NCAA men's hockey roundtable: Teams to beat, players to watch
ESPN • • sports
Key Points:
- The 2025-26 men's college hockey season is dominated by Midwest and West teams, with the NCHC and Big Ten conferences leading the national rankings; Michigan holds the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.
- Four No. 1 seeds—Michigan, North Dakota, Michigan State, and Western Michigan—are favored to win the championship, but analysts also highlight strong contenders like Denver, Minnesota Duluth, and Dartmouth.
- Key players to watch include Michigan State goalie Trey Augustine, praised as the tournament's best goaltender, and Denver's Johnny Hicks, who recently excelled in the NCHC tournament.
- The Hobey Baker Award race is competitive, with top candidates including Minnesota Duluth's Max Plante, Dartmouth's Hayden Stavroff, Michigan's T.J. Hughes, and Quinnipiac's Ethan Wyttenbach.
- Analysts predict the Frozen Four teams to be North Dakota, Denver, Michigan State, and Minnesota Duluth, citing strong goaltending, favorable brackets, and recent tournament performances.
