With the calendar turned to a new year, the college hockey season is hitting high gear, with conference play heating up and the NCAA tournament about two months away.
There are some different squads than we’ve seen the last few years near the top of the national rankings and their respective leagues, with traditional powers and old stand-bys also in the mix.
Conference tournaments will begin on or around March 8, with league champs being crowned by March 23. The 16-team NCAA field will be announced March 24, with regional play beginning March 28. The Frozen Four will be held April 11 and 13 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.
To get you caught up on what’s happened in the first half of the season and what’s ahead, we asked ESPN college hockey analysts Colby Cohen, Andrew Raycroft and Sean Ritchlin about their favorite players to watch, the biggest surprises of the season, the most intriguing league races and their Frozen Four picks.
ESPN+ is home to dozens of men’s and women’s college hockey games, including every Hockey East and ECAC game, plus every game of the NCAA tournament. Sign up for ESPN+
What team has been the biggest surprise so far this season?
Ritchlin: Mike Hastings had an incredible decade of dominance at Minnesota State,…
