Parenteau's broken leg repaired; Kloos continues streak of Gophers' Big Ten awards

Gophers Jake Parenteau checks New Hampshire's Matt Willows into the boards in this Oct. 12 file photo. MARLIN LEVISON/STARTRIBUNE

Gophers defenseman Jake Parenteau announced on Monday night via Twitter that surgery on his broken leg was successful.

"Surgery was a success! Time for the road to recovery!" Parenteau tweeted along with a picture of the broken bone next to a picture of the repaired bone (see below).

Parenteau was injured while checking a Michigan State player early in Friday night's 2-2 tie on the road. He was helped off the ice and taken to a local hospital for X-Rays.

Gophers coach Don Lucia said he hopes Parenteau can return in eight weeks. The senior has appeared in 13 of the Gophers' 16 games and collected one assist. He's played a big part in the Gophers power play and penalty kill, and has a plus-minus of plus-13.

Senior forward Tom Serratore is also out with a lower-body injury that could keep him sidelined into the New Year.

• The Big Ten honored Gophers freshman Justin Kloos with its Third Star on Tuesday. The Gophers forward scored a goal and two assists last weekend at Michigan State.

Kloos leads Big Ten freshmen with 17 points and 11 assists, and is among overall conference leaders in both categories. He scored a goal and assisted another in the Gophers' 2-2 tie on Friday, and assisted a goal in Saturday's 3-2 victory.

The Gophers are unbeaten (9-0-2) when Kloos scores.

Wisconsin sophomore forward Nic Kerdiles was named this week's First Star and Michigan State sophomore goaltender Jake Hildebrand was the Second Star.

• USA Hockey added three college standouts to its U.S. National Junior Team preliminary roster on Tuesday.

Forwards Vince Hinostroza (Notre Dame) and Zach Stepan (Minnesota State), and defenseman Jacob Slavin (Colorado College) will join the previously announced 26 in Minneapolis and Sweden for the six-day camp.

The addition of Stepan increases the number of Minnesotans on the roster to three. Gophers sophomore defenseman Brady Skjei and freshman forward Hudson Fasching were also invited to the camp.

• USA Hockey extended its contract with executive director Dave Ogrean through 2018.

"[Ogrean's] leadership has been a significant factor in the continued progress we've made overall and we're very fortunate to have him guiding USA Hockey," Ron DeGregorio, who has served as president of USA Hockey since 2003, said in a statement.

More on Ogrean from USA Hockey:

Ogrean, annually among The Hockey News Top 50 People of Power and Influence, returned for his second stint as executive director of USA Hockey in 2005. Since that time, he has led USA Hockey in multiple groundbreaking initiatives, including the launch of the American Development Model. In addition, USA Hockey has enhanced its industry-leading coaching education program by becoming the first amateur sports organization in the U.S. to offer online education modules and also strengthened efforts to ensure the safest possible environment for all participants through multiple initiatives, including the implementation of USA Hockey SafeSport.