Gophers earn No. 1 seed in NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament; open against Canisius

The Gophers men’s hockey team earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and will open the tourney against Canisius on Thursday in Fargo, North Dakota.

St. Cloud State faces Minnesota State in the other game at the NCAA Fargo Regional.

The Gophers (26-9-1) are making their NCAA-record 40th all-time appearance in the postseason. Minnesota won its sixth Big Ten regular season champion this season and will play Canisius at 8:00 PM on Thursday at Scheels Arena. The St. Cloud State/Minnesota State game is set for a 4:00 PM puck drop.

The winners of the two games on Thursday will square off in the regional championship game on Saturday at 5:30 PM in Fargo. The Gophers are aiming at their 23rd trip to the NCAA Frozen Four.