Bob Motzko and the Gophers have secured a significant commitment from 17-year-old goaltender Carter Casey, a Grand Rapids (MN) native who recently impressed during a standout playoff stretch in his USHL debut.
Carter Casey, a standout 17-year-old goaltender from Grand Rapids (MN), has committed to Bob Motzko and the Minnesota Gophers. Casey spent two strong seasons with the Thunderhawks at the high school level before making his USHL debut this year with the Waterloo Black Hawks in Iowa. He posted a 2.08 GAA across five regular-season games and delivered an impressive postseason performance, going 10-3-2 with a 2.53 GAA, a .918 save percentage, and two shutouts over 15 playoff games. His efforts helped lead Waterloo to the Clark Cup Final, where they narrowly lost in overtime of the decisive Game 5.
Casey chose Minnesota over offers from Wisconsin, Denver, and North Dakota. He will suit up next season for the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers in Alberta, Canada.
This marks a major pickup for the Gophers, as Casey’s USHL playoff run solidified his status as one of the top goaltending prospects. He could very well be the future in net for Motzko’s program.
Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, the Gophers are expected to start Nathan Airey in goal. To bolster their depth following the departure of starter Liam Souliere, Minnesota also brought in Luca Di Pasquo from Michigan State via the transfer portal.
Leave a Reply