When he arrived on campus at the University of Minnesota in the fall of 2024, Brodie Ziemer became the first Gopher in more than 100 years of hockey to wear number 74.
Serving as captain of Team USA in the World Juniors, which started on Friday in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Ziemer is wearing 74 in red, white and blue as well.
The source of those unique digits is a point of some debate at the Ziemer home in Carver. Brodie’s father Eric was born in 1974 and is convinced that it’s a paternal tribute. His mother Nicole thinks it comes from watching another Minnesotan – TJ Oshie – wear that number for Team USA in his famous one-man shootout show at the Winter Olympics in 2014.
The newest American 74 was on the ice of Grand Casino on Friday night, setting up a first-period goal and coming oh so close to a breakaway goal of his own in the second period. Team USA prevailed 6-3 over Germany in the opener — Ziemer’s first since being named the team’s captain following their pre-Christmas training camp in Duluth.
Looking a bit relieved and winded after Game 1, Ziemer confirmed — sorry dad — that Oshie was the inspiration for his unique digits, and talked about the honor and pressure that comes from wearing the C on his sweater.
“I’m so honored. Like, I’m feeling super blessed,” he said. “Such a good group of dudes to be able to be captain for, getting to do it on such a big stage in my home state. Just super blessed, super lucky.”
If there was grumbling among the Gopher haters out there when one of the top players in maroon and gold was named captain on an American team led by U head man Bob Motzko, the coach made it clear that the players, not the staff, always pick the captains on his teams.
“Obviously these guys are tight. We had nine returning players … and we spoke with all of those guys individually,” Motzko said following the Germany game. “You’ve got to know, this wasn’t a Bob Motzko thing with one of his players.”
Ziemer, 19, was named the Gophers’ top rookie last season, which would be the highlight of any player’s winter. But the gold medal he won with Team USA in Ottawa at the 2025 World Juniors was clearly the high point in a career, so far.
Motzko noted that in talking with those returnees from the 2025 gold medal team, almost to a man they chose number 74 to be the 2026 team captain.
“The leadership group is great, but if there’s one guy they leaned on, it’s Brodie,” Motzko said.
As his parents took a breather after the first period on Friday, they reflected on the youngest of their three children and how Brodie was the classic little brother, determined to outwork his siblings in everything.
“He was always trying to keep up, absolutely. His older brother never gave him an inch of leeway, and his sister was just as tough,” Eric Ziemer said. Their oldest, Brady, played college hockey at St. Cloud State and Augustana. Their daughter Brier was a college volleyball player.
“His sister took care of him really well, but it was competitive,” Eric said.
One of the earliest indicators that a young Brodie was into hockey would become obvious whenever it snowed.
“I gave him a hard time, because we had a rink in our backyard, and it would snow,” Nicole Ziemer said. “He would shovel the rink, but he wouldn’t shovel the driveway. The rink is clear, but I can’t get out of my driveway.”
The Ziemers made the tough decision to have Brodie move away when he was 14, first to Faribault where he won a 14U national title at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, then to Michigan where he skated for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program for two years.
It was there that the Ziemer parents made friends with the families of other players who today are college rivals, but teammates on Team USA once again.
“We have a group of the Hagens, the Eisermans, the Stigas and the Plantes, and it’s a great group,” Nicole said.
That friendship and growing team chemistry was on display early on Friday, as Ziemer’s set-up pass to Will Horcoff produced a 3-0 U.S. lead.
“He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met, just seeing his habits on and off the ice,” Horcoff said, praising the decision to bestow the C on Ziemer. “It makes you want to do the same.”
As the old friends from the parent group gather in Minnesota this year to pursue another gold medal, the local families are playing host and hoping to treat their friends from Illinois, Massachusetts and New York to a taste of winter fun around these parts.
Eric has an ice fishing outing planned, but the weather is causing problems.
“It’s getting warm, but hopefully at the end of the week we’ll go back out,” he said. “But they aren’t dressed for that when they come to watch hockey, and I don’t have enough gear for everyone. We’ll see.”
At least, if the forecast is correct, there will be no need to shovel the Ziemer family driveway.
