NO CONFIRMATION YET

More departures are abound for the men’s hockey program.

Sophomore defenseman Ryan Lindgren will sign with the National Hockey League’s New York Rangers and leave the Gophers after two seasons.

Lindgren was a top-pair defenseman for Minnesota in both seasons with the Gophers. His first season he was paired with former Gophers’ and current Chicago Wolves defenseman Jake Bischoff. This last season, he was paired mostly with junior Jack Sadek.

The Minneapolis, Minnesota native was originally drafted by the Boston Bruins in the second round of the 2016 NHL entry draft, but was traded to the Rangers in a deadline deal in a package for one of New York’s most high-profile scorers.

Lindgren talked about his trade after it happened, he said he was excited to get to work with the team over the summer. Now those plans don’t have to wait, he’ll be in the organization before the season ends. 

In his time at Minnesota, he scored 16 points in 67 games with three total goals. His physical presence made him stand out on the blue line, especially in rivalry games. 

Ryan now joins his older brother Charlie in the NHL. Charlie was a goaltender with St. Cloud State from 2013-16 and now balances time between the Montreal Canadiens and the AHL’s Laval Rocket.