Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Men’s Notes: Storylines to Watch in Las Vegas

T-Mobile Arena Hosts Star-Studded NCAA Frozen Four

Thursday, April 9 (semifinals)
5pm ET: North Dakota vs. Wisconsin
Watch: ESPN2, ESPN+, TSN+
Listen: Westwood One

8:30pm ET: Michigan vs. Denver
Watch: ESPN2, ESPN+, TSN+
Listen: Westwood One

Saturday, April 11 (championship)
5:30pm ET: Championship Game
Watch: ESPN, ESPN+, TSN2
Listen: Westwood One

The 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will feature the four programs with the most national championships in the history of the sport.

The field boasts a combined 33 NCAA titles, topped by Denver’s 10 and followed by Michigan (nine), North Dakota (eight) and Wisconsin (six). This year’s Frozen Four also includes:

Two No. 1 seeds (Michigan, North Dakota), a No. 2 seed (Denver) and a No. 3 seed (Wisconsin)
Four of the nation’s top nine scoring offenses
Two Hobey Baker Award top-10 finalists (T.J. Hughes, Eric Pohlkamp)
Forty-nine NHL Draft picks

CHI Frozen Four Media Kit | CHI Homepage

Visit College Hockey Inc.’s 2026 NCAA Frozen Four Media Kit (above) for more tournament information, including statistics, historical trends, and more.

The Roads Traveled:

Here’s how each of the four semifinalists advanced to Las Vegas:

Michigan (31-7-1): The Wolverines are making their first Frozen Four appearance since 2024 and seeking their first NCAA title since 1998 … Michigan, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, qualified for its third Frozen Four under fourth-year head coach Brandon Naurato (Michigan ’09) by defeating Bentley (5-1) and Minnesota Duluth (4-3) in the Albany Regional … Freshman G Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga, Ontario) was named that regional’s Most Outstanding Player after stopping 54 of 57 shots in the two wins.
Denver (27-11-3): The Pioneers, unbeaten in 15 games and on a 10-game winning streak, are making their third straight Frozen Four appearance and seeking their first NCAA title since 2024 (and third in the last five years) … Freshman G Johnny Hicks (Kamloops, British Columbia) backstopped wins over Cornell (5-0) and defending national champion Western Michigan (6-2) in the Loveland Regional. Hicks improved to 13-0-1 on the year and was named MOP … The Pioneers are making their fifth Frozen Four appearance in eight seasons under head coach David Carle (DU ’12).
North Dakota (29-9-1): The Fighting Hawks, under first-year head coach Dane Jackson (North Dakota ’92) are making their first Frozen Four appearance since 2016, when they last won an NCAA title … UND blanked Merrimack (3-0) and Quinnipiac (5-0) at the Sioux Falls Regional behind freshman G Jan Špunar (Olomouc, Czechia). Špunar stopped all 53 shots he faced on the weekend and was named MOP … Sophomore F Cody Croal (North Branch, Minn.) was the only skater in the country to total three goals during the weekend.
Wisconsin (23-12-2): The Badgers are making their first Frozen Four appearance since 2010 and seeking their first NCAA title since 2006 … UW upended Dartmouth and Michigan State at the Worcester Regional, with senior D and UW captain Ben Dexheimer (Edina, Minn.) tallying the OT winner against MSU in the final. The Badgers had trailed the Spartans 3-1 until scoring twice in the final five minutes to force OT … Junior F Quinn Finley (Suamico, Wis.) led all NCAA players with five points during the regional round.

Daily Scoreboard | Weekly Schedule | Scoring Leaders | Goaltending Leaders

Must Read:

Badger Extra: Wisconsin junior got the most out of his sticks – and needed more
Badger Extra: Inside the shift that saved the Wisconsin men’s hockey season for Frozen Four berth
College Hockey News: Wisconsin finds a way, reaches first Frozen Four since 2010
College Hockey News: Jackson gets North Dakota back to Frozen Four
College Hockey News: Michigan staves off late UMD charge to return to Frozen Four
College Hockey News: DU heated up as season went on; reaches pinnacle with regional performance
Dakota Student: North Dakota advances to Frozen Four for the first time since 2016
Denver Post: Sean Payton? Deion Sanders? Nah. DU’s David Carle is Colorado’s best coach
ESPN: Viva Las Vegas: Frozen Four keys for Michigan, Denver, Wisconsin, North Dakota
Grand Forks Herald: 5 takeaways from UND’s NCAA regional win in Sioux Falls
Michigan Daily: Kason Muscott bringing “rattiness” to Michigan’s lineup
MLive: In biggest moment of the season, Michigan finds a way
USCHO: Sison’s impact reaches beyond Princeton hockey

Must Hear:

CHN Insiders: Featuring Grand Forks Herald reporter Brad Schlossman
USCHO Weekend Review: Looking at paths taken to Frozen Four, Vegas storylines

Desert Dreams:

The city of Las Vegas is playing host to its first-ever NCAA Division I Men’s Frozen Four, becoming the westernmost site for a Frozen Four since Anaheim hosted in 1999.

It will be the first college hockey played at T-Mobile Arena since Oct. 29, 2022, when Arizona State defeated North Dakota in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game.

T-Mobile Arena is home to the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, and a trio of current Golden Knights played in the Frozen Four as collegians: Jack Eichel in 2015 with Boston University, Nic Dowd in 2013 with St. Cloud State, and Reilly Smith in 2010 with Miami.

Additionally, recently named Vegas head coach John Tortorella (Maine, 1978-81) spent two seasons as the coach of the AHL’s Rochester Americans, where his team captain was current North Dakota head coach Dane Jackson (North Dakota ’92). They won the AHL’s Calder Cup together in 1995-96.

Championship Pedigree:

This year’s Frozen Four field features the four programs that have won the most NCAA Division I men’s hockey championships:

Most NCAA Titles
Denver – 10 (most recent 2024)
Michigan – 9 (most recent 1998)
North Dakota – 8 (most recent 2016)
Wisconsin – 6 (most recent 2006)
Boston College, Boston University, Minnesota – 5

However, despite their collective championship history, 2026 will mark the first time these four teams have all appeared in the same Frozen Four.

Feeling a Draft:

The 2026 Frozen Four features 49 NHL Draft picks combined between the four rosters, the second-most (51 in 2024) since College Hockey Inc. began tracking in 2014:

NHL Draft picks by team
Denver – 14
Michigan – 13
North Dakota – 12
Wisconsin – 10

The last five Frozen Fours have featured an average of 44 NHL Draft picks compared to an average of 29 over the previous seven Frozen Fours.

The Next Wave:

Four skaters in this year’s Frozen Four are draft-eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft: Denver F Reid Varkonyi (Fr., Sherwood Park, Alberta), North Dakota D Keaton Verhoeff (Fr., Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta), and Michigan forwards Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen (So., Northville, Mich.) and Adam Valentini (Fr., Toronto, Ontario).

(Crimson) Red-Hot:

Denver is riding a nation’s-best 15-game unbeaten streak (14-0-1), the longest such streak entering a Frozen Four since Minnesota State brought a 17-game winning streak into the 2022 Frozen Four.

The Pioneers have also won their last 11 games, tying Dartmouth (Nov. 1 to Dec. 12) and St. Thomas (Dec. 6 to Jan. 30) for the longest in the country this season.

Hobey Hopefuls:

A pair of top-10 finalists for the 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award will go head-to-head in next Thursday’s Frozen Four semifinals: Michigan senior F T.J. Hughes (Hamilton, Ontario) and Denver junior D Eric Pohlkamp (Brainerd, Minn.).

Hughes ranks second in the NCAA scoring race with 56 points in 39 games and is the leading active scorer in Division I men’s hockey with 178 career points.

Pohlkamp is college hockey’s top-scoring defenseman, having racked up 18 goals and 39 points in 41 games. He also leads the nation with 185 shots on goal, 27 more than any other skater.

The 10 finalists will be narrowed down to three “Hobey Hat Trick” finalists on Thursday, April 2.

A Frozen Four First:

For the first time in history, all four starting goaltenders in this year’s Frozen Four will be freshmen: Wisconsin’s Daniel Hauser (Chestermere, Alberta), Denver’s Johnny Hicks (Kamloops, British Columbia), Michigan’s Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga, Ontario), and North Dakota’s Jan Špunar (Olomouc, Czechia).

Hicks (Loveland), Ivankovic (Albany) and Špunar (Sioux Falls) were each named the Most Outstanding Player of their respective regional last weekend, while Hauser stopped 37 of 40 shots in his two wins.

Great Dane:

North Dakota head coach Dane Jackson (North Dakota ’92) has his alma mater in the Frozen Four in his first season at the helm and is trying to replicate what his predecessor Brad Berry did in 2016: lead the team to a national championship in his first year as a head coach.

That season, Berry became the first (and, to this day, still the only) person to win an NCAA Division I men’s hockey title in his first year as head coach.

Not Too Cool for School:

NCAA Division I men’s hockey players typically fare well academically in comparison to their student-athlete peers.

According to the most recent data released by the NCAA, hockey boasted a four-year Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 93 percent, tied for the fourth-best rate among all Division I men’s sports.

NCAA Milestone Watch (FF participants):

150 Career Games Played (skaters)
149 – F Christian Fitzgerald, Wisconsin
148 – D Kent Anderson, Denver

100 Career Games Played (skaters)
99 – D Joe Palodichuk, Wisconsin

100 Career Points
98 – D Eric Pohlkamp, Denver
93 – F Rieger Lorenz, Denver

50 Career Goals
47 – F Quinn Finley, Wisconsin
45 – F Christian Fitzgerald, Wisconsin

ADDITIONAL NOTES BY TEAM

Denver: Junior D Eric Pohlkamp (Brainerd, Minn.), with 98 career points is bidding to join Air Force’s Chris Hedden as the only defensemen active in NCAA Division I men’s hockey in 2025-26 to reach the 100 milestone … Junior F Boston Buckberger (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) leads all active DI skaters with a career plus-94 rating … Senior F Rieger Lorenz (Calgary, Alberta) has played more NCAA Tournament games than any active skater … The Pioneers have the highest-scoring junior class (139 points) in the Frozen Four … Fifteen different Pioneers have a game-winning goal this season, most among Frozen Four teams.

Michigan: Senior F T.J. Hughes (Hamilton, Ontario) leads all active DI men’s players in career points (178), goals (68), and assists (110) … The Wolverines lead the NCAA in goals per game (4.56) and power-play percentage (31.6) … Michigan also has a nation’s-best 31 wins this season … The Wolverines have the highest-scoring group of defensemen (114 points) of any team in the Frozen Four … Michigan has a pair of 50-point players in Hughes (56) and Michael Hage (51). None of the other three teams has a single 50-point player … The Wolverines are 23-0-0 when leading after two periods.

North Dakota: Freshman G Jan Špunar (Olomouc, Czechia) leads the NCAA with six shutouts and last weekend became the first goalie in school history with multiple shutouts in the same NCAA Tournament … Graduate backup G Gibson Homer (Grand Rapids, Mich.) has more career wins (25) and appearances (44) than any of the four projected starters in the Frozen Four … UND is the biggest team in the Frozen Four, averaging 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds … The Fighting Hawks are 22-0-0 when leading after two periods … UND has both the highest-scoring senior (117 points) and freshman (151) classes in the Frozen Four.

Wisconsin: The Badgers are the oldest team in the Frozen Four with an average age of 22.1 years and boast the largest group of seniors with seven … Senior captain Ben Dexheimer (Edina, Minn.) has 70 career assists, more than any other defenseman in the Frozen Four … Twelve different Badgers have scored a power-play goal this season, the most among Frozen Four teams … Wisconsin’s roster features players from four different countries (Canada, Croatia, Russia, United States), more than any other team in the Frozen Four.

SID Stuff:

Fourth-year Michigan head coach Brandon Naurato (Michigan ’09) has already made his mark on the program’s long, storied history.

According to Michigan Associate Director of External Communications & Public Relations Kristy McNeil, Naurato’s 98 career wins are the most through the first four seasons of any coach in program history.

Notebook Quotebook:

“I wanted to be part of changing this program back into the powerhouse that it used to be.”

— North Dakota assistant captain Dylan James (Calgary, Alberta) on why he opted to return to UND for his senior season following the program’s coaching change last summer (source: Grand Forks Herald).

NHL Note of the Week:

Michigan State’s Porter Martone (Peterborough, Ontario) made his NHL debut with the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, becoming the fifth collegiate player to skate in both the NHL and NCAA in 2025-26.

Martone earned All-Big Ten First Team honors with the Spartans after collecting 25 goals and 50 points in 35 games as a freshman.

He joined Boston College’s Drew Fortescue (NY Rangers), St. Cloud State’s Tyson Gross (Calgary), Boston University duo Sacha Boisvert (Chicago) and Cole Hutson (Washington) to have played at both levels this season.

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag:

Michigan State G Trey Augustine (Jr., South Lyon, Mich.) and Penn State F Aiden Fink (Jr., Calgary, Alberta) signed with Detroit and Nashville, respectively, on Tuesday. Augustine was a second-round pick of the Red Wings in 2023, while Fink was a Predators seventh-rounder that same year … The American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) announced on Tuesday the 10 finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award as national coach of the year: Denver’s David Carle, Dartmouth’s Reid Cashman, Wisconsin’s Mike Hastings, North Dakota’s Dane Jackson, Bentley’s Andy Jones, Alaska’s Erik Largen, Providence’s Nate Leaman, Michigan’s Brandon Naurato, Michigan State’s Adam Nightingale, and Minnesota State’s Luke Strand.

Longest Active Team Winning Streaks:

11 games, Denver (began Feb. 7 vs. Colorado College)
6 games, Michigan (began Feb. 27 vs. Minnesota)
2 games, North Dakota (began March 26 vs. Merrimack, NCAA Sioux Falls Regional)
2 games, Wisconsin (began March 26 vs. Dartmouth, NCAA Worcester Regional)

Longest Active Point Streaks (FF participants):

5 games, F Jayden Perron (Michigan)
- 4-4—8, began March 11 vs. Notre Dame (Big Ten Quarterfinal)
5 games, F Garret tSchifsky (Michigan)
- 4-4—8, began March 11 vs. Notre Dame (Big Ten Quarterfinal)
4 games, F Dylan James (North Dakota)
- 4-0—4, began March 7 vs. Omaha (NCHC Quarterfinal)
4 games, F Nick Moldenhauer (Michigan)
- 2-3—5, began March 14 vs. Penn State (Big Ten Semifinal)

Longest Active Goal Streaks (FF participants):

4 games, F Dylan James (North Dakota)
- 4-0—4, began March 7 vs. Omaha (NCHC Quarterfinal)
4 games, F Garrett Schifsky (Michigan)
- 4-3—7, began March 14 vs. Penn State (Big Ten Semifinal)

Longest Active Goalie Winning Streaks (FF participants):

11 games, Johnny Hicks (Denver)
- Began Feb. 7 vs. Colorado College
6 games, Jack Ivankovic (Michigan)
- Began Feb. 27 vs. Minnesota
6 games, Stephen Peck (Michigan)
- Began Jan. 10 vs. Notre Dame
2 games, Jan Špunar (North Dakota)
- Began March 26 vs. Merrimack (NCAA Sioux Falls Regional)

Conference Champions (playoffs):

Atlantic Hockey – Bentley
Big Ten – Michigan
CCHA – Minnesota State
ECAC Hockey – Dartmouth
Hockey East – Merrimack
NCHC – Denver

Conference Champions (reg. season)

Atlantic Hockey – Bentley
Big Ten – Michigan State
CCHA – Minnesota State
ECAC Hockey – Quinnipiac
Hockey East – Providence
NCHC – North Dakota

Key College Hockey Dates:

April 2: Hobey Baker Memorial Award “Hobey Hat Trick” announced
April 9-11: NCAA Frozen Four (T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas)
April 10: National award winners announced

Conference Websites

College Hockey Inc. Resources:

Did you know? 93% of NCAA Division I men’s hockey players earn their degree!