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2026 Frozen Four Teams Set
March 8, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Will Horcoff (44) handles the puck during the first period against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Yost Ice Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images

2026 Frozen Four Teams Set

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI
By Jennifer Streeter  |  Last updated Mar 30, 2026 7:53 AM ET
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The 2026 Men's Frozen Four is now set, with No. 1 seed Michigan and Denver joining No. 2 seed North Dakota and Wisconsin in Las Vegas for the Frozen Four to play for the National Championship.

The Wolverines held off a comeback to take down Minnesota Duluth, 4-3, to win the Albany regional on March 29 in order to claim the final spot for T-Mobile Arena. The national semifinals are slated for April 9, with the championship game to follow on Saturday April 11. The semifinals will air ESPN2 and the title game will be broadcast on ESPN. Denver looks to record 11th national title in its 20th Frozen Four and fourth in five seasons. Michigan, which is in the national semifinals for an NCAA-record 29th time, is seeking its 10th national crown — however, the Wolverines have not won the title since 1998. 2026 marks North Dakota's first Frozen Four appearance since 2016, when it won the national championship. Wisconsin is in the Frozen Four for the first time since 2010, with the Badgers last time winning it all being in 2006.

The Michigan Wolverines boast many noteworthy alumni currently active in the NHL, including Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild and Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings. Both Hughes and Larkin recently won the gold medal in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics for the Americans in the men's first Olympic gold medal for USA Hockey since 1980.

The six winners of their conference tournaments previously earned automatic berths, with the next top 10 teams in the NPI rankings filling out the NCAA field.

NCAA Bracket Dwindles Down to Coveted Frozen Four

Below is the complete schedule for the remainder of the 2026 DI men's hockey championship:

All times are Eastern

Men's Frozen Four
Semifinals — Thursday, April 9

  • 5 p.m., No. 2 North Dakota vs. Wisconsin, ESPN2
  • 8:30 p.m., No. 1 Michigan vs. Denver, ESPN2

NCAA Final — 5:30 p.m., April 11 on ESPN

A shocking development of the tournament came in the first round; Penn State ended its season earlier than anticipated in a 3-1 loss to No. 2 seed Minnesota Duluth. On the Nittany Lions roster was expected future No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna — the left wing totaled two shots in the season-ending loss.

“I’ve definitely experienced some tough losses in my life. This one obviously sucks,” McKenna said with emotion according to The Daily Collegian. “You become so close with your team, then it comes to an end. These guys are my brothers ... These guys in this locker room, they’ve taught me a lot. I’ve gone through a lot this year. There’s been a lot of ups and downs, but I’m forever grateful."

In the quarterfinals, North Dakota defeated Quinnipiac 5-0. The Badgers took down No. 3 seed Michigan State — 4-3. On the other side of the bracket, Denver defeated No. 4 seed Western Michigan by four goals, with a final score of 6-2.

Wisconsin currently holds the back-to-back National Championship titles for women's hockey after recently defeating Ohio State for the third time in four years on March 22.

Following the conclusion of the Frozen Four, the 2026 NHL Draft is scheduled to take on June 26-27 in Buffalo, with the lottery rumored to be on May 5.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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