LAS VEGAS – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) will be well represented in Las Vegas this weekend for the 2026 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four, with both Denver and North Dakota competing for a National Championship. While the NCHC makes up half of the Frozen Four field, the Big Ten completes the other half, with the two conferences squaring off in both of Thursday’s National Semifinals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
 
The first semifinal on Thursday features No. 1 seed and second-ranked North Dakota taking on No. 3 seed and No. 12/4 Wisconsin, with puck drop set for 4:00 p.m. CT/2:00 p.m. PT. The nightcap has No. 2 seed and No. 4/3 ranked Denver squaring off with overall No. 1 seed and top-ranked Michigan, with the game slated for 6:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. PT or one hour after completion of the first semifinal. Both National Semifinals will be televised on ESPN2, streamed on ESPN+ and can be seen in Canada on TSN+.
 
The semifinal winners will then advance to the National Championship Game on Saturday, April 11, which begins at 2:30 p.m. PT and will be televised on ESPN and available on TSN+ in Canada. The National is home to the last two NCAA Men’s Hockey National Champions in Western Michigan last year and Denver in 2024, while NCHC teams have claimed seven of the last nine national titles, as well, dating back to North Dakota’s title in 2016.
 
NCAA FROZEN FOUR SCHEDULE
Thursday, April 9

• Wisconsin vs. North Dakota, 4:00 p.m. CT/2:00 p.m. PT on ESPN2
• Denver vs. Michigan, 6:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2

Saturday, April 11

• National Championship Game, 2:30 p.m. PT on ESPN

The Fighting Hawks earned the program’s 23rd trip to the Frozen Four by winning the Midwest Region in Sioux Falls, S.D. two weekends ago, not allowing a single goal in wins over Merrimack and Quinnipiac. UND is also serving as the host for the 2026 Frozen Four in Las Vegas. The Pioneers, meanwhile, won the West Regional to book the program’s 21st Frozen Four berth. DU blanked Cornell and knocked off NCHC foe Western Michigan in the Loveland Regional, an hour north of Denver, to extend its win streak to 11 games and unbeaten streak to 15 (14-0-1).
 
This year marks the seventh time the NCHC has sent two teams to the Frozen Four in conference history (since 2014) and second straight season. Overall, the National has seen 18 teams qualify for the Frozen Four since 2014, the most of any conference (by six).
 
Should Denver and North Dakota meet in the National Championship game, it would mark the second all-NCHC NCAA title game. The first came in 2017, when Denver defeated Minnesota Duluth in Chicago.
 
NCHC FROZEN FOUR FACTS

• GETTING OUR FIX IN 2026: The four NCHC teams to make the 2026 NCAA Tournament have gone a combined 6-2 this year, including 5-1 against non-conference competition and 4-0 in the first round. In those six NCAA Tournament games against non-NCHC teams, NCHC teams have outscored the non-conference opposition, 22-6. Overall, NCHC teams are now 63-36 all-time in NCAA Tournament action (.636 win percentage) since the conference began play in 2014.
• FAMILIAR WITH THE FROZEN FOUR: The NCHC has now placed at least one team in the Men’s Frozen Four every year since the conference started play in 2014 except one (2023). The National has seen two teams make the Frozen Four seven times in 12 years, including each of the last two (2025 and 2026). All other conferences combined have sent two teams to the Frozen Four the same seven times in that span (Big Ten four times, Hockey East three times).
• SPREADING THE WEALTH: Overall, 18 NCHC teams have made the Frozen Four in conference history, six more than any other conference since 2014 (Big Ten, Hockey East with 12 each). Six different NCHC teams have combined for those 18 appearances, led by seven from Denver. North Dakota and Minnesota Duluth have four each since 2014, while Omaha, St. Cloud State and Western Michigan have one Frozen Four appearance as an NCHC member.
• BIG BATTLES VS. THE BIG TEN: NCHC teams are 16-9 all-time in the Frozen Four (since 2014), including 7-5 in National Semifinals against non-conference competition (there have been two NCHC intra-conference Frozen Four semifinals). NCHC teams are 11-11 vs. Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament since 2014, including 3-1 in the Frozen Four. In this year’s tournament, Minnesota Duluth is the lone NCHC team to face a Big Ten foe so far, going 1-1 with a win over Penn State and a 4-3 loss to Michigan in the Regional Final.
• THE NATTY RUNS THROUGH THE NATIONAL: NCHC teams have won seven of the last nine NCAA National Championships, including the last two and three of the last four (Denver in 2022 and 2024, WMU in 2025). The NCHC has seen nine teams make the NCAA Championship Game since 2016, including an all-NCHC National Championship in 2017 when Denver defeated UMD. Past NCHC National Champions:
  • 2016 - North Dakota
  • 2017 - Denver
  • 2018 and 2019 - Minnesota Duluth
  • 2022 - Denver
  • 2024 - Denver
  • 2025 - Western Michigan

NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS
Record: 29-9-1
NCAA Tournament Seed: No. 1 (No. 2 national seed)
2026 NCAA Tournament Results: W, 3-0 vs. Merrimack; W, 5-0 vs. Quinnipiac
2026 Frozen Four Opponent: No. 3 seed Wisconsin (23-12-2)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 36
Frozen Four Appearances: 23
NCAA National Championships: 8
 
Schedule/Results
Stats
Roster
 
NORTH DAKOTA NOTABLES

• North Dakota is making its 23rd Frozen Four appearance in program history, which ties for the fourth-most all-time in men’s college hockey history. UND last made the Frozen Four in 2016 in Tampa, Fla., when NoDak won the program’s eighth National Championship. North Dakota is 13-9 all-time in National Semifinals.
• UND has not allowed a goal in the NCAA Tournament so far, blanking Merrimack in the regional semifinals, 3-0, and Quinnipiac in the regional final, 5-0, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Freshman goaltender Jan Špunar, the NCHC Goalie of the Year, recorded back-to-back shutouts in the regional to earn Most Outstanding Player in the Midwest Region. He is the first goaltender in UND history to record multiple shutouts in the same NCAA Tournament.
• The Fighting Hawks are 3-0 all-time against Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament, including a win in the 1982 National Championship Game. UND also defeated the Badgers in 2008 and most recently in 2014 in the regional semifinals. Wisconsin leads the all-time series with UND, 87-73-13, however North Dakota is 8-1-1 in their last 10 meetings with UW, with the former WCHA rivals last facing off in 2023, a UND win in Grand Forks. North Dakota is 6-4-0 all-time against the Badgers at a neutral site.
• North Dakota won its seventh Penrose Cup as NCHC regular-season champions this season, including sixth outright title, by far the most of any NCHC team. UND’s 29 victories overall this season are its most since 2015-16, when NoDak won 34 games en route to the national title. UND's 27 regulation wins this season are the most in the country.

DENVER PIONEERS
Record: 27-11-3
NCAA Tournament Seed: No. 2
2026 NCAA Tournament Results: W, 5-0 vs. Cornell; W, 6-2 vs. Western Michigan
2026 Frozen Four Opponent: No. 1 seed Michigan (31-7-1)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 35
Frozen Four Appearances: 21
NCAA National Championships: 10 (most all-time)
 
Schedule/Results
Stats
Roster
 
DENVER NOTES AND NUGGETS

• Denver is making its 21st Frozen Four appearance in program history this weekend, sixth most all-time in men’s college hockey. DU has made each of the last three Frozen Fours, four of the last five and seven of the last 10 Frozen Fours.
• The Pioneers are 13-7 all-time in NCAA National Semifinals and have gone on to win 10 National Championships, the most in men’s college hockey history. DU has won three NCAA titles since 2017 (2017, 2022 and 2024).
• Denver enters the Frozen Four on an 11-game winning streak and 15-game unbeaten streak (14-0-1), both the longest active streaks in the country. The Pioneers’ current 11-game win streak is their longest since going 12-0-0 to start 2024-25. The 15-game unbeaten streak is tied for the fourth-longest in a single season in DU history and the longest since the 2016-17 season, when the Pioneers went on to win the National Championship.
• Denver faces Michigan in Thursday’s semifinals, which will mark the teams’ first meeting since the 2022 Frozen Four when DU defeated the Wolverines, 3-2, in overtime in Boston en route to a national title. The Pios lead the all-time series with Michigan, 47-36-1, but the teams have only played twice on neutral ice, splitting the two games (1999 NCAA Tournament, the other). In three NCAA Tournament meetings since 1999, Michigan is 2-1 (1999, 2002 and 2022 NCAA Tournaments).
• DU heads to the Frozen Four after winning the NCAA West Regional in its home state, outscoring the opposition in Loveland a combined, 11-2. Freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks was named Most Outstanding Player of the regional, after picking up NCHC Frozen Faceoff Most Outstanding Player honors a week earlier when he backstopped DU to the NCHC Tournament title. Hicks is unbeaten to start his college career, as he’s now 14-0-1 since taking over the DU net in late January. He leads the NCAA with both a 1.12 GAA and a .958 save percentage.
   

 AWARD WINNERS ON DISPLAY

• In addition to having two teams at the Frozen Four in Las Vegas, the NCHC also has two student-athletes among the Hobey Hat Trick Finalists for the 2026 Hobey Baker Award, one of which is playing in the Frozen Four. Denver junior defenseman Eric Pohlkamp and Minnesota Duluth sophomore forward Max Plante are both among the three finalists up for men’s college hockey’s top honor. The 2026 Hobey Baker Award will be presented live on Friday night at the Park MGM in Las Vegas.
  • Plante, the NCHC Player and Forward of the Year, leads the NCHC and ranks third nationally, finishing with 52 points in 40 games this season (1.30 ppg). His 25 goals also pace the NCHC and tie for second in the NCAA.
  • Pohlkamp leads all NCAA blueliners with 39 points in 41 games this year (0.95 ppg), while his 18 goals are six more than any other defenseman in the country. The 18 markers also break the NCHC single-season record for goals by a defenseman (record was 15).
  • The NCHC is home to two Hobey Baker Award winners previously in former Denver defenseman Will Butcher and former Minnesota Duluth defenseman Scott Perunovich. Butcher was the first NCHC player to win the Hobey in 2017, while Perunovich captured the honor in 2020.
• The Frozen Four will feature five of the six members of the 2025-26 NCHC All-Rookie Team, led by a quartet of Fighting Hawks. NCHC Rookie of the Year and forward Cole Reschny was joined by Špunar, forward Will Zellers and defenseman Keaton Verhoeff from UND on the All-Rookie squad. Denver defenseman Eric Jamieson also garnered NCHC All-Rookie Team honors.
• In addition, half of the All-NCHC First Team will take part in the 2026 Frozen Four with two Fighting Hawks and one Pioneer composing the back half. Representing UND are Špunar and junior defenseman Jake Livanavage, while Pohlkamp was the lone Pioneer on the First Team. Pohlkamp also garnered NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year honors this season.
• The NCHC’s two finalists for the 2026 Spencer Penrose Award both led their teams to the Frozen Four this year. UND first-year head coach Dane Jackson, who was the 2025-26 NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year, and Denver head coach David Carle were both up for the award. Though neither won it, Jackson was the lone NCAA head coach to win conference Coach of the Year and lead his team to the Frozen Four this season, while Carle was a finalist for the fifth time and third straight year.

To see the NCHC’s entire NCAA Tournament history, click HERE. For the full 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket, click HERE.