matt wellens reporting

Matt Wellens

College hockey reporter

Matt Wellens is a college hockey reporter for the Duluth News Tribune covering the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's and women's hockey programs. He also co-hosts a weekly UMD hockey podcast during the season called Bulldog Insider.

Matt has been covering the Bulldogs since the start of the 2014-15 season. His days covering college hockey go back to the 2003-04 season when he was a freshman at Northern Michigan University. It was at the start of the 2018-19 season that he, Zach Schneider of My 9 Sports and News Tribune multimedia producer Sam Erkkila launched the Bulldog Insider Podcast.

Prior to coming to Duluth in 2014, Matt was the Northern Michigan Wildcats hockey beat reporter in Marquette, Michigan. A Wisconsin native, Matt enjoys Star Wars, camping, Kwik Trip and the Green Bay Packers during his time away from the rink.

matt wellens reporting
Duluth News Tribune sports reporter Matt Wellens interviews Minnesota Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin during NCHC Media Day on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group

The Badgers rallied with a pair of goals in the third period to beat the Bulldogs 2-1 and sweep the WCHA series in Duluth.
Minnesota Duluth held the high-scoring Badgers to just a single regulation goal before giving up a second to the leaders of the WCHA in the final minute of 3-on-3 overtime.
Two-time Grandma's Marathon champion and former record holder Dick Beardsley has been battling a staph infection in his knee since 2023. Mike Dunlap has launched a fundraiser to help his friend.
Associate head coach Adam Krause discusses how the Bulldogs men's hockey team is recruiting major junior leagues in Canada now that the NCAA has lifted the ban on players who were once off-limits.
The Bulldogs begin a challenging climb back up the WCHA standings and Pairwise rankings by hosting a Wisconsin team that's ranked No. 1 in almost everything in NCAA Division I women's hockey.
The St. Louis Blues have traded 2020 Hobey Baker winner and former Bulldog Scott Perunovich to the New York Islanders. The Hibbing native was used sparringly in five seasons with St. Louis.
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Minnesota Duluth fell behind 2-0 before getting on the scoreboard. UMD dropped back into a tie for sixth in the NCHC, missing out on moving into the top four.
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UMD held off a late charge by the Pioneers in the third period to score the young program's biggest win of what has been a challenging season at times.
Fourth-ranked UMD put a puck into its own net in the final minute to hand St. Thomas its first win over the Bulldogs in 15 games and first win over a top-five ranked team in Division I.
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Win or lose, good game or bad, Bulldogs freshman goaltender Klayton Knapp flushes it all to prepare for his next start. UMD is back from Colorado to host Denver this weekend at Amsoil Arena.