University of Denver senior forward and team captain Kyle Ostrow is probable for this weekend’s regular season ending series against St. Cloud State at Magness Arena.
Ostrow, who has watched the sixth-ranked Pioneers go 3-3 in his absence, practiced in an orange no-contact jersey on Tuesday and is cleared for contact in this afternoon’s drills, DU coach George Gwozdecky said before practice.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that part of our challenges over the last three series have been when Kyle was out of the lineup,” Gwozdecky said. “As I had said a number of times prior to his surgery, he was playing the best hockey he played during his entire career. Not only was he giving great leadership and doing all the things a captain has to do off the ice, but his play on the ice was a tremendous example of intensity and making good plays with the puck. It’s going to be very good having him back.”
Ostrow underwent emergency lower abdominal surgery Feb. 11 at Minneapolis, hours before the Pioneers began a two-game series against the Minnesota Gophers. DU split that series and the ensuing ones against Michigan Tech and Nebraska-Omaha to lose ground to North Dakota for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular season championship.
The second-place Pioneers trail the Sioux by four points, and North Dakota only needs one point at last-place Michigan Tech or one non-DU win this weekend to capture the MacNaughton Cup outright.
DU (35 points) is more concerned with holding off Nebraska-Omaha (34) and Minnesota-Duluth for second place and the No. 2 playoff seed. The top two seeds will get a bye and go straight to the semifinals of the new-look WCHA Final Five in St. Paul, Minn.
Ostrow is expected to return to the Anthony Maiani-centered line and play left wing opposite Dustin Jackson.
Ostrow is fourth on the team with 10 goals and has 99 career points, one shy from joining classmate Maiani in the Pioneer Century Club.
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
