‘A lot of pride in being a Gopher’ as Faber, Knies, Cooley shine in NHL

TORONTO — A day after the Gophers kicked off their season, Brock Faber and Matthew Knies found themselves on the ice together, but not as college teammates. Instead, they faced off as opponents in the NHL.

“It’s really cool that I have the opportunity to play against him now in such a big stage,” Knies expressed.

The Wild’s first road game of the season took place in Toronto on Saturday and served as a reunion for the former Gophers. This was the first time they competed against each other as professional players since leaving Minnesota earlier this year.

Faber departed after three seasons and a trip to the national championship, where the Gophers lost in overtime to Quinnipiac in April of this year. Knies also ended his two-season tenure and signed a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs on the same day Faber joined the Wild on his entry-level deal.

“I really loved my time in Minnesota,” Knies said. “I felt that it was the perfect place for me to grow and develop as both a player and a person. Being a Gopher is something I take a lot of pride in.”

Although both Faber and Knies are in the early stages of their NHL careers, they have already made a name for themselves. Faber successfully transitioned into the Wild’s lineup, skating in all six playoff games against Dallas. He even scored his first NHL goal during the team’s season-opening victory against Florida on Thursday.

Knies commented, “It’s pretty amazing to see that. Brock’s goal was really impressive. I had the opportunity to assist in three goals during our first playoff series win in 19 years last season, and I also scored a goal in the second round.”

But Faber and Knies aren’t the only Gophers making their mark in the NHL. Their former teammate Logan Cooley, now playing for Arizona, managed to rack up two assists in his debut on Friday.

“We’re all incredibly close,” Faber shared. “We have a bond that will last a lifetime. Seeing Cooley’s success doesn’t surprise any of us. He’s an incredible hockey player, just like Knies. It’s really exciting. We’re having a great time.”

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Ryan Reaves made it clear to General Manager Bill Guerin that he would only stay with the Wild if a better opportunity did not arise. Consequently, the 36-year-old forward signed a three-year, $4.05 million contract with the Leafs.

Reaves stated, “Given the salary cap situation in Minnesota, there were some complications. Toronto is an excellent team that offered me a three-year contract, and at my age, it was difficult to decline. It was definitely a tough decision.”

He continued, “I really enjoyed my time in Minnesota. I loved the guys and everything about the organization, but this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

One to none

Marco Rossi thought he had scored his first NHL goal on Thursday, but it was overturned after a successful coach’s challenge from the Panthers. This continues a strange trend for the Wild, as Adam Beckman and Brandon Duhaime also had their first goals wiped away due to challenges earlier this year.

On the bright side, Duhaime managed to score again in a later game, this time in a fortuitous fashion. The puck accidentally hit his foot and went in.

“So, it was a fortunate bounce,” Duhaime chuckled.

Injury update

Marcus Johansson returned to play on Saturday after leaving the season opener early due to a hit from an elbow. Captain Jared Spurgeon, however, is still week-to-week with an upper-body injury sustained in the preseason and did not join the team for the road trip.