Category: NCHC

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Posted on Posted in Alaska Anchorage Seawolves, Alaska Nanooks, Atlantic Hockey, Bentley Falcons, Big Ten, Boston College Eagles, Boston University Terriers, CCHA, Colorado College Tigers, Connecticut Huskies, Dartmouth Big Green, Denver Pioneers, ECAC, Ferris State Bulldogs, Harvard Crimson, Hockey East, Independents, Lindenwood Lions, Maine Black Bears, Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks, Mercyhurst Lakers, Merrimack Warriors, Miami RedHawks, Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, Minnesota State Mavericks, NCHC, North Dakota Fighting Hawks, Northeastern Huskies, Ohio State Buckeyes, Omaha Mavericks, Penn State Nittany Lions, Princeton Tigers, Providence Friars, Quinnipiac Bobcats, St. Cloud State Huskies, St. Lawrence Saints, St. Thomas Tommies, Union Garnet Chargers, WCHA, Wisconsin Badgers, Yale Bulldogs
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The content of this recap is also available in the 2020s page of our U.S. College Hockey History section of this site.

The final game played at the historic Matthews Arena in Boston occurred during the 2025-26 season. The original arena opened April 25, 1910, when the Harvard freshmen played Newton High School. Later that night, Harvard became the first-ever varsity team to take the ice at the arena when it played the Crescent Hockey Club. The first-ever intercollegiate hockey game to be played at the arena took place the following season when Harvard and MIT met December 18, 1910. A catastrophic fire destroyed the original building in December 1918. The second iteration of the arena opened a little more than three years later when MIT hosted King’s College from north of the border. The Canadian team won that January 7, 1921, game 4-3. Harvard, MIT, Boston College, Boston University and numerous professional teams called the rink home over the years. Northeastern played its first hockey game there on January 17, 1930, and ultimately became the main tenant of the arena in October 1979. The university renamed it Northeastern Arena and ultimately Matthews Arena. On December 13, 2025, the Northeastern men hosted Boston University in the last hockey game played in the historic rink. The Terriers won 4-3, which is fitting since the first hockey game played between these programs was at the same rink in February 1931 when the Terriers defeated the Huskies by the exact same score.

Boston Arena in black and white from the early 1920s.
A photo of Boston Arena from the early 1920s.

Two hockey programs separated by 3,000 miles celebrated 100 years of hockey during the season: Alaska and St. Lawrence. Two Division I programs also debuted new hockey rinks. The Lee & Penny Anderson Arena opened on the St. Thomas campus when the women’s team hosted Providence. The men’s teams from the same schools played the second game of a debut doubleheader. In Schenectady, New York, the M&T Bank Center opened its gates September 26, 2025, when the Union women played Franklin Pierce. The Garnet Chargers previously played at Messa Rink; an arena that hosted its first Union hockey game in 1975. In the NCHC, the Miami RedHawks snapped its 26-game winless streak with a 6-4 win over Ferris State in the season opener. The team kept rolling and won its first six games of the season with the last two coming in overtime. It was the first back-to-back overtime wins in program history. Within the Big Ten, the Gopher men snapped an 11-game shootout losing streak after defeating Boston College. Going into the shootout, the team had missed its previous 28 shootout attempts, as impossible as that may seem. Coincidentally, the Gophers first-ever regular season shootout was against Boston College nearly 12 years beforehand at the same rink.

Unfortunately, two Division I programs closed their doors at the end of the season. Mercyhurst debuted its hockey program in 1987 within Division III and elevated to Division II in 1992. The Mercyhurst men played their last game March 7, 2026, against Bentley, which coincidentally was the first conference opponent the Lakers faced in 1999 after joining Division I. Note that the Mercyhurst women’s hockey team will continue operations. The Simon Fraser Red Leafs of Burnaby, British Columbia decided to discontinue the school’s Non-Conference Team at the conclusion of the season. The Non-Conference Team had operated as an independent program for three seasons with a schedule predominantly made up of U.S. Division I teams. The Red Leafs played 20 NCAA Division I and three Division III programs throughout its tenure. The first program win over an NCAA Division I team came against Alaska Anchorage in 2022. A notable 2024 game for Simon Fraser saw the Red Leafs tie the second-ranked team in the U.S. at the time, Boston University. The last game the team ever played was in Ann Arbor, which happened to be the first time the program had played the Wolverines. Note that the Simon Fraser BCIHL team will continue operations.

Changes were made to a couple of postseason tournaments in the Division I men’s world. Big Ten Hockey reduced its tournament to a two-and-a-half week single elimination tournament instead of a three-weekend tournament where the first round was a best-of-three series. On the other hand, the NCHC shifted to a setup that mirrored the previous Big Ten format. In doing so, the NCHC moved to an entirely on-campus tournament for the first time. Excluding 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, the final weekend of the tournament had previously been held in Minneapolis or Saint Paul. This change saw the conference host a three-weekend tournament for the first time, with the first weekend being a best-of-three series. The tournament trophy was also branded the National Cup, a name change that mirrored the new secondary branding of the NCHC. Denver ended up hosting UMD in its first single-elimination conference tournament title game on home ice since 1970. The Pioneers won in double overtime, marking it the second double overtime championship game in a row for Denver and the NCHC. This was the first time in the Division I men’s hockey era where a conference’s tournament title game went to double overtime in back-to-back seasons.

In the CCHA, Minnesota State and St. Thomas squared off in the tournament championship game for the second season in a row. This time a berth to the NCAA tournament was truly on the line. The Mavericks were victorious again. This marked the last CCHA conference game played by the Tommies as they are moving to the NCHC for the 2026-27 season. It also marked the fourth Mason Cup for the Mavericks in the past five seasons.

Looking east, the ECAC men’s conference title game was an Ivy League affair between Dartmouth and Princeton. The all-time hockey series between the two schools started nearly 120 years beforehand on January 9, 1907. Dartmouth won the 2026 title game and earned a trip to the national tournament. It was the first-ever conference tournament championship for the Big Green. Note that Dartmouth defeated Harvard in a one-off playoff game in 1949 for the Pentagonal League title, but that was not part of a tournament. The 23 wins this season also set a team record for a program that dates back to 1905. The Quinnipiac Bobcats won the ECAC men’s regular season title for the sixth time. And for the sixth year in a row, the Bobcats lost in the conference tournament as the top seed. Within Hockey East, Merrimack became the lowest seed (#8) to advance to the Hockey East championship game, let alone win it. This was the first Hockey East tournament title for the Warriors. Within Atlantic Hockey America, the Bentley Falcons won the men’s regular season and tournament championships. It was the Falcons first Division I regular season title. The Falcons last won a regular season title back in 1997 when the program participated in Division III.

For the first time in the Division I men’s hockey era, an end-of-season tournament was held for the independent programs. Five teams took part in the inaugural United Collegiate Hockey Cup hosted by Lindenwood in Maryland Heights, Missouri. Alaska received the lone bye and went on to become the first team to win the tournament after defeating the host Lions in overtime of the championship game.

The NCAA Division I men’s tournament included no Beanpot teams for the first time since 1981. The men’s Frozen Four was held in Las Vegas for the first time. The four teams in Las Vegas (Denver, Michigan, North Dakota, Wisconsin) just happened to be the top four teams with the most NCAA Division I men’s titles with a combined 33 championship trophies amongst them. And in addition to that, for the first time in NCAA history all four starting goalies were freshmen. Decades earlier, all four teams were WCHA division foes between 1969 and 1981. One of the semifinal games pitted Denver against Michigan. The Pioneers were victorious in overtime to advance to the championship game. This marked the fifth NCAA semifinal game in a row for the Pioneers where the outcome was decided in overtime – all since 2019. In the final game of the season, Denver came from behind to defeat Wisconsin to increase its NCAA lead with an 11th championship trophy. This marked the third title for the Pioneers in the last five seasons. It also meant that another NCHC team was crowned the champion. It’s the eighth championship for the NCHC in the past 10 seasons; the most dominant conference run in men’s hockey since the WCHA won 10 of 11 from 1973 to 1983.

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Within Division I women’s hockey, a new program debuted in Delaware. The Fightin’ Blue Hens became the first NCAA hockey team to be based in Delaware after debuting within Atlantic Hockey America. Within the ECAC, Princeton and Yale shared the regular season crown. This was the first regular season title for Princeton. The semifinals and championship game of the ECAC women’s tournament was held off-campus for the first time. The games took place at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, where the three-seed Quinnipiac defeated top-seed Yale.

The women’s Frozen Four was held at Pegula Ice Arena on the Penn State campus. The Nittany Lions had a hometown advantage after the team made it to the Frozen Four for the first time. The resulting Penn State versus Wisconsin semifinal game set an arena and Frozen Four attendance record with 5,176 fans. Wisconsin ended up winning in overtime to set the stage for yet another Wisconsin and Ohio State championship game; the fourth in a row. The Badgers won 3-2 to add to its NCAA-leading number of women’s NC championships with nine. This was also the 23rd WCHA team to win a women’s hockey championship. Wisconsin has won the championship in five of the past seven seasons. The past six championship games were all very competitive with all six being decided by one goal.

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Caroline Harvey was awarded the Patty Kazmaier Award – the second Badger to earn it in a row and seventh overall. The Badgers broke a tie with Harvard for most recipients of the award that’s handed out to the top female college hockey player in the United States. Max Plante took home the Hobey Baker Award; the seventh time a UMD Bulldog was awarded the trophy. Scott Perunavich was the last Bulldog to do so in 2020. High school hockey fact: Hermantown High School in Minnesota (enrollment 612) is the first-ever high school to produce multiple Hobey Baker winners (Drew LeBlanc in 2013 for St. Cloud State and now Max Plante).

Within Division III men’s hockey, the Hamilton Continentals (Kirkland, New York) defeated Hobart 2-1 in overtime. It was the first hockey championship for a program that’s been around since 1918. The Continentals also prevented Hobart from celebrating a four-peat in the process. It was the second Division III men’s title game in a row that ended 2-1 in overtime and fifth overtime championship game in the past seven seasons.

The Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons shut out Nazareth (Rochester, New York) 4-0 to secure a three-peat in Division III women’s hockey. This is the first three-peat since Plattsburgh won four in a row from 2014 to 2017. It was the first championship game for runner-up Nazareth.

Midland University (Fremont, Nebraska) won its first ACHA Division I women’s hockey championship after defeating top-seed Liberty. The game went to triple overtime before the Warriors won 4-3. Midland won its final three tournament games in overtime.

Current and former college hockey stars were front and center in midseason tournaments in 2026. For the first time ever, the NCAA sent a select team of current college players to the Spengler Cup to represent the NCAA. The hockey tournament based in Switzerland has a history that dates back to 1923. It features club and national teams from Europe and North America. The Minnesota Gophers previously participated in 1981 and North Dakota in 1982. The schools sent their full teams to play in the exhibition mid-season tournament. This team in 2025 was essentially an NCAA all-star team – a first of its kind for the Spengler Cup. The team lost its first game to Team Canada but later defeated HC Davos and then Canada in a rematch. The U.S. Collegiate Selects surprised the European crowd and hockey community by advancing to the championship game on New Year’s Eve. However, the team fell short as HC Davos won its 17th title after a 6-3 victory. Seventeen college programs were represented on the roster with Penn State leading the way with five players. It was later announced that a select team would represent the NCAA in at least the next two Spengler Cups.

The 2025 U.S. Collegiate Selects team that competed in the Spengler Cup.
The 2025 U.S. Collegiate Selects team that competed in the Spengler Cup.

The 2026 Olympics were held in Milan Cortina, Italy. Team USA and Canada met in the women’s gold medal game for the fifth Olympics in a row. The U.S. had blanked Canada in preliminary play just nine days before. All 46 players in the women’s gold medal game had ties to NCAA hockey. Wisconsin led the way with 11 players, followed by seven from Ohio State and five from Minnesota. Overall, 16 college programs were represented that evening. The final game was decided in overtime when Megan Keller (from Boston College) scored the golden goal. Team USA scored a total of 33 goals throughout the tournament and only gave up two.

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It was déjà vu on the men’s side as Team USA and Canada met in the gold medal game as well. It was the sixth gold medal game between the two countries and first since 2010 when Canada won in overtime in Vancouver. In poetic fashion, this 2026 game was decided in overtime as well. The United States won 2-1 to secure the men’s hockey gold medal for the third time in U.S. history. Of the 25 players on the U.S. roster, 19 played college hockey. Five played for Boston University, four for Michigan, two for both Boston College and North Dakota, and one each for Colorado College, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts Lowell, Minnesota, and Omaha.

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Posted on Posted in Big Ten, Denver Pioneers, Michigan Wolverines, NCHC, North Dakota Fighting Hawks, WCHA, Wisconsin Badgers
First-ever WCHA game for Wisconsin men's hockey as Wisconsin beat North Dakota in Grand Forks. First-ever WCHA game for Wisconsin men’s hockey as Wisconsin beat North Dakota in Grand Forks. Nov 15, 1969 Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, North Dakota) Newspapers.com

The semifinals for the 2026 men’s Frozen Four will feature two games that will pit Big Ten Hockey against the NCHC. But if you flip back far enough through the history books, you’ll see that these four teams were once a part of the same conference for more than a decade: all were WCHA division foes throughout the 1970s.

The WCHA has a long and storied history; many of the nation’s top programs called it home for extended stretches of time. By the time Wisconsin joined the conference for the 1969-70 season, the WCHA had already produced 16 NCAA championship teams in the first 22 years of the tournament. The addition of Wisconsin proved to be the right choice as that program became the most decorated team in the conference in the 1970s.

In the 12 seasons that Denver, Michigan, North Dakota, and Wisconsin were in the WCHA together between 1969 to 1981, the teams produced nine WCHA champions, four NCAA champions, three NCAA runners-up, and three NCAA third place finishes:

  • Denver:
    • 3-time WCHA champion (1971, 1972, 1973)
    • 1973 NCAA runner-up
    • 1971 NCAA third place
  • Michigan:
    • 1977 NCAA runner-up
  • North Dakota:
    • 2-time WCHA champion (1979, 1980)
    • 1980 NCAA champion
    • 1979 NCAA runner-up
  • Wisconsin:
    • 4-time WCHA champion (1972, 1973, 1977, 1978)
    • 3-time NCAA champion (1973, 1977, 1981)
    • 2-time NCAA third place (1970, 1972)

The early semifinal game in 2026 will see Wisconsin go up against North Dakota. The primetime game will be Denver versus Michigan. Let’s look into the history between these two matchups.

Wisconsin versus North Dakota

  • All-time series: Wisconsin leads 87-73-13.
  • First-ever meeting: December 13, 1968. Wisconsin won 7-5 in Madison.
  • First-ever conference game: November 14, 1969. Wisconsin won 8-4 in Grand Forks.
  • Most recent NCAA tournament game: March 29, 2014. North Dakota won the Midwest Region Semifinal 5-2 in Cincinnati.
First-ever hockey game between Wisconsin Badgers and North Dakota Fighting Sioux. First-ever hockey game between Wisconsin Badgers and North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Dec 14, 1968 The Capital Times (Madison, Wisconsin) Newspapers.com

The first hockey game between Wisconsin and North Dakota took place at Dane County Coliseum in Madison in 1968. The top-ranked team in the nation was in town and was sporting an undefeated record. A crowd of 4,120 spectators saw the home team defeat North Dakota 7-5 in a surprising upset. Legendary Badger coach Bob Johnson’s team was 5-3-1 heading into the weekend series. By the time the number one team left Madison, the Badgers had won two more games after scoring a total of 18 goals.

The very first WCHA conference game the Badgers ever played in was at the Winter Sports Building in Grand Forks against North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux started out strong with a 3-1 lead but Wisconsin bounced back and won a lopsided game 8-4. It was a high scoring affair with a lot of offense on both sides. Wisconsin put up a staggering 62 shots on goal while North Dakota had 47 of its own.

First-ever WCHA game for Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey. First-ever WCHA game for Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey. Nov 15, 1969 The Capital Times (Madison, Wisconsin) Newspapers.com

Fun Fact: The University of North Dakota isn’t the first hockey opponent the Badgers faced from that state. Wisconsin hosted North Dakota State (known at the time as North Dakota Agricultural College) in January 1929 and swept the visitors.

Denver versus Michigan

  • All-time series: Denver leads 47-36-1.
  • First-ever meeting: February 6, 1951. Michigan won 5-4 in Denver.
  • First-ever conference game: December 20, 1951. Michigan won 7-5 in Ann Arbor.
  • Most recent NCAA tournament game: April 7, 2022. Denver won the Frozen Four Semifinal 3-2 in overtime in Boston.
Michigan looks to shoot on net during the first-ever game between Michigan and Denver in 1951. A black and white photo but it appears to be a color-on-color game.

Denver hosted Michigan for a two-game series in the Pioneers second season of existence during the 1950-51 season. The Wolverines came to town in early February. The independent Denver program had already held its own that season against established NCAA programs such as Princeton and Minnesota. Defending champion Colorado College had swept Denver earlier in Colorado Springs. Denver was not one to shy away from competition as Michigan was fresh off an NCAA third place finish. The Wolverines defeated Denver 5-4 in that first-ever hockey game between the schools. However, Denver evened the score the following night with a 5-3 win. The Wolverines would later go on to win its second NCAA championship trophy at the end of the season.

1950-51 Denver Pioneers hockey team photo.
1950-51 Denver Pioneers hockey team photo.
1950-51 Michigan Wolverines hockey team photo.
1950-51 Michigan Wolverines hockey team photo.

The following season, both programs were invited to be founding members of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League along with Colorado College, Michigan State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota, and North Dakota. The MCHL later changed its name to the Western Intercollegiate Hockey League and then again to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association that is still in use today in women’s hockey. Denver traveled to Ann Arbor for the first time in December 1951. It was the first intra-conference game between the two schools. Once again, the teams would split. The home team won the first conference game 7-5 while the Pioneers won 5-4 the following night. And again, Michigan would later go on to win the NCAA championship at the end of the season – securing the first national championship trophy for the WCHA. It would also be the middle title for Michigan in what would ultimately be NCAA hockey’s first – and still only – three-peat champion.

1951-52 Michigan Wolverines hockey team photo.
1951-52 Michigan Wolverines hockey team photo.

2026 Frozen Four

This year’s Frozen Four is truly a field of college hockey blue bloods. There are 33 NCAA titles between the four teams. In fact, the four teams left standing all hold the top four spots for most NCAA Division I men’s hockey championships.

As we like to highlight each season prior to the Frozen Four, there are a lot of historical implications this weekend. Denver is looking to add to its NCAA-leading 10 titles while Michigan is looking to win one for the first time since 1998. North Dakota last won a title a decade ago in Tampa. It’s the first Frozen Four appearance for the Fighting Hawks since then after having gone to six in the ten years leading up to 2016. This is the first Frozen Four for the Badgers since 2010 and only its second since it’s last championship trophy twenty years ago. Another wrinkle is that the Badgers women’s hockey team won another NCAA championship this season. If the men’s team wins it all this weekend, it’ll only be the second time that both the men and women’s hockey teams from the same school won hockey titles in the same season. The only other time that happened? The Wisconsin Badgers in 2006. The last storyline is Big Ten versus NCHC. Big Ten Hockey is looking for its first-ever champion while the NCHC is looking to add another name to the wall in its Colorado Springs headquarters. The conference has boasted 7 national champions in 11 seasons. With all of these historical implications and storylines intertwined throughout the remainder of the tournament, only one thing is certain: an NCAA hockey powerhouse will add yet another trophy to its case.

Posted on Posted in Hockey East, Merrimack Warriors, NCHC, North Dakota Fighting Hawks, WCHA
First-ever hockey game between North Dakota and Merrimack. First-ever hockey game between North Dakota and Merrimack. Oct 10, 2009 Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, North Dakota) Newspapers.com
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Merrimack traveled to Grand Forks for the first series of the 2009-10 hockey season for both the Warriors and Fighting Sioux. North Dakota held a WCHA Regular Season Champion banner raising prior to the initial puck drop. The Sioux kept the atmosphere high by scoring five times with five different players scoring the goals. Eleven North Dakota players scored at least one point in the 5 to 2 win. All four lines contributed to the scoring. The following night was a closer game. Mike Cichy broke a 1-1 tie a little more than seven minutes into the second period that proved to be the game winner. North Dakota hung on to a 3 to 2 win and earned a season-opening sweep.

Jump ahead nearly seventeen years and Merrimack just won the Hockey East tournament for the first time. It was also the first time an eight seed won the tournament. Merrimack is slated to face North Dakota in the opening round of the tournament. The game in the Sioux Falls Regional will be just the third one between the programs and first since that early-season October series in 2009. Merrimack is looking to win its first game against North Dakota, but it will be worth the wait if it happens on the big stage.

Photo Credit: Grand Forks Herald, Oct. 10, 2009

Posted on Posted in Big Ten, Dartmouth Big Green, ECAC, Michigan State Spartans, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, NCHC, Penn State Nittany Lions, Wisconsin Badgers

There are three first-time matchups in the opening round of the 2026 NCAA Division I men’s tournament. All three of the games involve teams from the Big Ten. And both games that will kick off the Worcester Regional include first-time matchups. It isn’t a huge surprise that one of these three games involves Penn State as that Division I program began 14 years ago – making it a young program compared to quite a few others in the field. The surprise is the Wisconsin versus Dartmouth game. These are two teams that have each been around for more than 100 years. Wisconsin began hockey in 1921 while Dartmouth was a pioneer of the sport back in 1905. Looking back, the three games this season are the most first-time games in the men’s opening round since we saw the same amount in 2021. The three games this year include:

  • Connecticut versus Michigan State (Worcester Regional)
  • Wisconsin versus Dartmouth (Worcester Regional)
  • Penn State versus Minnesota Duluth (Albany Regional)

Posted on Posted in Alaska Nanooks, Atlantic Hockey, Bentley Falcons, Big Ten, CCHA, ECAC, Hockey East, Independents, Michigan State Spartans, Minnesota State Mavericks, NCHC, North Dakota Fighting Hawks, Providence Friars, Quinnipiac Bobcats

The regular season is in the books so let’s take a look at this season’s Division I men’s conference champions and the history behind these regular season titles.

  • Atlantic Hockey America: for the first time ever, Bentley won a Division I regular season title. The Falcons had two Division III regular season titles but this is a first since moving up to top tier hockey in 1999. Last season, Bentley won the conference tournament and earned a trip to the national tournament for the first time. The program looks to repeat that feat for the second year in a row.
  • Big Ten: Three regular season titles in a row for Michigan State. It’s the first three-peat for a program that dates back to 1921. The Spartans finished two points ahead of rival Michigan; ensuring the Wolverines remain the only Big Ten hockey program yet to win a regular season title.
  • CCHA: Minnesota State won the McNaughton Cup for the second year in a row and 10th time in the past 12 seasons dating back to the Mavericks’ WCHA days. The CCHA crown came down to the last weekend when the tightest race in hockey saw five teams finish within two points of one another.
  • ECAC: Quinnipiac won an impressive sixth regular season title in a row after finishing three points ahead of both Dartmouth and Cornell. The Bobcats have now won 10 ECAC regular season titles with all of them taking place since 2013. The Cleary Cup has set up an almost-permanent residence in Hamden, Connecticut, yet the Bobcats are still looking for the program’s first conference tournament championship during this six-peat.
  • Hockey East: Providence College earned its first outright regular season title within Hockey East. The Friars were co-champions with Boston College in 2016. Providence won a program-record 18 Hockey East games this season and are looking to win its first Hockey East tournament since 1996.
  • NCHC: For the seventh time in 13 years of NCHC play, North Dakota is the regular season champion. The Penrose Cup is a common sight for the team from Grand Forks as the Fighting Hawks have won more NCHC regular season titles than the rest of the NCHC teams combined.
  • Independents: It’s also worth noting that the five Independent Division I men’s teams pooled together this year to host the first-ever United Collegiate Hockey Cup in Maryland Heights, Missouri. Alaska was awarded the only bye as the team had the best record throughout the regular season. The Nanooks went on to win the weekend tournament after defeating Lindenwood 4-3 in overtime to be crowned the first-ever United Collegiate Hockey Cup champion.

Posted on Posted in Atlantic Hockey, Augustana Vikings, Bemidji State Beavers, Bentley Falcons, Big Ten, Boston College Eagles, Boston University Terriers, Bowling Green Falcons, CCHA, Connecticut Huskies, Denver Pioneers, ECAC, Hockey East, Independents, Lindenwood Lions, Long Island Sharks, Maine Black Bears, Michigan State Spartans, Michigan Tech Huskies, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, Minnesota State Mavericks, NCHC, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Ohio State Buckeyes, Omaha Mavericks, Penn State Nittany Lions, Quinnipiac Bobcats, St. Thomas Tommies, Union Garnet Chargers, Western Michigan Broncos, Wisconsin Badgers
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CHH Featured Flashback Header

The content of this recap is also available in the 2020s page of our U.S. College Hockey History section of this site.

The four-year streak of a new NCAA men’s hockey team joining Division I was snapped this year. However, one conference expanded. Arizona State found a home in the NCHC during the 2024-25 season after spending nine seasons as a DI independent. The program won its first Division I conference game when the Sun Devils beat Omaha at home 3-2 on November 16, 2024. Later that month, the Sun Devils defeated Denver 3-2 to earn its first win over a top-ranked team in the nation. This win snapped Denver’s 21-game unbeaten streak in the process. Arizona State would later win its first conference playoff game and series after sweeping UMD in the opening round at home. The Sun Devils participated in the Frozen Faceoff and were defeated by Denver 4-2. The Pioneers, in turn, lost the following night when Western Michigan took down Denver in double overtime. Western Michigan won its first Frozen Faceoff title in the final NCHC championship game to take place in Saint Paul. Beginning next season, the entire NCHC playoffs will be played on campus.

The NCHC announced in the off-season that it would add another new member in St. Thomas in 2026-27. With the news of the Tommies’ future exit from its current conference, the CCHA, in turn, announced Augustana would become a full member in 2024-25; a year earlier than scheduled. Due to an unbalanced conference schedule for Augustana compared to the rest of the CCHA, the conference switched to points percentage this season to determine the standings. The Vikings finished second to Minnesota State in the standings. A unique situation occurred during the 2025 CCHA Mason Cup playoffs. When St. Thomas defeated Bowling Green in the semifinals, it ensured that the winner of the other semifinal between Minnesota State and Bemidji State would receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. This was because St. Thomas was not eligible for the tournament due to a mandatory four-year waiting period after transitioning from Division III to Division I. In a semifinal with unexpectedly high postseason ramifications, the Mavericks downed the Beavers 4-0 to earn the bid. The Mavericks put an exclamation point on the tournament the following week with a 4-2 win in the championship game, thus regaining the Mason Cup for the third time in four years.

The Lindenwood men’s hockey team defeated the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison October 11, 2024. It was the first program win over a top ten ranked opponent as well as its first win over a Big Ten team. Two weeks later in Indiana, LIU defeated Notre Dame for the program’s first road win over a ranked opponent. LIU finished the season with a record of 20-12-2; the first time the program hit the 20-win plateau in a season.

Denver hosted UNLV for a holiday-season exhibition game on December 28, 2024. UNLV, an ACHA Division I hockey program, shocked the hockey world by defeating the Pioneers in a shootout 7-6. Granted, Denver was without head coach, David Carle, and star defenseman, Zeev Buium, but this was historic. It’s safe to say this was the first time an ACHA (club) team defeated the defending Division I men’s hockey team who also owns the record for most NCAA Division I hockey titles. In April, the Skatin’ Rebels capped its historic season with the school’s first-ever ACHA Division I national hockey championship.

Two Division I men’s conference championship games went to double overtime. This was just the second time this ever happened in the same season; the only other occurrence took place in 2017. In addition to the aforementioned NCHC title game when Western Michigan outlasted Denver, the Michigan State Spartans defeated Ohio State in double overtime by a score of 4-3 to earn its second Big Ten tournament title in a row. Elsewhere, Bentley won the Atlantic Hockey America tournament. The Falcons hoisted the Riley Trophy for the first time, granting the program its first-ever berth in the NCAA hockey tournament. Within Hockey East, Maine won its first Hockey East tournament since 2004 after defeating UConn in the title game. UConn, however, earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament; its first time ever participating in the national tournament. Within the ECAC, Quinnipiac won the regular season title for the fifth season in a row. However, the Bobcats lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Quinnipiac has not won any of the five conference tournaments throughout this five-peat run.

During the 2025 NCAA Division I men’s tournament, Denver and Boston College met in the Manchester Regional Final for a rematch of the 2024 title game. Since 1949, there have been seven instances of a title game rematch happening in the following season’s tournament. In all seven instances, the runner up from the season before avenged the loss. History did not repeat itself in 2025 as Denver beat Boston College 3-1 to earn a trip back to the Frozen Four.

The men’s Frozen Four took place in St. Louis for the first time since 2007. Of the four teams that made it, two are considered college hockey blue bloods in Denver and Boston University and two are first-time participants in Western Michigan and Penn State. Western Michigan defeated Denver in double overtime in the early semifinal. It was the second time the Broncos defeated the Pioneers in double overtime in 21 days. Also, the only other time these two teams met in the NCAA tournament, that too ended in double overtime. But Denver was on the winning side of that 2011 first round contest. The late semifinal game saw Boston University defeat Penn State; thus, ending the Cinderella run for the 13th overall seed. Western Michigan defeated Boston University two days later and claimed the program’s first NCAA hockey title. It was the third time in five years that a first-time winner was crowned for the Division I men. The Broncos are also the first champion to win two double overtime games in the NCAA tournament en route to a title. Western Michigan is the first men’s team to pull off the trophy trifecta (conference regular season title, conference tournament title, NCAA title) since Union in 2014. A Michigan-based team has won all three Frozen Fours hosted in the city of St. Louis (Western Michigan in 2025, Michigan State in 2007, and Michigan Tech in 1975).

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The women’s Frozen Four was held at Ridder Arena. It was the seventh time it took place on the University of Minnesota campus. Two WCHA powerhouses met in the championship game yet again. In fact, it was the third year in a row that Ohio State and Wisconsin faced off for the championship trophy; the first time that has ever happened in the NC women’s hockey tournament. Wisconsin won two years ago, and Ohio State won the previous season. The two previous title games were decided by one goal and this year wasn’t any different. Wisconsin tied the game on a Kirsten Simms penalty shot with just 19 seconds left in regulation. The Badgers then won the game 4-3 in overtime on another goal by Simms. It was the fourth championship trophy for the Badgers in six seasons. Wisconsin has now won the hockey championship in the last four odd-numbered years. The Badgers increased their lead in the overall title count by adding this eighth trophy. This was also the 22nd women’s hockey championship for the WCHA.

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In Division III men’s hockey, Hobart completed a three-peat after defeating Utica 2-1 in overtime during the championship game of the 40th NCAA hockey tournament for Division III. The Statesmen have defeated three different teams in the three consecutive championship games. The last time there was a three-peat in Division III men’s hockey, Middlebury (Vermont) won three in a row from 2004 to 2006.

The longest women’s hockey game in Division III history took place during the MIAC tournament. Augsburg (Minnesota) defeated Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota by a score of 3-2 when Aunna Schulte scored eight minutes and six seconds into the fourth overtime. The field for the NCAA Division III women’s tournament was expanded from 11 to 12 teams this year. For the second year in a row the semifinals and title game were held in River Falls, Wisconsin. It was held there in 2024 because Wisconsin-River Falls was the highest remaining seed. However, it was chosen as a predetermined site prior to this 2024-25 season. But as luck would have it, Wisconsin-River Falls made another tournament run and ended up back in the championship game at home. The Falcons defeated Amherst 3-1 to claim back-to-back titles.

Four 2025 NCAA hockey champions: Wisconsin, Western Michigan, Wisconsin-River Falls, and Hobart.

For more than five decades, if a hockey prospect played in one of the Major Junior leagues in Canada or even signed a contract with one of the teams, it rendered a player automatically ineligible from NCAA hockey. In fact, NCAA hockey did not accept players who had even played in a game against a professional player. However, this changed November 7, 2024, when a vote was passed that allowed NCAA Division I teams to recruit prospects who participated in Major Junior hockey or professional teams. The caveat was that the players must never have received payments more than the actual and necessary expenses as part of their participation on the team. Players who accepted additional expenses or gifts, or signed NHL contracts are still deemed ineligible in the eyes of the NCAA. It was determined that eligible players would be able to begin play within the 2025-26 season. Division III was excluded from this ruling. Braxton Whitehead was the first Canadian Hockey League player to commit to an NCAA team. Whitehead, an alternate captain for the Regina Pats of the WHL, verbally committed to Arizona State on September 13, 2024. He did so due to a class action suit filed against the NCAA to allow CHL players to be deemed eligible. The NCAA voted less than two months later to allow it. The fact that NCAA players currently earn scholarships and money from name, image, and likeness (NIL) helped fuel this change.

Posted on Posted in Big Ten, Boston University Terriers, Denver Pioneers, Hockey East, NCHC, Penn State Nittany Lions

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)

Western Michigan hosted Denver for the first time November 26, 1983.
Western Michigan hosted Denver for the first time Nov. 25, 1983. Photo courtesy of the Western Herald.

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?

Posted on Posted in Boston College Eagles, Denver Pioneers, Hockey East, NCHC
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The Denver Pioneers will face the Boston College Eagles this Sunday in a rematch of last season’s NCAA Division I men’s championship game. The winner of this Regional Final game will earn a return trip to the 2025 Frozen Four in St. Louis.

In the seventy-seven-year history of the NCAA hockey tournament, there have only been seven other instances of a Division I men’s championship game rematch occurring in the tournament the following season. Of those seven games, the runner-up from the previous season won the rematch all seven times.

The first time this occurred was in the second-ever tournament in 1949 when Dartmouth defeated Michigan 4-2 in the semifinals. The Indians – as they were known as at the time – avenged a championship loss to the Wolverines from the inaugural tournament. The most recent occurrence took place in 2021 when UMD met UMass in the 2021 Frozen Four semifinals. The Bulldogs had defeated UMass in the 2019 championship game. However, the 2020 tournament was canceled due to COVID so the 2021 game counted as a next-tournament rematch. The Minutemen outlasted the Bulldogs 3-2 in overtime in that game.

Three of these rematches throughout the years took place in the championship game and one in the now defunct third place game. The full list of championship rematches are as follows:

  • 1949: Dartmouth defeated Michigan 4-2 in the Semifinals
  • 1951: Boston University defeated Colorado College 7-4 in the Third Place Game
  • 1975: Michigan Tech defeated Minnesota 6-1 in the Championship Game
  • 1976: Minnesota defeated Michigan Tech 6-4 in the Championship Game
  • 1995: Boston University defeated Lake Superior State 6-2 in the Regional Final
  • 2001: Boston College defeated North Dakota 3-2 in overtime in the Championship Game
  • 2021: UMass defeated UMD 3-2 in overtime in the Semifinals

The Pioneers are the three seed in the Manchester Region while the Eagles are the number one overall seed in the tournament. Based on seeding alone, there’s a good chance this trend continues. But if there’s anything we’ve learned from the NCAA hockey tournament it’s that you can never count out a lower seed. And more importantly, you can never count out the program that leads all colleges in the number of hockey championship trophies.

St. Cloud State versus Colorado College for the 2023 NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship from Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 18, 2023.

Posted on Posted in Colorado College Tigers, NCHC, On Location, St. Cloud State Huskies

This is the latest installment in our On Location series where we live tweet a college game (or games) that we attend in person and then later post an article here on the site. This is a special instance in that it’s in essence a combination of our On Location and Relevant Rewind series because the game took place March 18, 2023, and we’re just pulling it out of the vault and posting it now.

Teams (seed): Denver Pioneers (1), St. Cloud State Huskies (4), North Dakota Fighting Hawks (6), Colorado College Tigers (7)

Where: Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota

When: March 18, 2023

The opening round of the 2023 NCHC tournament saw two lower seeds win on the road. North Dakota defeated Omaha in three games to make it to Saint Paul while Colorado College shocked the second seed Western Michigan Broncos in a two-game sweep in Kalamazoo. It was the first road playoff sweep in Colorado College program history. It also meant it was the first time a seven seed made it to the Frozen Faceoff.

For the second season in a row, Denver was shut out in the early semifinal game in the Frozen Faceoff. This time it was to its in-state rival, Colorado College, by a score of 1-0. The evening game on Friday was between North Dakota and St. Cloud State. The higher seeded Huskies won an overtime thriller to advance to the title game.

The two NCHC trophies were on display. The Penrose Cup on the left is awarded to the top team during the regular season. Denver won it for the second season in a row after the team shared it with North Dakota the previous season. The NCHC Tournament Trophy is on the right and was on hand to be presented to the winner on the ice after the championship game.

The Penrose and NCHC Tournament Trophies on display.
The Penrose and NCHC Tournament Trophies on display.

There’s a wing of the Xcel Energy Center that is dedicated to the Patty Kazmaier and Hobey Baker Memorial Awards that was updated since the last Frozen Faceoff. This time it included a tribute to the 2022 award winners, Minnesota’s Taylor Heise and Minnesota State’s Dryden McKay.

Display case at the Xcel Energy Center dedicated to the Patty Kazmaier Award that showcased Taylor Heise
Display case at the Xcel Energy Center dedicated to the Patty Kazmaier Award that showcased Taylor Heise.
Sweaters from past Hobey Baker Award winners from Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center.
Sweaters from Minnesota-born Hobey Baker Award winners on display at the Xcel Energy Center.
Display case at the Xcel Energy Center dedicated to the Hobey Baker Award that showcased Dryden McKay.
Display case at the Xcel Energy Center dedicated to the Hobey Baker Award that showcased Dryden McKay.

The banners on the wall were also updated to reflect Denver’s 2022 NCAA national championship win the season beforehand. Denver defeated Minnesota State in the NCAA title game the previous season and claimed its ninth hockey title.

Five national champions from the NCHC in seven years.
Five national champions from the NCHC in seven years.

The 2023 NCHC championship game took place the evening of Saturday, March 18, 2023. The Colorado College Tigers were looking for the program’s first NCHC tournament title and were facing the St. Cloud State Huskies – winners of the 2016 tournament back when it was played at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

St. Cloud State and Colorado College in action during the 2023 NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship game.
St. Cloud State and Colorado College in action during the 2023 NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship game.

St. Cloud State’s defense and goaltending controlled the game. The Huskies jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening frame. After a scoreless second period, St. Cloud State notched two more goals in the third period to put the Tigers away. Jaxon Castor earned the championship game shutout with 17 saves as well as a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Jami Krannila was presented with the Most Outstanding Player award for the tournament. The Huskies won its second NCHC Tournament Trophy and first at the Xcel Energy Center.

St. Cloud State celebrates the 2023 Frozen Faceoff championship with a win over Colorado College.
St. Cloud State celebrates the 2023 Frozen Faceoff championship with a win over Colorado College.

Posted on Posted in Atlantic Hockey, Big Ten, Boston College Eagles, CCHA, ECAC, Hockey East, Holy Cross Crusaders, Independents, Long Island Sharks, Michigan State Spartans, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Minnesota State Mavericks, NCHC, Quinnipiac Bobcats, Western Michigan Broncos

We previously highlighted the Division I women’s regular season champions. Now that the Division I men’s conference playoffs are in motion, it’s time to cover the 2024-25 regular season conference champions. Below is a look at the seven teams that ended the regular season on top of the six conferences and the historical implications for each. (No, there was not a typo in that last sentence.)

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Holy Cross – The Crusaders won the regular season title in the first season after the Atlantic Hockey Association rebranded to Atlantic Hockey America. This marked the first regular season crown for Holy Cross since 2006. Minnesota Gophers fans will never forget what Holy Cross did in the NCAA tournament that season.

Michigan State and Minnesota – For the first time in Big Ten Hockey history, there are co-champions for the regular season title. It came down to the final weekend and both teams ended up tied at 50 points. The Spartans became back-to-back champs – the team won the Big Ten for the first time in 2023-24. Minnesota’s most recent title before this was in 2023. This year’s feat is Minnesota’s conference-leading seventh time doing so. Fun Fact: Michigan is the only team yet to win a regular season Big Ten title, yet it leads the field in conference tournament wins with three.

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Minnesota State – A year after the MacNaughton Cup traveled 269 miles north, it found its way back to Mankato this season. The Mavericks ended with a .781 points percentage and 56 points on the season. The conference tracked points percentage this season because Augustana – the newest member of the CCHA – had far fewer conference games compared to the other teams. The Vikings ended up in second place with 30 points – yet a .625 points percentage. This is an impressive seventh time Minnesota State has brought home the MacNaughton Cup in the last eight seasons. (Three in CCHA and four in the now-defunct WCHA men’s hockey conference.)

Quinnipiac – It’s a five-peat for the Bobcats. Yes, you read that right. Quinnipiac has dominated the ECAC in the past ten-plus seasons – winning the Cleary Cup nine times since 2012-13. In addition to the regular season titles, Quinnipiac won the Whitelaw Cup once for winning the conference tournament in 2016, a national championship in 2023, and was NCAA runner-up in 2013 and 2016.

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Boston College – The Eagles won the Hockey East regular season title for the second time in a row. It was the 19th time in Boston College history. The Eagles finished the season on a tear, winning six in a row to close it out and 14-2-1 overall in the last 17 games. The team is looking to win the Hockey East men’s tournament again to sweep the titles for the second year in a row.

Western Michigan – The 50th season was the charm. Western Michigan’s first season in Division I was 1973-74 and this year the Broncos won its first regular season title. Western Michigan is only the fourth school to lift up the Penrose Trophy in the 12-year history of the NCHC. (Fighting Hawks, Pioneers, and Huskies are the other three.) Western Michigan looks to win its first NCHC Frozen Faceoff this year as well – the last one being held in Saint Paul.

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It’s worth noting that of the five independent teams in Division I men’s hockey, LIU finished with the best record at 20-12-2. It’s the first time the Sharks have hit the 20-win plateau since the program began five years ago.