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College Catch-Up: Jack Glover

By Laney Byler, 11/21/17, 5:30PM EST

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A senior defenseman at the University of Minnesota, Jack Glover looks to help the Golden Gophers to their 37th NCAA Tournament appearance.

Jack Glover with the University of Minnesota (photo courtesy of University of Minnesota Athletics)

Jack Glover with the University of Minnesota (photo courtesy of University of Minnesota Athletics)

Drive east for 18 minutes from Golden Valley, Minnesota, and eventually you will arrive at Mariucci Arena — home of the Golden Gophers' hockey program. It just so happens that University of Minnesota senior defenseman Jack Glover’s path to what he now calls his home rink expands far beyond a 10.5-mile stretch of asphalt.

Glover, a Golden Valley native raised in a state full of hockey culture, came from a family that didn’t place a lot of emphasis on the sport early on, with neither of his parents having much playing experience. But when his older brother started playing, Glover decided to follow suit. In a state like Minnesota, it was easy to get enveloped in the sport. 

It wasn’t easy, however, for Glover to leave home for his junior and senior years of high school. Being a part of the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program meant leaving behind high school and travel teams, but for Glover, being a part of the NTDP was worth it.

“The NTDP was always somewhere I wanted to be at, it was always a goal of mine ever since I was pretty young, so it wasn’t much of a decision when I got a chance to,” Glover said. “I jumped on it pretty quick, but it doesn’t change the fact that was a little difficult for a couple months. But you get used to it after that.”

Glover spent two seasons with the NTDP, skating with the U17s from 2012-13 and moving up to the U18s for the 2013-14 season. He made an appearance in 61 games over his career and was a member of the gold-winning U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team at the 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Men’s  World Championship in Finland. While with the U17s, he won bronze at the 2013 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge in Canada. In the 2014 National Hockey League Entry Draft, he was picked up by the WInnipeg Jets in the third round.

For Glover, growing up in a state like Minnesota where hockey is a norm for most kids, he felt he had the necessary background required to be successful at the NTDP. But still, there were some adjustments.

“Biggest thing was the level of competition and the quality of players that were on my team all of a sudden,” Glover said. “Big jump, big difference going from playing high school hockey to playing with some of the best players in the United States. Everyday in practice, going up against the competition you’re up against, the skill level, the level of work that all the guys on your team put in and how serious they are about what they do is the biggest thing that stood out.”

Now a senior for the seventh-ranked Golden Gophers, Glover has played in 71 games and recorded 16 points through his freshman and junior campaigns, with one of those points coming as a goal against the NTDP during his freshman season.

The Golden Gophers have consistently been one of the top-ranked programs in the nation, currently sitting second in the Big Ten conference and trailing Notre Dame by a single point. They’ve been labeled regular-season champions 24 times and have 14 Tournament Championships. At the national level, Minnesota has five national championships and 36 NCAA Tournament appearances, with Glover on the team for two of them. 


Jack Glover with Team USA in 2013-14 (Photo by USA Hockey)

NTDP Career

  • Years: 2012-14
  • Games: 61
  • Goals: 8
  • Assists: 40
  • Points: 48
  • Notes: Played in the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games and the 2013 CCM/USA Hockey All-Around Prospects game. Scored one goal and three assists in the 2014 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship in Finland.

For Glover, going home to play with Minnesota was an extraordinary opportunity. He enjoys the series he plays and home games at Mariucci Arena, but doesn’t shy away from travel time either.

“Going on the road, a lot of people don’t like the Gophers, with rivalries like Wisconsin and North Dakota,” Glover said. “Everyone comes up for those games and we always get everyone’s best, so it’s always a lot of fun to rise up to the challenge and kind of be us 20 guys against a whole stadium, a whole rink. It’s a different kind of fun, it’s a whole new challenge, but those are a lot of fun as well.”

This year, Minnesota looking for its 37th NCAA Tournament appearance and fifth consecutive Big Ten regular-season title. And this year, Glover is looking to help make that happen. 

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