Which St. Cloud State Players Could Follow Brett Larson to Minnesota?

The Huskies have a talented roster and incoming pipeline that they will need to retain through a coaching change.

St. Cloud State men's hockey freshman Austin Burnevik reaches for the puck during an exhibition game Oct. 5 at home against Minnesota. The Huskies lost 5-1. | Reid Glenn / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Gophers officially hired St. Cloud State's Brett Larson as their new men's hockey head coach on Tuesday. The first question many people ask after a new coaching hire in college sports is whether or not any players will follow in the transfer portal. There are still so many dominoes to fall, but let's take a look at the top players on the Huskies' roster to keep an eye on.

Austin Burnevik (RW/LW)

Hailing from Ham Lake, Minnesota, Burnevik already has two years of college hockey under his belt. He was second on St. Cloud State last season with 38 points (20 goals and 18 assists) in 36 games. He was a sixth-round pick by the Anaheim Ducks in 2024, and he's a budding talent who could be a serious playmaker in the Big Ten.

St. Cloud State men's hockey freshman Austin Burnevik skates up the ice during an exhibition game Oct. 5 at home against Minnesota. The Huskies lost 5-1. | Reid Glenn / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tanner Henricks (D)

Henricks is a freshman defenseman who made an immediate impact in his first season in St. Cloud. He finished the season with just six points (three goals and three assists) in 14 games, but it's clear that he will be a difference-maker at the NCAA level. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft with the 101st overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Tanner Henricks, YOU are a Golden Gopher 🫵

pic.twitter.com/pQSTyNF7wc

— Gopher Hockey 365 (@Mariucci_Guy) March 24, 2026

Barrett Hall (C)

Hailing from Apple Valley, Minnesota, Hall has had three years of NCAA experience at St. Cloud State. He played for Gentry Academy on the Minnesota High School scene before one year in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers. He has had three straight solid years with the Huskies. He was third on the team last season with 28 points (10 goals and 18 assists). He was a sixth-round pick by the Seattle Kraken in 2022, and he could be a significant veteran player for any team in the country.

St. Cloud State hockey junior Barrett Hall skates into the corner during the opening game of the season against St. Thomas on Oct. 4, 2025 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. SCSU lost 4-3. | Reid Glenn / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Incoming recruits

Larson and the St. Cloud State coaching staff also did a great job on the recruiting trail. The Huskies have plenty of talented players currently committed to the program. It's probably just as possible, if not more likely, that any incoming recruits change their plans and come to the Twin Cities instead of St. Cloud.

Current SCSU commits per @CHeisenberg 2026 list👀

Any names that intrigue you as potential #FutureGopher〽️ options?? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/vxFdZHAlyH

— The Future of Pride On Ice (@FutureGophers) March 24, 2026

There are so many variables and potential options for Larson as he builds his first roster at Minnesota. Retaining the top players currently on the Gophers roster should probably be near the top of his to-do list. The sport of college hockey is much different from how it used to be. It probably won't take long for him to get "his guys" on the roster, and he has the opportunity to speed up that process as soon as this season.

The University of Minnesota is one of the most attractive college hockey programs for any talented recruit in the country. Larson shouldn't have any problem attracting talent; he will just need to choose the right ones.