In February 2008, the Big Ten Faculty Representatives established a new conference academic recognition.  This new recognition would be is a supplement to the Academic All-Big Ten program.  The Distinguished Scholar Award recipient must be a letterwinners in at least their second academic year at their institution and have a minimum GPA of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year, excluding summer school.

Listed below are the 21 Gopher hockey players that have been honored as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.