MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS:  The Under-18 Team returns to the ice after their holiday break as they visit the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, currently ranked 1st in the nation in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll.

The Gophers are 15-5 overall on the season, 10-2 within the Big Ten and 9-2 on home ice in Minneapolis.

Minnesota has swept its last two weekends of league play, winning 5-0 and 6-3 in East Lansing over Michigan State (Dec. 2-3) and most recently sweeping Wisconsin at home by 7-1 and 6-4 finals on December 9-10.

The team will be down four skaters who are representing the U.S. at the 2023 World Junior Championship, three of whom are NTDP alums. Defensemen Luke Mittelstadt and Ryan Chesley (Mahtomedi, Minn. / NTDP 2020-22) and forwards Logan Cooley (Pittsburgh, Pa. / NTDP 2020-22) and Jimmy Snuggerud (Chaska, Minn. / NTDP 2020-22), who are the top two leading scorers on the squad, will all be out of the lineup on Thursday afternoon.

Sophomore forward Matty Knies leads the rest of the group with 22 points (11g-11a), which has also received solid production from Jaxon Nelson (7g-12a), Bryce Brodzinski (9g-8a) and Mason Nevers (7g-9a)

On the blue line, the Golden Gophers are led by Jackson LaCombe, who has averaged a point-per-game with 20 (4g-16a) in 20 games and NTDP alum Brock Faber (Maple Grove, Minn. / NTDP 2018-20), who has produced 15 points (3g-12a) in 20 games.

Justen Close has seen the most time in net for Minnesota, playing to a 12-5-0 record, 2.16 GAA and .918 SV%. He's backed up by Owen Bartoskiewicz, who has appeared in 11 contests with a 3.62 GAA and .886 SV%.

The NTDP will be looking to avenge last year's 5-3 loss in Minneapolis.

MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS: The U17s will finish off the 2022 calendar with a home-and-home set against in-state rival Muskegon.

The Lumberjacks come into the weekend in fourth place in the USHL's Eastern Conference with 26 points from 25 games played, just three points behind Team USA.

Muskegon is led by Buffalo Sabres draft pick Jake Richard, fresh off a World Junior A Challenge victory for Team USA, who has a team-high 12 scores and 22 points on the season. Cody Croal (8g-10a), Ethan Whitcomb (11g-6a), David Hymovitch (6g-10a) and Tyler Hotson (5g-10a) all aid in scoring.

Defenseman Gavin McCarthy is having one of the best seasons from any USHL blueliner and has produced 18 points (4g-14a) in 20 games.

Conor Callaghan is the 'Jacks lone qualified goaltender as he's appeared in 18 games with a 9-6-2 record, 3.45 GAA and .883 SV% for Muskegon.

NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS: The U18s will celebrate the New Year in North Dakota as they take on the Fighting Hawks for the final game of 2022.

North Dakota owns a 7-8-4 record in the first half of their season, but is coming off a sweep of Western Michigan that featured a 3-2 shootout win (Dec. 9) and 3-0 shutout (Dec. 10) in Kalamazoo.

Hawks' leading scorer Jackson Blake will not be with the team as he skates for Team USA at the World Junior Championship, but a trio of forwards in Riese Gaber (11g-8a), Gavin Hain (Grand Rapids, Minn. / NTDP 2017-18) (8g-2a) and Dylan James (3g-7a) have all eclipsed double digits in points.

Defenseman Chris Jandric leads available skaters with 20 points (2g-18a) in 19 games for Nodak.

The Fighting Hawks have split their time in net fairly evenly between Drew DeRidder (Fenton, Mich. / NTDP 2017-18) and Jakob Hellsten. DeRidder has taken a dozen starts to a 4-4-2 record with a 2.86 GAA and .890 SV%. In 11 apperences, Hellsten has a 3-4-2 record, 3.13 GAA and .859 SV%.

The NTDP earned a 2-0 shutout victory on the first day of 2022 and looks to close the calendar with bookending wins in North Dakota.