2025 Men’s Frozen Four historical implications

The 2025 Men’s Frozen Four begins Thursday. Both games have the same storyline of newcomer versus veteran. The Western Michigan Broncos will play the Denver Pioneers in the early game in an NCHC Championship Game rematch. The nightcap will be Penn State Nittany Lions versus Boston University Terriers in the first-ever meeting between these two teams.

With two NCHC teams playing one another, the NCHC is guaranteed it’ll be represented in the title game. This will be a staggering eighth time in the last nine years that an NCHC team will play in the NCAA Division I men’s championship game. The most recent time this happened is when Hockey East had at least one team in eight of nine championship games between 1993 and 2001.

On the other side of the bracket, a Big Ten or Hockey East team will advance. Hockey East is looking for its first champion since UMass won in 2021. The Nittany Lions are looking to win a hockey championship for the first time in school and conference history.

Denver Pioneers (9) vs Western Michigan Broncos (4)

All-Time Series: Denver leads 27-15-2

First meeting: Nov. 26, 1982 – Denver won 5-1

• The first series between these teams took place in Denver in November 1982. The Pioneers swept the Broncos. The following season, the Broncos hosted the Pioneers in November 1983. Western Michigan earned its first win against Denver (pictured above) as well as its first sweep over the Pioneers. The teams didn’t play again until the opening round of the 2011 NCAA tournament.
• This is the first-ever Frozen Four for Western Michigan. This is the 20th Frozen Four in program history for Denver and sixth time in the last nine seasons.
• The Broncos won the program’s first-ever regular season title and Frozen Faceoff this year. The team is looking to pull off the trifecta this year with the NCAA trophy. The Pioneers did exactly that in 2005; however, with a share of the WCHA title with Colorado College.
• Western Michigan is currently ranked #1 in the nation right now (USA Hockey Poll) for the first time in program history. The Broncos are also currently sitting at a program-record 32 wins on the season.
• Denver is looking to win back-to-back hockey championships for the first time since 2004-2005 and fourth time overall.
• The Pioneers are looking to be the first team to win three titles in four years since their own program did so in 1958, 1960, 1961.

Penn State Nittany Lions (13) vs Boston University Terriers (7)

All-Time Series: Never met before

First meeting: April 10, 2025

• This will be the third time a Big Ten and Hockey East school will face off in the Frozen Four (Boston University vs Minnesota in 2023 semifinal, Boston College vs Michigan in 2024 semifinal).
• This is the first-ever Frozen Four for Penn State. This is the 25th Frozen Four in program history for Boston University and third in a row.
• The last NCAA champion to come out of Hockey East did so by defeating an NCHC team in the title game (UMass over St. Cloud State). If the Terriers advance, the team would be guaranteed a game against an NCHC opponent.
• The last time Penn State faced a Hockey East opponent was November 30, 2019, against UMass Lowell in a holiday tournament.
• Jay Pandolfo, Boston University Head Coach, is the third Division I men’s hockey coach to reach the Frozen Four in each of his first three seasons as head coach (Doug Woog, Dave Hakstol).
• In its last six NCAA tournaments, Boston University’s seasons were ended by either an NCHC (4) or Big Ten (2) team.
• The last time Boston University played in St. Louis, the Terriers won the 2010 Ice Breaker Tournament, defeating Wisconsin and Notre Dame.

We can throw all the statistics in the world at you but there’s only one question that remains: will there be a champion crowned for the first time or will a team add to its storied history?