Big Ten Hockey Preseason Honors
Minnesota selected as the preseason favorite
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Four-time Big Ten Champion Minnesota was tabbed the favorite in the 2017-18 Big Ten hockey preseason coaches’ poll, the conference announced on Monday. The coaches also selected a 17-member Preseason Watch List, including a pair of unanimous honorees.
Last season, Minnesota claimed its fourth consecutive Big Ten Championship with 43 points and a conference record of 14-5-1-0 (23-12-3 overall). Conference newcomer Notre Dame was selected second in the preseason poll, with Wisconsin capturing third, defending Big Ten Tournament Champion Penn State taking fourth, Ohio State placing fifth, Michigan earning sixth and Michigan State rounding out the poll in seventh.
The Preseason Watch List features 17 standouts due to ties, with a pair of unanimous selections in 2017 Big Ten Player of the Year Tyler Sheehy and Wisconsin’s Trent Frederic. Six schools were represented on the Preseason Watch List, led by Minnesota with four honorees.
Penn State’s Peyton Jones, the 2017 Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, is one of four members of last year’s All-Freshman team to earn preseason recognition along with Minnesota’s Ryan Lindgren, Penn State’s Denis Smirnov and 2017 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Frederic. A first-team All-Big Ten honoree last year, Sheehy, the 2017 Co-Scoring Champion, was joined on last season’s All-Conference first team by fellow 2017 Co-Scoring Champion and Buckeye Mason Jobst.
The list also includes a pair of students who were Academic All-Big Ten honorees last season in Ohio State’s Matthew Weis and Jobst.
The complete Preseason Watch List, as well as the preseason poll, can be found below.
2017-18 BIG TEN PRESEASON WATCH LIST#
Quinn Hughes, D, MICH
Will Lockwood, F, MICH
Josh Norris, F, MICH
Ryan Lindgren, D, MINN
Casey Mittelstadt, F, MINN
Rem Pitlick, F, MINN
TYLER SHEEHY, F, MINN
Jake Evans, F, ND
Jordan Gross, D, ND
Andrew Oglevie, F, ND
Mason Jobst, F, OSU
Matthew Weis, F, OSU
Peyton Jones, G, PSU
Denis Smirnov, F, PSU
TRENT FREDERIC, F, WIS
Kyle Hayton, G, WIS
Cameron Hughes, F, WIS
Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS
# Additional honorees due to ties
2017-18 BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
1. Minnesota
2. Notre Dame
3. Wisconsin
4. Penn State
5. Ohio State
6. Michigan
7. Michigan State