NCAA Top Men's Hockey Freshmen coming into the 2023-24 season Whipple and Ziemer leading the way in Gophers 2024 recruiting class. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAyMjM4Nzk3NDE5NjUyMTA4/f-__je2w4aeqn75.jpg] Whipple and Ziemer leading the way in Gophers 2024 recruiting class. It was a big day in college hockey in terms of signing letters of intent and the Gophers got five big recruits to sign. Minnesota got two defensemen, John Whipple and Leo Gruba both to sign along with three forwards, Brodie Ziemer, August Falloon and Erik Pahlsson to sign. For the 2024 season the Gophers are expected to bring in three defensemen. Gruba and Whipple are locks to come in but it doesn't look like defender Brady Yakesh will be joining them which was originally expected. Yakesh, 20, committed to the Gophers in 2022 and was traded by the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL to the Madison Capitols during the 2022-23 season. The following year he started the year in the BCHL with the Cranbrook Bucks and was lated traded to the Cowichan Valley Capitals for a player development fee. Nonetheless, the Gophers will bring in two defenders for the 2024 season that are off to great starts for their teams. Gruba, 19, has five goals and 15 points in 14 games with the Fargo Force this year in the USHL. The former Hill-Murray High School standout was originally committed to St. Cloud State but flipped his commitment on Halloween to the Gophers and signed six days ago with Minnesota. Whipple, 17, committed to Minnesota in August of 2022 and has been playing the last two season in the United States National Development Program alongside Ziemer. The New Jersey native has recorded four goals and 22 points in 77 games with the NTDP. Pahlsson, 19, committed to Minnesota just a couple weeks back after his outstanding start to the season in the USHL with the Dubuque Fighting Saints. In 16 USHL games, the native of Landskrona, SWE, has ten goals and 23 points. Ziemer, 17, committed to Minnesota in August of 2022 after recording 49 goals and 108 points in 59 games for Shattuck St. Mary's 15U AAA team and has been playing in the NTDP ever since. Off to a great start to the year, the Minnesota native has five goals and 18 points in 17 games in the NTDP. Falloon, 19, was originally committed to Arizona State University but flipped his commitment a week ago to Minnesota. The native of St. Cloud, MN, is off to a great start in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm with nine goals and 13 points in 16 games in the USHL. Also worth noting that, forward Beckett Hendrickson [https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/664613/beckett-hendrickson] signed his National letter of intent earlier this season and will join these five with the Gophers next season. RELATED
