"I knew Ryan a little bit because when I first got drafted in development camp, but it was really cool to know that there's another guy going into school in the same pro organization," Huglen said.
Huglen ranks second among first-year Gophers, appearing in 20 out of 22 games. He has four points (3+1), and Minnesota has won every game that he has scored in.
Since his first colligate goal against St. Cloud State in mid-October, Huglen has seen his ice time increase as a center.
"I like to play fast, and the biggest adjustment at this level has been the speed of the game. I feel like I've been getting better at it every weekend with the Gophers because of my hockey sense and awareness of the game."
Huglen believes that the sky is the limit for the No.11 team in the country, which rosters 15 players who have already been drafted into the NHL. Their next test will be this weekend as they will clash with the University of Michigan for the second time this season.
The two powerhouse Big 10 programs split their first two meetings back on December 3 and 4. Minnesota won the first game 5-1. The Wolverines responded with a 6-2 victory due to an impressive performance by sophomore goaltender fellow Sabres prospect Erik Portillo. Johnson recorded an assist on the game's first goal early in the first period.
Since their last meetings, No. 3 Michigan has rattled off four straight wins and five of their previous six games. Portillo was responsible for all five wins during that stretch, stopping 209 shots for a .933 save percentage.
Owen Power, the first-overall pick by the Sabres in 2021, has continued to play big minutes on the blue line, registering an assist and a plus-six rating in his last six games.
"I was just talking with the player development guys for the Sabres, and just hearing their excitement to watch all of the prospects play is really cool," Huglen said.
Friday's game between Michigan and Minnesota begins at 7 p.m. on ESPNU. Saturday's game begins at 5:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
