Clayton Phillips added to Minnesota roster; Luke Notermann cleared

After freshman defenseman Nate Knoepke went to the USHL earlier today, Minnesota brings in its top defensive recruit a semester early from the USHL.

Clayton Phillips, an Edina native who plays for Muskegon, will enroll for the second semester and be eligible to play in Minnesota's next series against Army. He will wear number 6, which was last worn by Ryan Collins.

The 93rd overall selection in the 2017 NHL Draft by Pittsburgh (whose scout for the area at the time is now Gopher assistant Scott Bell) previously signed a Letter of Intent last month. Despite being drafted, Phillips was one of the youngest players eligible to be drafted and needed to accelerate to graduate high school.

“Adding Clayton to our roster bolsters our depth on the blue line. He’s a dynamic player, and we are excited to welcome him to the Gopher Hockey program,” Minnesota head coach Don Lucia said in a statement. “At the same time, Nate expressed a desire for more playing time, which we certainly understand. He’ll have that opportunity with Sioux City, and the plan for him is to return to our program in the future.”

Listed at 5'11", 174 lbs by the Gophers (down 14 lbs from juniors), Phillips  began the season at Fargo before being traded to Muskegon in October for a pair of 2nd round picks and a player to be named later.

He brings with him an offensive spark on the blue line that Minnesota has been missing this season. Phillips has 5 goals this season between the two teams - tops among USHL defensemen - and is capable of being a power play quarterback. The Gopher power play, normally a source of pride, is 45th in the nation at 14.94%.

Phillips, along with Minnesota commit Blake McLaughlin, represented the United States last week in the World Junior A Challenge. The Americans finished with a silver medal.

In addition to Minnesota's defenseman swap, sophomore forward Luke Notermann was cleared to play. He was thought to be out for the year.