The field has been set for this year’s NCAA men’s ice hockey tournament. 16 teams enter, only one leaves victorious in the State of Hockey at Xcel Energy Center at St. Paul. Regional play will begin this Thursday and will conclude this coming Sunday, and the national semifinals are set for April 11th and the national championship on April 13th. As we take a look at each team, we will preview them and take a look at their season outlook.
Northeast Regional – Springfield, MA
Venue: MassMutual Center (Hosts: University of Massachusetts Amherst & Western MA Sports Commission)
1st: Boston College Eagles (1)
Boston College enters having secured their 12th Hockey East Tournament championship in their program history under second-year head coach Greg Brown. To say that they’re the hottest team in the NCAA is an understatement, continuously boasting one of the hottest lineups in all of college hockey.
Headlined by four gold medal-winning players from the World Juniors, the quartet of Cutter Gauthier, Will Smith, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault can strike terror in the eyes of many. Smith is coming off a four-goal, five-point performance in the Hockey East title game, a 6-2 win over rival Boston University, while Gauthier had three goals and four assists in the two games at TD Garden. Perreault is also riding an 18-game point streak.
The Eagles have won 12 straight games, and everything is clicking for them at the right time—defense, role players, special teams, and the goaltending of Jacob Fowler. The downside is that the young stars haven’t played a tournament game yet. And given the way they’ve played this season, the only team that can stop them from a national title is themselves.
2nd: Wisconsin Badgers (8)
It’s how big wonders can do when making a coaching change. It was clear that Tony Granato was not the guy to lead them to the promised land and that a coaching change was needed. They made the dance just once under him, and that was with Cole Caufield lighting the lamp before he turned pro and helped the Canadiens to an unexpected Stanley Cup Final.
In the first year of Mike Hastings, Wisconsin not only made it to the tournament, but also bested Granato’s highest win total in a single season. Cruz Lucius is one of the more slept on prospects in the NHL, and his run with Wisconsin this season showed it. He’s averaging nearly a point per game in college hockey, and he was drafted by Carolina in the fourth round. While he’s the highest scoring Badger on the lineup, they do have the depth to back him up, which includes Charlie Stramel, who, while raw, does show promise.
Kyle McClellan is the backbone of one of the stingiest defenses in the nation, and it’s because of his stellar goaltending on Wisconsin shutting down opponents, joining Jacob Fowler and Kaidan Mbereko as a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, which goes to the best goaltender in the NCAA.
It would be sweeter if they weren’t upset as the 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament in the first round to Ohio State, but they did close out the regular season by beating Michigan State.
3rd: Quinnipiac Bobcats (9)
Quinnipiac’s quest for a title defense is going to be difficult. This time around, they won’t have the likes of Yaniv Perets in net as he is with the Carolina Hurricanes’ farm system.
Despite coming in at 26-9-2, they’ve taken a slight step back, but it’s not a huge drop-off under Rand Pecknold, who is now in his 30th year as Quinnipiac’s head coach. While Collin Graf, Sam Lipkin and Jacob Quillan remain their offensive trio, the emergence of Charles Alexis Legault and Davis Pennington have helped keep the Bobcats’ defensive reputation under Pecknold, along with great goaltending play from Vinny Duplessis.
The shocker was that they were blanked by St. Lawrence 3-0 in the ECAC semifinals, as they’ve won 11 of 13 before that game, and allowing 23 goals in that same span. But it’s clear they’re not the same team from last year. And with Boston College being the consensus best team in the nation, it’s no doubt that it’s going to be hard for the Bobcats to defend their title should the two meet.
4th: Michigan Tech Huskies (16)
Michigan Tech barely cracked the top 20 in the USA Hockey Men’s Poll entering this tournament. Providence, St. Cloud State and New Hampshire were ranked higher than them on the poll, yet Michigan Tech still made it in.
The foundation of Michigan Tech’s team is their goaltending, and it is behind said goaltending where they got a 2-1 win over Bemidji State in the CCHA championship game to snap the Beavers’ 11-game winning streak. Blake Pietila, who has been the Huskies’ mainstay in net over the last four seasons, has been continuously sharp, entering with the tournament with a 2.28 GAA and a .920 save percentage and having not allowed more than two goals in eight of his last 10 games.
Outside of that, the Huskies’ chances of making noise are rather slim. Nobody on the team is averaging over a point per game, and the only NHL prospect they have is Kyle Kukkonen, a late round draft pick for the Ducks. Goaltending can only take them so far, especially since they’re 0-5 in the tournament with two overtime losses since 2015.
West Regional – Sioux Falls, SD
Venue: Denny Samford Premier Center (Hosts: University of Nebraska Omaha & Sioux Falls Sports Authority)
1st: Boston University Terriers (2)
Macklin Celebrini. He’s been the talk of all the teams gunning for the first overall pick in the NHL for the 2024 Entry Draft. Despite losing 6-2 to Boston College in the Hockey East Championship, BU shouldn’t feel too bad about themselves—they’re still one of the best programs in the nation. Then again, they’ve won seven straight games before the championship game.
And it’s not just Celebrini who has been doing the business for the Terriers, even with his team-leading 31 goals and winning Hockey East Player of the Year. Think of guys like Lane and Quinn Hutson, Luke Tuch, and Tom Willander. They’re among some of the best on the team that they have to offer.
Former New Jersey Devil and current BU head coach Jay Pandolfo knows what it takes in tournaments. He coached the Terriers to the Frozen Four last year in his first season with them and won two Stanley Cups as a player with the Devils. If it weren’t for BC, BU would be the most dangerous team in the nation. They have a legitimate case for a title.
2nd: Minnesota Golden Gophers (7)
After last year’s heartbreaking result in the national championship game, the goal is clear for the Golden Gophers: Title or bust. This time it’s without the services of Logan Cooley, Matt Knies and Brock Faber, but they do have help from two Blackhawks first round choices in Sam Rinzel and the speedy Oliver Moore.
They’re clearly not the same Minnesota team that was a powerhouse on the top line with Knies, Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud, but they’re still a dangerous team with Justen Close keeping the brick wall sturdy at the last line of defense. Speaking of Snuggerud, he’s not averaging over a point per game like he did last year, but the points per game fall-off isn’t that drastic as he is still among the team leaders.
The real jump came from Rhett Pitlick and Bryce Brodzinski, as these two and Snuggerud are the offensive leaders of the team this season. The question now is if it’s enough considering that should they win their first game, Boston University is most likely waiting for them.
3rd: Omaha Mavericks (11)
Omaha’s ice hockey program has been up and down over their history. They’re one of those programs that is treading on the cusp of making it to the dance, but very rarely do they make it in. This is just their fifth appearance in the tournament in their 27th year of existence. Their best run was nine years ago, when they made it to the Frozen Four.
Initially, it looked to be like another year where they would finish as a middle of the pack team in the entire nation, with three straight losses late in January. But a run where they won 14 of 16 to move up the PairWise rankings that included three March wins against North Dakota got them to this position.
Of course, teams do best when they generate the more offense, and Omaha is 12-1-3 on the season when outshooting their opponents. They’re 11-10-1 when that doesn’t happen.
This isn’t the most attractive squad as their highest scorers Tanner and Griffin Ludtke, have 28 and 27 points in 39 games played. While it’s nice to have depth on a team, it’s important to have star talent on a hockey team. Omaha doesn’t have a true star on the team. Don’t expect much from them in the tournament.
4th: RIT Tigers (15)
After winning the Atlantic Hockey conference with a win over American International, RIT is back in the tournament for the fourth time in their history, and the first time since 2016.
RIT doesn’t have a true star, but they have an electric scoring attack. Despite not having any of their players drafted by an NHL team, thy boast the 6th-highest scoring offense in the NCAA, scoring 3.92 goals per game, and the 5th-highest scoring defense, allowing 2.31 goals per game.
In a five-game span, they outscored their opponents 26-6, with Elijah Gonsalves notching 10 points in the Atlantic Hockey tournament, including two goals and two assists in the championship game. They’re also riding a season-high seven-game winning streak to enter the tournament.
While Gonsalves has been the hottest player for the Tigers entering the Frozen Four tournament, don’t count out Carter Wilkie and Cody Laskosky of the mix. And Tommy Scarfone has been excellent in net for the Tigers.
East Regional – Providence, RI
Venue: Amica Mutual Pavilion (Host: Brown University)
1st: Denver Pioneers (3)
After last year’s stunning upset loss to Cornell when they were shut out as the defending national champions, the Pioneers are striking back with a vengeance by being the top scoring team in the country. They’re coming off a big NCHC championship win heading into the tournament, and it’s the duo of Zeev Buium and Jack Devine leading the way for Denver, as they lead the country with 4.79 goals per game.
What’s amazing about the Pioneers is that they have made 14 of the last 15 tournaments, with the only miss being 2021, the year before they won it all. Entering this year’s tournament, they’re on a season-high five-game winning streak and have been hot, going 11-2-1 since the start of February. In their last 12 games, they’ve notched at least three goals, and Buium’s 48 points lead all defensemen in the NCAA.
2nd: Maine Black Bears (5)
What a resurgence. In just the third year under Ben Barr, they’ve made it to the dance for the first time since 2012. The rise was gradual build-up, going 7-22-4 in the first season under Barr, 15-16-5 in the second year, and now this season, they finished 23-11-2 and made it in by way of an at-large bid.
They were riding for most of the season, but hit a bit of a late skid afterwards, though they followed it up with a series sweep over UMass and a 5-0 shutout victory over New Hampshire in the Hockey East playoffs. While they did lose to BU in the semifinals 4-1, they tested them at their own end, outshooting them 33-18, and the freshman brothers Josh and Bradly Nadeau had four points in the win over New Hampshire.
Scoring wise, the two lead the charge for the Black Bears, with 45 and 46 points, respectively, and while they are undersized, there have been undersized college hockey players that have translated their game into the NHL system and played well there. Take Cole Caufield with Wisconsin and Johnny Gaudreau with Boston College for example.
Though it’s no sugarcoating it that with the Nadeau brothers leading the way, the team is top-heavy and relies a lot on them for their success.
3rd: Cornell Big Red (12)
Cornell continues to be one of the best defensively minded programs in college hockey, with this year being no different. After last year’s stunning upset over then-reigning national champion Denver, they want to build on it and slow down some of the best offensive teams in the nation. And it’s because of the play of Ian Shane in net that has them in here.
The Big Red enter the tournament having ridden three separate five-game winning streaks since the start of 2024. In that same span, Shane has accumulated a 15-2-3 record with a 1.62 GAA and a .925 save percentage, ranking first and 10th in those stats, respectively, in the NCAA.
While he’s not a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, which goes to the best goaltender in the NCAA, he is still one of the top goaltenders in the nation, and if they’re going to make it to the Frozen Four, it’s because of him.
While the forward core is not the most attractive, when one team makes a mistake, Cornell knows when to strike. And Hoyt Stanley and George Fegaras are the right defensemen built for this system.
4th: UMass Minutemen (14)
After a one-year hiatus from the dance, UMass is back by way of an at-large bid, a turnaround from last year’s slump. They just made it in barely after losing a pair to Maine to end off the season and getting stomped 8-1 by BC in the Hockey East semifinals.
Though in between that, they won in the quarterfinals over Providence, which got them in, with Ryan Ufko, one of the finalists for Hockey East Player of the Year, notching the game-winning goal.
The biggest name among the roster is Scott Morrow, UMass’ all-time assist leader among defensemen, and the Minutemen have at least seven 20-point scorers for the first time since their first trip to the Frozen Four in 2019, when they won a program-high 31 games.
However, Morrow’s 30 points are the highest among the team, and scoring is a concern for them. Michael Hrabal, the Coyotes’ second round pick from 2023, shows promise as a freshman, though this year’s UMass team doesn’t have any expectations in the tournament heading in.
Midwest Regional – Maryland Heights, MO
Venue: Centene Community Ice Center (Hosts: Lindenwood University & St. Louis Sports Commission)
1st: Michigan State Spartans (4)
What a world we live in. Not only did Michigan State make it to the tournament, but also clinched a top four spot, and won a Big Ten title for the first time. This can also make a case for the Spartans’ best season in ice hockey since their national championship year in 2007. It was also the first time they accumulated at least 20 wins in a season since 2001.
There weren’t a lot of expectations about the season heading into the year, though a 5-1-0 start to the season gave them hope. Then came the real coming out parties. Great Lakes Invitational. Duel in the D. The Big Ten tournament. On the year, they went 4-1 over Michigan, something not seen in a while.
While they don’t have a player that averages over a point per game, they have balance on their lineup, whether it be Isaac Howard, Artyom Levshunov, Karsen Dorwart or Joey Larson leading the charge on the attacking end.
But this tournament appearance doesn’t happen without Trey Augustine. Fresh off a gold medal from the World Juniors, he has solidified himself as Michigan State’s starting netminder. And he is perhaps making a case for being the Red Wings’ goaltender of the future once he comes into the NHL system. The Spartans could be a sneaky team that can make a national championship push.
2nd: North Dakota Fighting Hawks (6)
What a turnaround from last season. They were great all around the previous year, but it was conference play inside the NCHC where they struggled most. This year, they’re back to their winning ways to make their third tournament in four years.
Jackson Blake is a force to be reckoned with. Even with Tyler Kleven turning pro with the Senators to join fellow classmate Jake Sanderson, Blake has been the talk of Fighting Hawks hockey. With 59 points throughout the regular season, he’s making a push to possibly make it to the Hurricanes’ system soon as their 109th overall pick in 2021.
Depth around the forward core and the defensive pair of Garrett Pyke and Jake Livanavage make this team a dangerous one. The big concerns are with goaltending and if they can hold up, along with the team going 4-5 in their last nine games, with three losses to Omaha and two to Colorado College. However, they won this year’s season series over Denver, 3-1, with the lone loss being in overtime, and have a win over BU.
3rd: Michigan Wolverines (10)
The talent drop-off compared between this year’s Michigan team and last year’s is noticeable. This is not the same Wolverines team, though one constant is that they are a top-heavy team. This round, they’ll have to make a run without Adam Fantilli and Luke Hughes.
Not much has changed offensively, this time with Rutger McGroarty, Gavin Brindley and Seamus Casey leading the charge. McGroarty is currently on an eight-game scoring streak where he has 14 points in that span and leads them with 52 points. Brindley is a close second with 51. There’s a reason why Michigan is the model of consistency when it comes to goal scoring, and that they are sustaining it this season speaks to it.
The worry is about what happens on the defensive end. Despite Jake Barczewski notching two shutouts, it really doesn’t feel much of an upgrade from Erik Portillo. They did find some late-season magic in winning six of seven, though five of those wins were by one goal, which shows that they can win close games.
While it’s nice to get wins over conference opponents in Notre Dame and Minnesota in that span, Michigan State was the big test. They came close, but they are going to have an equally big test in facing North Dakota.
4th: Western Michigan Broncos (13)
For the first time ever, Western Michigan has made it to the dance for three straight years. While they’re 6-9 to end the season in the NCHC, that conference is a tough one in which it also features North Dakota, Denver, and Omaha, who also made the dance.
The Broncos even had a worse conference record than St. Cloud State and Colorado College, yet out-of-conference play hurt those two in the same way conference play hurt WMU. Three of the Broncos’ losses down the stretch, however, came in overtime, though they also had wins over Denver and Omaha in that same stretch.
Sam Colangelo, the Ducks’ second round pick from 2020, is tied with Dylan Wendt for the team lead in goals, with 23, and had a hat trick in WMU’s playoff win over St. Cloud State. This season is also notable for them as this is the first time since the 1995 and 1996 seasons where the Broncos fielded at least a trio of 40-point scorers in consecutive seasons. Last year, it was Ryan McAllister, Jason Polin, and Max Sasson. This year, they’re Colangelo, Wendt and Grainger.
The top six forward core is solid for them, though questions can be raised about the goaltending, especially with Cameron Rowe playing every minute of the season for WMU.
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