Minnesota Golden Gophers men ' s ice hockey The Minnesota Golden Gophers men ' s ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota . They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association ( WCHA ) and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) Division I ice hockey . The Golden Gophers have won five NCAA national championships , in 1974 , 1976 , 1979 , 2002 and 2003 . The team also shared the 1929 National Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship with Yale . and captured the national Amateur Athletic Union ( AUU ) championship for amateur hockey in 1940 . Under current head coach Don Lucia , the Gophers have earned a spot in the NCAA tournament in eight of the last nine seasons , including five number 1 seeds and three appearances in the Frozen Four . The team ' s main rivalries are with the University of Wisconsin and the University of North Dakota , although several other schools claim Minnesota as their archrival . For much of the team ' s recent history , there has been a strong recruiting emphasis on Minnesota - born high school and junior hockey players , as opposed to out - of - state , Canadian , or Europe an players . In fact , under coach Doug Woog , every single recruit grew up playing hockey in Minnesota . This practice has been a source of pride for the team and its fans , because it can claim that its success is the result of home - grown talent . Season - by - season results . " This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Golden Gophers . For the full season - by - season history , see Minnesota Golden Gophers men ' s ice hockey seasons " " Note : GP = Games played , W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties " Records by opponent . Conference opponents Major non - conference opponents Franchise records . Season . Players Team ( since 1950 ) Game . Player Team Players . Honored members . " Retired Numbers " : The Gophers have retired only one number . On November 15 , 1998 , the team retired John Mayasich ' s number 8 . Mayasich , a two - time All - American , played four seasons with the Gophers ( 1951 – 1955 ) and holds team records for goals and points scored both in a game and for a career . Despite playing as a member of the silver medal 1956 and gold medal 1960 Winter Olympic U . S . hockey teams , he never played professionally . " Hobey Baker Award " : Four players from the University of Minnesota have won the Hobey Baker Award , awarded annually to " the outstanding collegiate hockey player in the United States . " Neal Broten ( 1978 – 1981 ) became the award ' s first recipient in 1981 . Robb Stauber ( 1986 – 1989 ) won the award as a sophomore in 1988 , becoming the first goaltender to be so honored . Brian Bonin ( 1992 – 1996 ) won the award in 1996 after nearly winning it the previous season . In 2002 , Jordan Leopold ( 1998 – 2002 ) became the first University of Minnesota player to win both the Hobey Baker Award and an NCAA Championship in the same season . Coaches . All - time coaching records . " Note : ( * ) indicates former Gophers player " In their eighty - five season history , the Gophers have had a total of fourteen head coaches , including three interim coaches . John Mariucci took a one - year leave of absence during the 1955 – 1956 season to serve as head coach of the U . S . men ' s hockey team that won the silver medal at the 1956 Winter Olympics . Halfway through the 1971 – 1972 season , Glen Sonmor left the Gophers to become the general manager and head coach for the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association . Doug Woog was suspended for two games during the 1996 – 1997 season for concealing an illegal payment to a former player after his scholarship ended . During this time , assistant head coach Mike Guentzel served as the team ' s head coach . In 2009 , Assistant Coach John Hill coached 2 games while Don Lucia was out for medical reasons .