When the puck drops on round one of the NCAA D1 men’s ice hockey championships this Thursday, four Manitoban MJHL alumni will hit the ice in their quest to become national champions.
Read more about who will take to the ice with what team, along with what each player accomplished while playing in the MJHL.
Riese Gaber – North Dakota Fighting Hawks
MJHL – Steinbach Pistons & Dauphin Kings (2016 – 18)
Hometown: Gilbert Plains, Manitoba
Named Team Captain at North Dakota in his senior season, Riese Gaber put together his 3rd straight season earning 30+ points to sit with 64 goals and 65 games in 141 NCAA games. During his time in the MJHL split between Dauphin and Steinbach, Gaber added 41 goals and 42 assists in 101 regular season games. In his final season with the Pistons, Gaber helped his club earn a Turnbull Cup, ANAVET Cup and won gold with Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge.
Prior to joining UND, Gaber advanced to play in the USHL for the Dubuque Fighting Saints where he was named Player of the Year, Forward of the Year and a 1st Team All-Star. North Dakota squares off against Michigan in the first round of the D1 men’s ice hockey championships on Friday, March 29 at 7:30 CST.
Owen Murray – University of Massachusetts Amherst
MJHL – Portage Terriers (2018 – 20)
Hometown: Decker, Manitoba
The former Portage Terrier entered his sophomore season with the UMass Minutemen in 2023-24 and suited up in 30 games, registering 2 goals and 7 assists from the back end. In his rookie season with the Terriers, Murray was named MJHL Rookie of the Year, CJHL Rookie of the Year Finalist, a Rookie Team All-Star and helped the Terriers earn a Turnbull Cup and ANAVET Cup Championship on the way to an appearance in the National Junior A Championship.
After one more season in Portage, Murray advanced to the USHL where he played two season for the Green Bay Gamblers before he joined the UMass Minutemen where he has spent the last two seasons. Murray and his UMass teammates will take on Denver in the first round of the D1 men’s ice hockey championships on Thursday, March 28 at 2:00 CST.
Tanner Andrew – Rochester Institute of Technology
MJHL – Virden Oil Capitals & Winkler Flyers (2018 – 21)
Hometown: Virden, Manitoba
Tanner Andrew is coming off of his best performance through 3 seasons at the NCAA D1 level, where he has played 104 games in total, including 17 goals and 26 assists since 2021. Andrew enjoyed a strong rookie season in the MJHL and followed it up next season in Virden with 25 goals and 30 assists, earning him a 2nd Team All-Star nod and his commitment to RIT. Following a short stint In 2020-21 with the Winkler Flyers when the season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, Andrew briefly played out the rest of the season in BC before embarking on his NCAA career.
Andrew and the RIT Tigers will take on Boston University in the first round of the D1 men’s ice hockey championships on Thursday, March 28 at 5:00 CST.
Grady Hobbs – Rochester Institute of Technology
MJHL – Dauphin Kings (2016 – 21)
Hometown: Deloraine, Manitoba
Like his former MJHL counterpart in Andrew, Grady Hobbs is also coming off of his best performance in 3 seasons with the RIT Tigers where he has scored 26 goals and 21 assists in 110 total games. Hobbs spent five seasons in the MJHL with the Dauphin Kings where he played 230 games, scoring 78 goals and 81 assists.
In his 19-year-old season, Hobbs was voted MJHL MVP, an MJHL First Team All-Star and led the league in goal scoring (43). Early in 2020, Hobbs earned his NCAA commitment to RIT where he continues to excel today. Hobbs will join fellow alumni, Andrew and the RIT Tigers in their quest for a national championship when they take on Boston University in the first round of the D1 men’s ice hockey championships on Thursday, March 28 at 5:00 CST.
