The No. 5 University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team officially opens 2026 with a nonconference series against Lindenwood University at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn. this Friday and Saturday. The Bulldogs open up at 7:07 p.m. Friday night, and then host their annual Sophie's Squad game on Saturday, with a 6:07 p.m. puck drop.


SOPHIE SQUAD DOUBLE-HEADER SATURDAY: UMD will host its fifth-annual Sophie's Squad event Saturday in a double-header with the UMD's women hockey team. The organization that encourages talking about mental health was created in 2021, by a group led by former UMD All-American and current PWHL star Gabbie Hughes. Hughes went on to win the 2023 Hockey Humanitarian Award for her work with the organization. For more information on Sophie's Squad, click, go to https://sophiessquad.org/. For a look at back at Gabbie Hughes and her work in the cause, click here.

HATS OFF TO HOAGIE: A fixture on the UMD hockey bench for over four decades, Dale "Hoagie" Haagenson will be missing on the Bulldog bench this weekend after suffering a medical episode on the evening of Dec. 25. 

Hoagie joined the Bulldog staff in 1981-82 and since that time has resolutely served as the club's assistant equipment manager and inspirational leader. He is the longest-serving volunteer in UMD athletics history.

Currently, Haogie has been well taken care of at Essentia Health, where he is currently recovering. A CaringBridge has been set up for those wanting more information on Hoagie's recovery -- https://www.caringbridge.org/site/5623ae7f-e44d-11f0-a4eb-c9454d699c2f.

ADAM GAJAN NAMED TO 2026 SLOVIA OLYMPIC TEAM: Sophomore goaltender Adam Gajan has been named to the 2026 Slovakia Olympic Team, the first Bulldog named to an Olympic roster since Noah Cates in 

2022 (U.S.) and the 15th UMD player to earn an Olympic roster spot in program history.

A native of Poprad, Slovakia, Gajan is just a little over a week off from earning a silver medal in the 2025 Spengler Cup where he backstopped the U.S. Collegiate Selects in two games -- including the championship - and posted a 1-1-0 record with 55 saves in those outings.

For the Bulldogs so far this season, Gajan owns the second most wins in the NCAA with 14 and out of goaltenders who have played 15 or more games, has the fourth-best goals against average at 1.92. Gajan has also played the fifth most minutes (1,185) in the nation, and has posted two shutouts.

While Gajan becomes the 15th Bulldog to skate in the Olympics, he will be just the second UMD goaltender ever make an Olympic roster, joining Bob Mason. Mason skated for the U.S. Olympic Team in 1984.

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Milan and Cortina, Italy from February 6-22, marking the first time two cities will co-host the Winter Games. Events will be spread across northern Italy, with Milan focusing on ice sports like figure skating and hockey, and Cortina and nearby valleys hosting mountain events.

A REAL GOAL-GETTER: Max Plante enters the weekend with 16 goals so far this season in 20 games, and is looking to become one of just four UMD players since 2015-16 that has posted 16 or more goals in a season. Ben Steeves did it twice, with 24 goals 37 games in 2023-24 and 21 tallies in 35 games in 2022-23 , while Alex Iafallo and Adam Johnson both did it over the 2016-17 in 42 games -- Iafallo had 21 goals, while Johnson had 18.

Plante is also the fourth UMD player since the 2020-21 season to log 30 or more points -- Dominic James landed 30 last season, while Ben Steeves (34) and Owen Gallatin (30) did it in 2023-24

A SPECIAL TEAM ON SPECIAL TEAMS: The Bulldogs currently own the second-best power play in the nation with a 31.7 success rate, and they own the fourth-best penalty kill at a 88.9 rate.

Two Bulldogs are ranked in the top-12 -- Max Plante tied in 8th (6) and Zam Plante tied in 12th (5).

Ironically, UMD has scored just one power play goal over there last three games in just three attempts -- and 0-3 in those skates. The Bulldogs are just 2-6 in games without a power play goal.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: UMD is unbeaten in series openers or Friday night games, a perfect 10-0 headed into the weekend. The Bulldogs have also outscored teams on Friday 43-14.

On the other side of the series, UMD is just 4-6 in its second games of the series, and has been slightly outscored 23-27. The Bulldogs have not won a game on Saturday since it defeated St. Cloud State back on Nov. 8 by the score of 3-2.

WINNING IS IN: The Bulldogs have surpassed the amount of wins they had total for all of last season, and they did it in just 18 games. UMD is 14-6-0 as the open 2026 -- the Bulldogs finished 13-20-3 over the entire 2025-26 season.  

UMD's 14 wins are the most since they had 16 in the 2022-23 season.

STILL THE ONE: Max Plante continues to lead the country in points per game among skaters who have skated in 15 or more games so far this season.

Currently, Plante has 30 points (16g, 14a) in 20 games for a 1.50 points per game average. Plante has skated in two less games than ASU's Cruz Lucius (32) and Bennett Schimek (31), who are the only players with more points this season than the sophomore winger. Plante's 16 goals also ranked third in the NCAA.

Max's older brother Zam Plante ranked 12th in scoring (25), and sixth in assists (18). 

The pair became the first-ever pair of brothers to lead the NCAA in scoring earlier this season.

NOT MUCH FOR SETTLING THE SCORE: UMD is tied for the fourth-lowest goals against average of 2.05, which doubles as a tie as the lowest in the NCHC with North Dakota.

UMD isn't allowing many shots against -- they sit fifth in the NCAA and second in the NCHC with just 24.3 shots against per game.

HE'S A WINNER: Goaltender Adam Gajan has already won 14 games so far this season -- and is already the first Bulldog goaltender to reach that mark in four seasons -- since Ryan Fanti turned in 20 triumphs in 2021-22.

Gajan has also played the fifth most minutes (1,185) in the nation, and has posted two shutouts.

THE SERIES: UMD and Lindenwood have never faced each other in the history of either program, and will meet for the first time Friday night at AMSOIL .

The Lions currently compete as a Independent without a conference, but they are actively seeking to join a conference. The sides don't have a common opponent to compare results with so far this season, though Lindenwood is 1-3-0 against NCHC foes this season after splitting with Denver at home and were swept by Miami (Ohio) on the road.

The two sides share one thing -- current Lion goaltender Klayton Knapp played for the Bulldogs last season as a freshman. Knapp played in 16 games and started in 14 with UMD for a total of 853:20 minutes. He has a 2.67 goals against average, a .907 saves percentage, one shutout and a record of 6-6-2.

LAST TIME OUT:  UMD split with Arizona State before the Holiday break at AMSOIL by scores of 3-1 and 6-3.

In the opening game, the 1,000th of Scott Sandelin's head coaching career, UMD trailed 1-0 after the first period, but used a power play goal from Max Plante at 7:37 and took the lead for good at 15:31 on Kyle Gaffney's first tally of the season. 

Daniel Shlaine added an empty net goal with 1:10 left in the third period for the 3-1 final. Goaltender Adam Gajan had 16 saves, while UMD outshot the Sun Devils 39-17.

Saturday night, Braden Fischer gave the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead at 3:13, but ASU struck twice in the opening frame, including with a power play goal to go 2-1 after 20. The Sun Devils scored the lone goal of the second period (3-1), and then added another at 2:32 of the third to extend their advantage to 4-1. Max Plante added another goal less than a minute later to cut it to 4-2, but again ASU scored at 7:23 to go up 5-2. Shlaine scored his second of the series at 11:47 to make it 5-3, but Bennett Schimek iced it for the Sun Devils and gave himself a hat trick with an empty net goal with three seconds left. 

UMD outshot ASU 40-30 and Gajan had 24 saves in the contest.

NOTES FROM THE ASU SERIES: UMD  is now 4-5-1 all-time against the Sun Devils. Saturday's loss was the Bulldogs first setback to ASU at AMSOIL ever -- UMD is 4-1-1 all-time against the Sun Devils at home (and winless in Tempe).

--Max Plante now has 12 points -- including seven goals -- in just eight games against ASU over his young career ... Plante has scored at least a goal against ASU in 7-of-8 games -- only in his first meeting against the Sun Devils was he held scoreless (but he did have an assist) ... Plante has never played a game against the Sun Devils without logging at least a point.

--Adam Kleber had two points in game two, the second the second point performance of his UMD career … Ty Hanson also had two assists, his sixth game so far this season with two or more points … Hanson ranks fourth in scoring among all defensemen in the NCAA with 20 points (6g, 14a) … Daniel Shlaine scored a goal in each game of the series – along with Max Plante, he was the only UMD player to score a goal in each game

--ASU's six goals was the most UMD has allowed this season and the most since it lost in overtime to the Sun Devils in the NCHC First Round on March 15 (6-5). 

--UMD outshot ASU in both games in the series … it was the Bulldogs third loss when outshooting an opponent (10-3).

NO HOLIDAY BREAK: Four Bulldogs kept competing right on through their holiday breaks in two different tournaments.

Adam Kleber and Max Plante competed in the IIHF Junior World Championships in Minneapolis, Minn. with the U.S., while Zam Plante and Adam Gajan skated with the U.S. Collegiate Selects in the Spengler Cup.

Zam Plante and Gajan earned silver medals in the tournament, with Gajan playing between the pipes in two games, including the final, and making 55 saves over those two skates. Zam Plante had two assists in two games for the U.S. Collegiate Selects.

Max Plante had one goal in three games in Minneapolis before suffering an injury, while Kleber was +5 in five games with an assist.