2025-2026 NCAA MEN’S ICE HOCKEY SEASON PREVIEW

The landscape at the top of the college hockey world won’t change much from last season to this season.

Western Michigan and Boston University, which met in last season’s NCAA championship, are once again loaded. So are traditional powers Michigan State, Boston College and Minnesota. Western Michigan will try to repeat as the national champion, but the Broncos will have plenty of strong competition on the road to The Frozen Four in Las Vegas in April.

Here’s a look at the top 20 fan favorites for the 2025-26 NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey season:

BEST OF THE BEST

1. Boston University, 2. Western Michigan, 3. Michigan State, 4. Boston College, 5. Minnesota, 6. Penn State

Boston University has a very realistic chance at its fourth straight trip to The Frozen Four. The Terriers are loaded everywhere, but defenseman Cole Hutson clearly is a notch or two above the rest. Hutson, who is an offensive threat and a shut-down defender, is one of the fan favorites to win the 2026 Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s top players. Opposing offenses are likely to struggle against Hutson, an otherwise balanced defense and goal tender Mikhail Yegorov. Offensively, the Terriers will be led by returning starters Cole Eiserman, Sascha Boumadienne and Charlie Trethaway as well as newcomers Conrad Fondrk, Jack Murtagh and Ryder Ritchie.

There’s no doubt Western Michigan will feel the loss of forward Alex Bump and team captain Tim Washe, who led the Broncos to last year’s title. But 2025 Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player Owen Michaels returns to anchor the offense and Hampton Slukynsky returns as one of the nation’s top goalies. The Broncos also pulled four players out of the transfer portal and that list is highlighted by winger William Whitelaw.

Michigan State has a nice blend of returning players and newcomers. Ordinarily, losing a scorer like Isaac Howard (last season’s Hobey Baker Award) to the NHL would seem devastating. But that hole will be plugged quite nicely by winger Porter Martone, who scored 31 goals in the ultra-competitive Ontario Hockey League last season. Martone will get plenty of offensive support from returner Charlie Stramel and newcomers Cayden Lindstrom, who racked up 46 points in only 32 games for Medicine Hat of the World Hockey League last season, and Ryker Lee who scored 31 goals in the United States Hockey League last year. The top returning player for the Spartans is Trey Augustine, one of the nation’s top goalies. Augustine posted a 1.97 goals against average last season.

Boston College lost a lot from last season with Gabe Perrault, Ryan Leonard and Jacob Fowler moving onto the professional ranks. But the Eagles are a traditional powerhouse and can’t be counted out. The Eagles return three players — senior Andre Gasseau and sophomores Teddy Stiga and James Hagan — that recorded 30 or more points last season.

The fan buzz around Penn State hockey is all about winger Gavin McKenna. That’s understandable because McKenna, who scored 129 points in 56 games as a 17-year-old with Medicine Hat last season, is widely considered as the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. McKenna’s arrival should only boost winger Aiden Fink, who already has established himself as a Penn State fan favorite. Fink has put up 87 points in 74 career college games.

Minnesota shared last season’s Big Ten Title with Michigan State, but the Gophers lost their top five scorers. A brutal conference schedule also presents a big obstacle. But the Gophers will rely on veteran defender Luke Mittelstadt and forwards Brody Lamb and Brodie Ziemer.

NEXT IN LINE

7. Denver, 8. Maine, 9. UMass, 10. Michigan, 11. UConn, 12. Providence

Denver coach David Carle has his work cut out for him after losing Zeev Buium, Matt Davis, Jared Write, Carter King and Jack Devine from last season’s squad. The Pioneers will be young, but talented with wings Brendan McMorrow and Kristian Epperson expected to lead the way.

Coach Ben Barr has done an outstanding job of turning around the program at Maine. Four years ago, the Black Bears went 7-22-4. Now, Maine is coming off consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament and will be shooting for a third. Maine landed one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, highlighted by Miguel Marques and Jaden Lipinski, who both starred in the World Hockey League last season.

UMass has to move on after the loss of top scorer Cole O’Hara, but the Minutemen will be counting heavily on veterans Owen Murray, Lucas Olestad, Francsco Dell’Elce and Michael Hrabal.

Only two active players enter the 2025-26 season with 100 or more NCAA career points and one of them is Michigan’s T.J. Hughes. His 47 career goals are the most among active NCAA players.

UConn came up one win short of the first Frozen Four appearance in school history last season and the Huskies return plenty of offensive firepower, highlighted by senior forward Ryan Tattle and junior forwards Jake Richard and Joe Muldowney. Veteran coach Mike Cavanaugh also expects significant production from freshmen forwards Joseph Odyniec and Alexandre Blais.

Fans view Providence as a team on the rise after the Friars clinched their first NCAA Tournament berth in six year last season. Providence returns top goal scorers Hudson Malinoski and Tanner Adams and goalie Philip Syedback is another key returner.

BEST OF THE REST

13. North Dakota, 14. Quinnipiac, 15. Ohio State, 16. Wisconsin, 17. Cornell, 18. Minnesota State, 19.. Minnesota Duluth, 20. Arizona State

Qunnipiac’s Jeremy Wilmer joins Michigan’s Hughes on the very short list of active players with 100 or more career points. Wilmer has recorded 109 points in his career. Qunnipiac also expects a lot of offensive production from freshman Ethan Wyttenbach.

Steve Rohlik, the 2025 Big Ten Coach of the Year, must replace top playmaker Gunnarwolfe Fontaine at Ohio State. But the Buckeyes return a solid nucleus highlight by goalie Krostoffer Eberly and forward Riley Thompson.

Wisconsin finished sixth in the Big Ten last season, but fans view the Badgers as a team on the rise. Wisconsin is led by forward Quinn Finely, last season’s leading scorer and freshman goalie Daniel Hauser.