It is incredibly rare for two freshmen and a sophomore to consistently produce goals the way Logan Cooley, Jimmy Snuggerud and Matthew Knies have for the Gophers this season. With their guiding offense, the men’s hockey team claimed the 2022-23 Big Ten Regular Season Title on Thursday, with one series still remaining in the conference.
The three skaters arrived in Minneapolis from around the country. Cooley is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Knies is from Phoenix, Arizona and Snuggerud is from Chaska.
All three are atop the statistical leaderboards for Minnesota. Cooley leads the pack with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists), with Snuggerud in second tallying 43 points (19 goals, 24 assists) and Hobey Baker front-runner Knies in third totaling 36 points (20 goals,16 assists).
“On and off the ice, getting to know each other and always being around each other is the best way to build camaraderie,” Knies said. “Learning our strengths as players and recognizing where we are on the ice consistently is beneficial.”
During Friday’s and Saturday’s games against No. 7 Penn State, the line exploded. Snuggerud snagged two goals in the first game, Knies managed to score three goals, including the game-tying empty-net goal and game-winning 3-on-3 overtime goal on Saturday. Cooley became the first Big Ten player to score five points in not just a single game, but a single period, picking up a goal and four assists in Minnesota’s five-goal second period blowout on Friday.
“They’ve got that ability…they’re special players,” said head coach Bob Motzko on Saturday. “That’s why you put them out there, to find ways to do it in moments like that.”
When this trio clicks, it can make NHL teams salivate. Cooley was drafted third overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2022, Snuggerud 23rd overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2022 and Knies 57th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021.
Knies, Cooley and Snuggerud began playing alongside one another in October 2022, following a hat-trick performance by Snuggerud against Minnesota State Mankato, which prompted head coach Bob Motzko to form the line that many across the country are dubbing the best in college hockey.
“We realized that this can be an opportunity for us to come together and build chemistry throughout the year,” Snuggerud said. “We didn’t really sit down and talk about it, we just came together at practice and were pretty jazzed.”
Other notable feats from this line include Knies allocating two overtime-winning goals this season and Cooley pulling off “The Michigan” at Arizona State while also beating St. Cloud State with an overtime-winning goal of his own.
“At the start, we all wanted to be the one that was the driving force and we learned to instead lean into our strengths,” Knies said. “Logan can skate really well, so when we get a play in the zone, we try and get the puck to him. When the play is broken or coming to an end, we make sure the puck is on Jimmy’s stick, so he can fire it through the net.”
The pressure of being heralded as one of the top lines in hockey as such a young group does not faze them one bit.
“We’ve all dealt with the pressure really well…We don’t pay attention to that stuff, we just try to play our game,” Cooley said.
Before this season, Cooley and Snuggerud came from the same pipeline of the USA National Team Development Program (NTDP) U18 team. Knies last played for the USHL.
“We [Cooley and Snuggerud] always know where we are on the ice, being roommates on the NTDP; we’re going on three years playing together, so it’s been fun,” Cooley said.
Cooley and Snuggerud both agree their older linemate Knies is consistently good on the forecheck and helps guide the trio.
“He’s been through the program before, so he knows what it takes to make it that far through a season,” Snuggerud said. “He’s been there for Cools and I as young guys just driving us throughout the season.”
Knies returned to the program after a wild freshman season in which he was a U.S. Olympian, the Most Valuable Player in Minnesota’s time in Worcester for the 2022 NCAA Regionals and named the University of Minnesota’s Male Rookie of the Year. Stepping into a leadership role was natural for a Gopher team that is the second youngest team in Division I Hockey with an average age of 21 years.
“Something that I wanted to add to my game is to set an example for these two and for all the younger players coming in,” Knies said. “Just someone that you can lean on in practice or in game situations and when things aren’t going their way…I kind of learned from Benny Meyers in the Frozen Four to be that guy and kind of return the favor.”
Off the ice, you can most likely find these three at their favorite place to eat on campus: Stadium Village’s Chick-Fil-A. They are currently craving to try a chocolate shake for the first time.
“Just how talented these two are…it’s been extremely fun playing with these guys who want to play well at a professional level and we push each other every day,” Cooley said. “It’s been a really fun experience playing with these two.”
