Update On LJ Mooney’s NCAA Rookie Season

Mooney did finish the weekend with a goal but it was an empty netter to help seal the deal in the Gophers 5-1 victory against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Mooney’s goal was not anything flashy but it was still an important one, after the Gophers lost on Friday night 5-2 to the Fighting Hawks. The goal was Mooney’s 2nd of the season, and put him up to 4 points in 6 NCAA games for the Freshman.

Despite having under a point per game, Mooney’s stats on the scoresheet don’t tell the full story to the impact he has made. He has a regular role on the power-play and contributes to some passing plays but often doesn’t get an assist because of how everyone on the man advantage had touched the puck. A great example of this was the Gophers first goal on Saturday, which the puck was based around between all 5 guys on the ice, meaning two of the players wouldn’t receive a point on the play and he was one of them. Nonetheless, he was important in getting the goal for the Gophers as were the other players on the ice. 

During the game on Saturday, he was also taken down by a cheap shot by one of the Fighting Hawks players and left the game for a bit before returning later to get his team an insurance goal. Mooney continued to prove he was an important part of the Gophers success throughout the game. While Mooney can score goals himself, his main attribute offensively is his playmaking that continue to be on display throughout his college hockey games thus far.

As well as LJ Mooney making an impact, the Canadiens 7th round pick in 2023, Luke Mittlestadt also had a strong weekend on the Gophers back end. He led all players for the University of Minnesota in ice time and served as a strong presence on the blueline. As it stands, Mittlestadt also leads all Gopher players with 5 assists in 6 games. As a 23 year old defenseman, Mittlestadt will likely never play for the Canadiens but he could be a good depth player for the Laval Rocket if needed. Although the likely outcome is he ends up going unsigned this upcoming summer.

The previous weekend was arguably better for LJ Mooney who contributed a lot in a Saturday night matchup against the Boston College Eagles where the Gophers took the game 3-2 in shootout. Mooney scored a beautiful goal in the shootout which helped the University of Minnesota secure the victory.

Mooney also picked up an assist along with Mittlestadt on a Brodie Ziemmer goal that gave the Gophers a 2-1 lead during the 2nd period. During that game, Mooney could have gotten another assist in the 1st period but it was called back due to a slash by the Canadiens prospect. The penalty was more of a sign of just how intense Mooney’s play can be.

Mooney has been off to a good start in his freshman season, but it hasn’t come without its challenges for the small forward who is still getting used to playing against men every weekend in college. It will be interesting to see if Mooney can improve his production to get up to a point per game pace. 

Do you think LJ Mooney can finish his freshman season at University of Minnesota as a point per game player?