GABE GUENTZEL
Colorado College
So. | D | Woodbury, Minn.

Gabe Guentzel led Colorado College freshmen in games played, assists, and points last season.

Key Statistics: Guentzel looked as if he belonged on a college hockey rink right from the start as a rookie, leading all first-year Tigers in games played (36), assists (14) and points (17). He was named CC’s rookie of the year, an award named after legendary coach Bob Johnson. 

What He Does: Coach Scott Owens tried some mixing and matching on the CC power play last season, pairing newcomer Guentzel with veteran rearguard Brian Connelly on the points during power plays. The duo of lefties turned out to be a big hit, as Guentzel recorded all three of his rookie-year goals with the man advantage. Most importantly for Gabe in an on-going Guentzel family rivalry, his first collegiate goal came on Oct. 11, more than a month before his brother Ryan, who will be a junior forward at Notre Dame, got his first collegiate goal.

The Bigger Picture: It’s one thing to have your parents stop by college to check up on you now and then. It’s quite another thing when dad moves in. Gabe’s father, Mike (an assistant coach at Minnesota for 14 seasons), moved his son to Colorado Springs a year ago and quietly interviewed for a job with the Tigers while he was visiting. In September, Mike joined the CC staff, coaching the Tiger forwards. Owens likes to joke that it was a pretty nice package deal for CC hockey. Gabe, who was surrounded by all things Gopher as a youth hockey player, said he knew he didn’t want to follow his father to Minnesota and hoped to chart his own course in college. Instead, it was the father following the son, which has worked out well so far.

Colorado College coach Scott Owens on Guentzel: “Gabe plays hockey with a passion and competes every time he steps on the ice. Combine that with his skill package and you get a very good defenseman. He’s got good vision and good hands and one of the better one-timers on our team.”