NPI Rankings (replaces Pairwise Rankings)
USCHO.COM MEN'S DIVISION I PRESEASON POLL - September 21, 2026
| Rank |
Team |
Prev. Record |
Points (First-Place Votes) |
Last Year |
| 1 |
Denver |
29-11-3 |
973 (35) |
1 |
| 2 |
Michigan |
31-8-1 |
915 (6) |
3 |
| 3 |
Michigan State |
26-9-2 |
886 (7) |
5 |
| 4 |
North Dakota |
29-10-1 |
859 (2) |
4 |
| 5 |
Minnesota Duluth |
24-15-1 |
737 |
7 |
| 6 |
Wisconsin |
24-13-2 |
709 |
2 |
| 7 |
Quinnipiac |
27-10-3 |
692 |
8 |
| 8 |
Western Michigan |
27-11-1 |
653 |
6 |
| 9 |
Providence |
23-11-2 |
629 |
9 |
| 10 |
Massachusetts |
22-13-1 |
453 |
16 |
| 11 |
Dartmouth |
23-8-4 |
436 |
10 |
| 12 |
Boston College |
20-15-1 |
378 |
19 |
| 13 |
Cornell |
22-11-1 |
319 |
12 |
| 14 |
Minnesota |
11-22-3 |
285 |
NR |
| 15 |
Connecticut |
20-13-5 |
272 |
13 |
| 16 |
Boston University |
17-17-2 |
254 |
NR |
| 17 |
Penn State |
21-14-2 |
243 |
11 |
| 18 |
Minnesota State |
22-11-7 |
176 |
14 |
| 19 |
Michigan Tech |
23-13-3 |
145 |
NR |
| 20 |
Merrimack |
21-16-2 |
82 |
15 |
Others receiving votes: Augustana 70, Ohio State 59,
St. Thomas 50,
Miami 49, Bowling Green 39,
Colorado College 39, Bentley 24, Sacred Heart 17, Clarkson 12, Northeastern 11, Maine 9, Princeton 7, Harvard 6,
Arizona State 5, Notre Dame 5, Brown 1, New Hampshire 1.
The USCHO.com Poll consists of 50 voters, including Division I coaches, media members and sports professionals from across the country. The poll is a production of USCHO.com, which provides in-depth coverage of college hockey.
USA HOCKEY MEN'S DIVISION I PRESEASON POLL - September 28, 2026
| Rank |
Team, Points (First-Place Votes) |
Prev. Record |
Last Poll |
Weeks in Top 20 |
| 1 |
University of Denver, 668 (29) |
29-11-3 |
1 |
1 |
| 2 |
University of Michigan, 620 (1) |
31-8-1 |
3 |
1 |
| 3 |
Michigan State University, 614 (3) |
26-9-2 |
5 |
1 |
| 4 |
University of North Dakota, 589 (1) |
29-10-1 |
4 |
1 |
| 5 |
University of Minnesota Duluth, 514 |
24-15-1 |
7 |
1 |
| 6 |
University of Wisconsin, 494 |
24-13-2 |
2 |
1 |
| 7 |
Providence College, 461 |
23-11-2 |
9 |
1 |
| 8 |
Quinnipiac University, 455 |
27-10-3 |
8 |
1 |
| 9 |
Western Michigan University, 433 |
27-11-1 |
6 |
1 |
| 10 |
University of Massachusetts, 308 |
22-13-1 |
16 |
1 |
| 11 |
Dartmouth College, 299 |
23-8-4 |
10 |
1 |
| 12 |
Boston College, 287 |
20-15-1 |
18 |
1 |
| 13 |
Cornell University, 240 |
22-11-1 |
12 |
1 |
| 14 |
University of Connecticut, 207 |
20-13-5 |
13 |
1 |
| 15 |
Boston University, 185 |
17-17-2 |
NR |
1 |
| 16 |
Penn State University, 174 |
21-14-2 |
11 |
1 |
| 17 |
Minnesota State University, 157 |
22-11-7 |
14 |
1 |
| 18 |
University of Minnesota, 103 |
11-22-3 |
NR |
1 |
| 19 |
Merrimack College, 59 |
21-16-2 |
15 |
1 |
| 20 |
Michigan Tech University, 50 |
23-13-3 |
RV |
1 |
Others Receiving Votes: Augustana University, 46; Ohio State University, 33; University of St. Thomas, 28; Bowling Green State University, 26; Miami University, 22; University of Maine, 19; Bentley University, 14; Northeastern University, 10; Clarkson University, 7; Princeton University, 7; Sacred Heart University, 7; Colorado College, 1; Harvard University, 1; University of New Hampshire, 1; Union College, 1.
The USA Hockey Men's College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the six NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey.