With conference tournaments set to begin and selection day for the men’s NCAA hockey tournament less than three weeks away, we look at the contenders for the field of 16, from teams on the bubble to those playing for No. 1 seeds.
Six automatic bids to the NCAA tournament will be awarded to the winners of the six conference tournaments, with championship games scheduled for March 20 and March 21. Ten more teams will earn at-large spots determined by the NPI formula, which replaces the PairWise rankings this season. Every game can impact the NPI rankings, which factor in strength of schedule, home/road splits and overtime results.
Once the NCAA field is set, the four regional brackets will be announced March 22. Regional games will be played March 26-29; the sites are Albany, New York; Loveland, Colorado; Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Worcester, Massachusetts. The Frozen Four will be held April 9 and April 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Every game of the NCAA tournament, and the selection show, will be available on ESPN networks and the ESPN App.
Here’s a look at the NCAA contenders, listed with their NPI rankings, key results and remaining schedules.
NPI rankings, team records through games of Feb. 28.
Frozen Four or bust
Michigan State and Michigan have been at or near the top of the rankings all season as the top teams in the best conference in the country. North Dakota and Western Michigan are not far behind as their counterparts in the always-rugged National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
No. 1 Michigan
Record: 26-7-1, 17-6-1 Big Ten
Key results: Michigan split two games with Minnesota over the weekend to close its regular-season schedule and move past Michigan State into the No. 1 spot in the NPI rankings.
Remaining schedule: Big Ten tournament
No. 2 Michigan State
Record: 24-7-1, 15-6-1 Big Ten
Key results: The Spartans stubbed their toes with an 0-1-1 weekend against Ohio State. Before that, they had won nine of their previous 10 games, including a 5-2 win over Michigan on Feb. 7.
Remaining schedule: at Minnesota on Thursday, Friday
No. 3 North Dakota
Record: 25-8-1, 17-6-1 NCHC
Key results: NoDak split two games against Western Michigan to secure the top seed in the NCHC tournament. The Fighting Hawks are 9-5 against ranked teams this season.
Remaining schedule: NCHC tournament — vs. Omaha, best-of-three quarterfinal beginning Friday
No. 4 Western Michigan
Record: 24-9-1, 16-7-1 NCHC
Key results: The defending national champs are 14-3-1 since Christmas, including wins over Boston College and Wisconsin in the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off and a two-game sweep at Denver.
Remaining schedule: NCHC tournament — vs. Colorado College, best-of-three quarterfinal beginning Friday
Rock-solid
The teams in this tier should be sure to keep their calendars clear for the last weekend of March. It is hard to craft scenarios where they miss the NCAA tournament.
No. 5 Penn State
Record: 20-10-2, 12-8-2 Big Ten
Key results: Penn State showed how dangerous it can be with an 11-4 win over Ohio State on Feb. 20, behind a goal and seven assists from freshman phenom Gavin McKenna. But the Nittany Lions went 0-1-1 this past weekend at last-place Notre Dame. They are 19-4-1 against teams not named Michigan and Michigan State, but 1-6-1 against the Big Ten’s two top teams.
Remaining schedule: vs. Wisconsin on Thursday, Friday
No. 6 Providence
Record: 22-9-2, 17-5-1 Hockey East
Key results: The Friars clinched the Hockey East regular-season title with a split against New Hampshire. They have won 13 of their last 15 games.
Remaining schedule: vs. UConn on Saturday
No. 7 Quinnipiac
Record: 26-7-3, 17-4-1 ECAC
Key results: The Bobcats have shown some cracks the last two weekends, suffering a 7-4 loss at Dartmouth and a 6-1 defeat to Cornell. Before that, Quinnipiac had been 12-1-1 since the calendar flipped to 2026.
Remaining schedule: ECAC tournament — TBD, best-of-three quarterfinal beginning March 13
No. 8 Denver
Record: 21-11-3, 17-6-1 NCHC
Key results: Denver is unbeaten in its past nine games (8-0-1), emerging as the hottest team in the country, which is nothing new for the Pioneers in March. They have rebounded well after opening January with a 1-5-1 stretch against Maine, Western Michigan and North Dakota.
Remaining schedule: NCHC tournament — Miami (Ohio), best-of-three quarterfinal beginning Friday
No. 9 Cornell
Record: 20-8-1, 15-6-1 ECAC
Key results: The Big Red essentially locked up an NCAA berth with wins over St. Lawrence and Clarkson, which came on the heels of a 6-1 rout at Quinnipiac on Feb. 20.
Remaining schedule: ECAC tournament — TBD, best-of-three quarterfinal beginning March 13
No. 10 Minnesota Duluth
Record: 20-13-1, 11-12-1 NCHC
Key results: The Bulldogs went 0-1-1 vs. Colorado College over the weekend, moving down two spots in NPI, but earlier wins over Western Michigan and North Dakota (two) bolster their résumé.
Remaining schedule: NCHC tournament — vs. St. Cloud State, best-of-three quarterfinal beginning Friday
No. 11 Dartmouth
Record: 19-7-4, 13-5-4 ECAC
Key results: Dartmouth bumps up into this category after a 7-4 victory over Quinnipiac on Friday. The Big Green’s place in the NCAA field is on the strength of an 11-0 start, and they’ll look to regain that form in March.
Remaining schedule: ECAC tournament — TBD, best-of-three quarterfinal beginning March 13
Looking good
These teams are in good shape to make the field, but they can’t be complacent. A sloppy finish to the regular season would crank up the pressure come conference tournament time.
No. 12 Wisconsin
Record: 19-11-2, 12-10-0 Big Ten
Key results: The Badgers moved up a spot in NPI while having the weekend off. Wisconsin gave its at-large hopes a big boost with a 4-1 win over Michigan on Feb. 20. A weekend series at Penn State offers a chance to solidify its standing further.
Remaining schedule: at Penn State on Thursday, Friday
No. 13 Boston College
Record: 19-12-1, 13-9-0 Hockey East
Key results: On the heels of a weekend sweep of UConn, the Eagles dropped a pair to rival Boston University, slipping one spot in NPI. BC surely would feel safer on selection day with another win or two on its résumé.
Remaining schedule: at UMass on Thursday; vs. Northeastern on Saturday
In the field — for now
The cutline in the NPI rankings for making the NCAA field figures to be at No. 15, as the Atlantic champ will earn an automatic bid and claim the 16th seed. For now, these teams are on the right side of the bubble, but that could change with any slip-ups.
No. 14 Augustana
Record: 20-10-4, 14-8-4 CCHA
Key results: The Vikings had the best weekend of any bubble team without even stepping on the ice. After closing the regular season with a five-point sweep at St. Thomas on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21, they were moved up three spots in NPI thanks to the results of other teams.
Remaining schedule: CCHA tournament — Bemidji State, best-of-three quarterfinal beginning Friday
No. 15 UConn
Record: 17-10-5, 11-8-3 Hockey East
Key results: UConn went 0-1-1 in a home-and-home set with UMass over the weekend and is 0-3-2 in its last five games, weakening the Huskies’ once-strong hold on an NCAA at-large berth. UConn closes the regular season at No. 6 Providence before moving on to the Hockey East tournament.
Remaining schedule: vs. New Hampshire on Thursday; at Providence on Saturday
Bentley/Atlantic champ
Record: 18-11-5, 16-6-4 Atlantic; No. 32 in NPI
Key results: The 16th spot in the NCAA field most likely will be filled by the Atlantic Hockey champion. We’ll keep Bentley in this slot at the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament, but the Falcons slipped seven spots to No. 32 in NPI after losing a pair to Air Force. Sacred Heart, the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic, is No. 31.
Remaining schedule: Atlantic tournament, best-of-three quarterfinal beginning Friday
Work to do
With four CCHA teams with NPI rankings between No. 14 and No. 19, the conference tournament will have significant bubble implications. The at-large hopes aren’t great for anyone here, but we’re saying there’s a chance — and there’s always the conference tournament to fall back on.
Minnesota State
Record: 18-9-7, 14-7-5 CCHA; No. 16 in NPI
Key results: Sitting just on the wrong side of the bubble after a 1-0-1 weekend against Northern Michigan, the Mustangs could move into the NCAA field if they win a few games in the CCHA tournament and a spot opens up.
Remaining schedule: CCHA tournament — vs. Ferris State, best-of-three quarterfinal beginning Friday
St. Thomas
Record: 18-11-5, 15-7-4 CCHA; No. 17 in NPI
Key results: St. Thomas is just 1-4-2 in its last seven games after going 0-1-1 against Bemidji State, leaving the Tommies’ at-large hopes hanging by a thread.
Remaining schedule: CCHA tournament — vs. Lake Superior State, best-of-three quarterfinal beginning Friday
Maine
Record: 18-12-3, 12-10-1 Hockey East; No. 18 in NPI
Key results: The Black Bears improved their standing with a weekend sweep of Northeastern, but their best path to the NCAAs is clearly by winning the Hockey East tournament.
Remaining schedule: at Vermont on Saturday
Bowling Green
Record: 18-9-7, 15-7-4 CCHA; No. 19 in NPI
Key results: A weekend sweep at Michigan Tech (1-0 and 4-3 in OT) earns Bowling Green this slot, although the Falcons’ chances at an at-large berth remain slim.
Remaining schedule: CCHA tournament — at Michigan Tech, best-of-three quarterfinal beginning Friday
UMass
Record: 19-12-1, 12-9-1 Hockey East; No. 20 in NPI
Key results: A 1-0-1 weekend against UConn didn’t do much for the Minutemen in NPI because of other results around the country, but they still have a chance to make up some ground with games against Boston College and in the Hockey East tournament.
Remaining schedule: vs. Boston College on Thursday; at New Hampshire on Saturday
