci for eternity.