Media and coaches preseason men’s hockey polls were released, and the results are Gopher Jordan Schroeder as player of the year and Denver as the preseason conference favorite.

The reigning WCHA Rookie of the Year, Schroeder split the award in the Coaches poll with St. Cloud State’s Ryan Lasch. Schroeder was named to the All-WCHA second-team after a rookie campaign highlighted by 45 points on 32 assists and 13 goals. The preaseason pick for WCHA Rookie of the Year went to St. Cloud State goalie Mike Lee.

With eight of 10 first place votes in the coaches poll and 23 of 25 first place votes in the media poll, Denver easily beat out North Dakota for the preseason No. 1 conference ranking. The MacNaughton Cup Champion Sioux were tabbed to finish second in the poll, with Wisconsin ranked third and the Gophers slotted at the four spot. The rest of the preseason conference rankings are: St. Cloud (5), Minnesota Duluth (6), Minnesota State (7), Colorado College (8), Alaska Anchorage (9) and Michigan Tech (10).

Minnesota opens its season facing the top three conference teams in six of its first eight games. After beginning the year with a road series against North Dakota, the Gophers then play the following weekend at home against Denver and after another home series against Alaska Anchorage, head back on the road to Madison, Wisc. to face the Badgers.

The Gophers begin practice this Sat., Oct. 3, and play their first game, an exhibition against British Columbia, Sun. Oct. 4.