Gophers debut No. 14 in preseason poll, face early test under Brett Larson

The 2026-27 college hockey season will officially begin in less than two weeks on Friday, October 2. The United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) top 20 poll is viewed as the No. 1 way to rank teams, and the Gophers debuted at No. 14 on Monday, ahead of Brett Larson’s first season as head coach.

Gophers men’s hockey debuted at No. 14 in the preseason @USCHO Top 20 poll on Monday.

Who’s too high? Too low? 👇👇👇

We’re less than two weeks away from the start of the 2026-27 college hockey season… pic.twitter.com/GyuCGN84Ek

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) September 22, 2026

Larson and Minnesota have a lot to prove after last season’s 11-22-3 campaign that eventually led to the program moving on from long-time head coach Bob Motzko. It’s clear that this year’s roster has the talent to have a quick turnaround and get back to the NCAA Tournament, and a No. 14-ranking reflects that.

The Gophers will immediately jump into the deep end with a pair of series on the road to open the season at No. 19 Michigan Tech, and at No. 5 Minnesota Duluth two weeks later. They will open at home against No. 4 North Dakota on Oct. 22 and 23. Their early Big Ten series will be against No. 17 Penn State and No. 6 Wisconsin at home.

Minnesota’s first game against an unranked opponent won’t be until Nov. 13 and 14 when they host Alaska Anchorage. We’ll learn very quickly whether Larson has what it takes to lead the Gophers to a quick turnaround, or patience is needed for his first season with the program.

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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Gophers section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.