Men’s Hockey Lands State Champion Recruits Over Weekend

Don Lucia nabbed himself some size on the blueline for the future of the University of Minnesota Men’s Hockey team this last weekend. Lucia and the Golden Gophers landed two big prospects from last year’s Benilde-St. Margaret’s State Championship team – Jack Glover of Golden Valley and Ryan Collins of Bloomington.

Both defensemen are currently playing with the U.S. National Development Program’s U-17 team in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Glover stands at 6’3″ and weighs in at 173 pounds. Collins is a hair taller at 6’4″ and has a half a dozen pounds on Glover, tipping the scales at 179.

This focus on size on the recruiting trail is good to see for Minnesota’s defense as they will lose Seth Helgeson (6’4″ 215lbs) to graduation after this season and likely see junior Mark Alt (6’3″ 205lbs) leave for the pro ranks. The Carolina Hurricanes own Alt’s rights.

Neither Glover nor Collins are expected to hit campus until at least the start of the 2014 season for Minnesota.

Both will be draft eligible for the 2014 NHL Entry Draft scheduled to take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They each have May 1996 birthdays.

Last season Ryan Collins scored 1 Goal and had 4 Assists for the Benilde-St. Margaret’s Red Knights in 29 games. Jack Glover scored 2 Goals and had 16 Assists for B-SM in 27 contests. The Red Knights claimed the 2012 MSHSL Boys State Hockey Tournament Class AA Championship this spring with a 5-1 win over Hill-Murray School.