The 2023-24 Bulldogs men’s hockey season by the numbers – Duluth News Tribune

DULUTH — Not counting the 2019-20 season — when the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the entire postseason — the two playoff games that the Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey program took part of in 2023-24 were the fewest for the Bulldogs since they were swept by Western Michigan in a best-of-three quarterfinal series at Amsoil Arena during the inaugural NCHC tournament in 2013-14.

The Bulldogs were swept out of the NCHC quarterfinals the first two seasons of the league, losing two at Denver in 2014-15, but the Bulldogs still made the NCAA tournament that season. It was the first of seven straight NCAA tournament bids.

Nine years later,

UMD was once again swept by the Pioneers in an NCHC quarterfinal series at Magness Arena,

but no trip to the NCAA tournament followed. The Bulldogs missed out on

‘The Big Ice Dance’

for the second season in a row.

Here’s a look back, and a tiny bit ahead, at the 2023-24 Bulldogs men’s hockey season by the numbers.

The number of penalty minutes the Bulldogs racked up in 2023-24 via 187 total penalties. Seven of those 187 penalties were major penalties — assessed to seven different players — and seven were

10-minute misconducts

or game misconducts.

UMD led the NCHC in penalty minutes in 2023-24 and sits 17th in the NCAA in penalty minutes per game at 12.19.

The Bulldogs’ leader in penalties and penalty minutes was their captain, Luke Loheit, who drew 21 calls for 53 minutes. His major penalty late in a Nov. 17 game at St. Cloud State

resulted in the lone suspension this season.

Loheit — who was second on the team in goals with 10 — missed the Nov. 18 game at SCSU.

All those penalties meant the Bulldogs had to kill off an…