Defending MacNaughton Cup champion Minnesota earned 24 of 25 first-place votes in the annual 94X WCHA Preseason Media Poll released Wednesday.
North Dakota had the other first-place vote.
A panel of 25 WCHA media members voted on the predicted order of finish and on several individual honors.
Minnesota junior forward Nick Bjugstad was named preseason player of the year and for the second straight year, North Dakota’s Rocco Grimaldi was tabbed preseason rookie of the year. Grimaldi took a medical redshirt after an injury-plagued 2011-12 season.
