It's the final couple of weeks in the college hockey regular season and nearly every conference is still up for grabs. In four leagues, the difference between first and second place is the same numerically, one or two points.
Only in one conference has team pulled out to a lead exceeding more then five points, yet there are still three teams still within striking distance and the one in second place doesn't have the best position to issue a late challenge.
What's at stake? The season title, top seeding in the conference tournament (which usually means getting the most favorable schedule), and possible placement and seeding in the NCAA tournament.
Here's a look at how each conference is shaping up as the regular season winds down:
Team
NPI Rank
Conf.
Points
Overall
Bentley
26
14-3-4
47
16-8-5
RIT
34
13-8-2
42
17-12-2
Holy Cross
41
11-7-2
36
13-13-2
Among all the conferences, Bentley is the closest thing to being lock to finish first first in its respective league. It has just five games remaining, a series against Sacred Heart and another against Air Force sandwiched around a game at RIT. The Tigers are off this weekend and on the final weekend face Holy Cross twice, which doesn't give it any margin for error. Regrdless, the AHA will be represented by the conference tournament champion in the NCAA Tournament.
Team
NPI Rank
Conf.
Points
Overall
Michigan State
1
13-5
39
22-6
Michigan
2
14-4
38
23-5
Penn State
5
10-6
32
18-8
Wisconsin
14
10-6
27
17-9-2
One of the reasons why the Duel in the D win over Michigan was so important is Michigan State's remaining schedule. The six games remaining are against the league's bottom three teams. So even though their lead is just one point the Spartans have a clear track to the conference title. Among the three teams in the top five the last regular-season series between them will be this weekend with Penn State at Michigan, while Michigan State is off. The Nittany Lions have two extra games to play so things could potentially get very tight. Wisconsin is in the mix, but are also in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers are at Ohio State this weekend, and host Michigan next week. After having a weekend off they'll wrap up the season at Penn State. A .500 showing over those games won't be good enough, especially since the Big Ten Tournament has gone to a single-elimination format.
Team
NPI Rank
Conf.
Points
Overall
St. Thomas
13
15-5-2
47
18-9-3
Michigan Tech
18
15-5-2
45
20-10-2
Augustana
17
12-7-3
42
18-9-3
Bowling Green
22
12-5-3
40
15-7-6
Minnesota State
16
11-6-3
37
15-8-5
The drawback to having five contenders is that they're essentially knocking each other out of contention for the NCAA Tournament. All five could still make it yet the CCHA might only get the automatic bid. The teams in the rear have two extra games to play, so the standings are even tighter than they look. Minnesota State might need to sweep its final three series to have a chance, but it's doable against Bemidji State, at Bowling Green and last-place Northern Michigan. St. Thomas only has four games left including a huge series at home against Augustan on Feb. 20-21, and then a series at Bemidji State. Michigan Tech has been the hottest team, but only has four games remaining as well, a series at Lake Superior State and another at home agains the other hot team, Bowling Green. Both Augustana and Bowling Green have their final six games against other contenders. The Vikings are at Michigan Tech, at home against Bowling Green and at St. Thomas. Might the regular-season CCHA title be on the line?
Team
NPI Rank
Conf.
Points
Overall
Quinnipiac
9
13-2-1
38
22-5-3
Cornell
8
12-4
36
17-6
Dartmouth
7
11-4-1
36
17-6-1
Princeton
25
10-6
31
14-9-1
Harvard
23
10-6
30
13-10-1
With respect to the CCHA, this is the race that will be the most fun to watch because the NPI and the top of standings are in contrast to each other. Granted, only two points separate the top three teams, but check out how many of these five contenders are playing each other over the next three weeks (the ones bolded).
Quinnipiac: Princeton, at Princeton, Cornell, Colgate, at Dartmouth, at Harvard
Cornell: at RPI, at Union, at Quinnipiac, at Princeton, St. Lawrence, Clarkson
Dartmouth: at Yale, Brown, at RPI, at Union, Quinnipiac, Princeton
Princeton: at Quinnipiac, Quinnipiac, Colgate, Cornell, at Harvard, Dartmouth
Harvard: at Brown, at Yale, at Union, at RPI, Princeton, Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac and Princeton have the only home-and-home series and will face three of the other teams in the mix. Meawnhile, Dartmouth and Harvard are in great position to move up before havinga high-profile final wekeend.
Team
NPI Rank
Conf.
Points
Overall
Providence
6
13-3-1
39
18-7-2
Massachusetts
21
11-8
32
17-11
Connecticut
15
10-5-1
31
16-7-3
Boston College
12
10-6
31
16-9-1
Not only does Providence have a signifcant leade, but ther most favorable schedule with six of its final seven games against teams below .500 (Northeastern, Vermont and UNH). UMass did a terrific job of not only climbing out of last place, where it dwelled a couple of months ago, to second, but it's played three more league games than most of the other contenders. It still has three games remaining against UConn and Boston College, and three games against last-place UNH. Could BC make a run off its Beanpot title? It has an extra game to play on Providence. The team to watch, though, is Connecticut. The Huskies are at Maine this weekend, have a home-and-home with Boston College, a home-and-home with UMass, before finishing up against UNH and at Providence. That's a dangerous schedule for a team on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament.
Team
NPI Rank
Conf.
Points
Overall
North Dakota
3
13-5
42
21-7
Denver
11
13-6-1
40
17-11-3
Western Michigan
4
12-6
35
20-8
Minnesota Duluth
10
9-11
28
18-12
We're not including No. 19 St. Cloud State or No. 20 Miami in this because the Huskies can't win the conference regular-season title, and the Redhawks are two points behind them in the standings (but with two extra games to play). UND hosts Miami and St. Cloud State before wrapping up the regular season at Western Michigan. However, it could have the conference title locked up by then, Denver is at Omaha, off the following weekend, and then finishes up at home against Arizona State. With the extra games in hand over Denver, anything above .500 and North Dakota can do no worse than tie for first.
I asked Miami’s Kyle Aucoin about going into North Dakota with a crowd fully against the RedHawks this weekend after a large, supportive one at Goggin against WMU.
He said the team has been preparing by blasting fan noises over the rink speakers during practice. #RiseUpRedHawks pic.twitter.com/4VieXMM837
Things are a lot more clearcut as we're down to the final weekend in the AHA and ECAC, and last two weeks in the other leagues. The key factor for the postseason is that numerous players will return after playing in the Olympics.
AHA: With two regular-season games to play, Penn State has a 19-point lead.
ECAC: Five teams are within six points including Princeton (44), Yale (42), Quinnipiac (40), and Clarkson and Brown (38). The key games this weekend are Princeton hosting Yale and Brown, and Yale at Quinnipiac.
Hockey East: Northeastern has a huge lead with 56 points, and UConn second at 43.
NEWHA: Whomever did the league schedule nailed it. Saint Anselm leads with 49 points, one more than Franklin Piece, and four ahead of Assumption. Saint Anselm has home-and-homes with Assumption this week, and Franklin Pierce next week.
WCHA: Wisconsin, Ohio State and Minnesota are 1-2-3 both in the league and nation, and the Buckeyes and Gophers play this weekend. The Badgers are out front with 60 points, ahead of OSU (68) and UM (55). They'll play at Minnesota State and host St. Cloud State.
No. 1 seed secured. pic.twitter.com/2sBFTlY6QZ
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No Games Scheduled
Games between ranked opponents are bolded. All times are local to where the game is being played.
Friday's games
AHA
Robert Morris at Niagara, 6 p.m. ET
Holy Cross at Canisius, 7 p.m. ET
Sacred Heart at Bentley, 7 p.m. ET
Mercyhurst at Air Force, ALT 7 p.m. MT
Big Ten
No. 6 Penn State at No. 2 Michigan, 6:30 p.m. ET
No. 13 Wisconsin at Ohio State, 6:30 p.m. ET
Minnesota at Notre Dame, 7 p.m. ET
CCHA
Northern Michigan at Ferris State, 7 p.m. ET
No. 17 Michigan Tech at Lake Superior, 7 p.m. ET
Bemidji State at No. 16 Minnesota State, 7 p.m. CT
Bowling Green at No. 18 Augustana, 7 p.m. CT
ECAC
Harvard at Brown, 7 p.m. ET
No. 9 Cornell at RPI, 7 p.m. ET
Colgate at Union, 7 p.m. ET
No. 12 Dartmouth at Yale, 7 p.m. ET
Hockey East
No. 11 Connecticut at Maine, 7 p.m. ET
No. 14 Boston College at Merrimack, 7 p.m. ET
Boston University at New Hampshire, 7 p.m. ET
Northeastern at No. 7 Providence, NESN 7 p.m. ET
UMass Lowell at Vermont, 7 p.m. ET
NCHC
Colorado College at St. Cloud State, 1 p.m. CT
Arizona State at No. 4Western Michigan, 7 p.m. ET
No. 20 Miami at No. 3 North Dakota, 7 p.m. CT
No. 8 Denver at Omaha, 8 p.m. CT
Non-Conference
Stonehill at Long Island, 2 p.m. ET
Alaska-Anchorage at Lindenwood, 7 p.m. CT
AHA
Syracuse at No. 13 Mercyhurst, 6 p.m. ET
RIT at No. 4 Penn State, 6 p.m. ET
Lindenwood at Robert Morris, 7 p.m. ET
ECAC
Harvard at Rensselaer, 3 p.m. ET
Dartmouth at Union, 3 p.m. ET
No. 15 Colgate at No. 12 Clarkson, 6 p.m. ET
No. 9 Yale at No. 8 Princeton, 6 p.m. ET
Brown at No. 7 Quinnipiac, 6 p.m. ET
No. 11 Cornell at St. Lawrence, 6 p.m. ET
Hockey East
Vermont at Maine, 2 p.m. ET
No. 14 Holy Cross at Merrimack, 2 p.m. ET
No. 6 Connecticut at New Hampshire, 2 p.m. ET
No. 5 Northeastern at Boston University, 6 p.m. ET
Providence at Boston College, 6 p.m. ET
NEWHA
Long Island at Sacred Heart, 5 p.m. ET
Saint Anselm at Assumption, 6 p.m. ET
Franklin Pierce at Saint Michael's, 7:20 p.m. ET
Stonehill at Post, 7:45 p.m. ET
WCHA
Bemidji State at St. Cloud State, 2 p.m. CT
No. 1 Wisconsin at Minnesota State, 3 p.m. CT
St. Thomas at No. 10 Minnesota Duluth, 6 p.m. CT
No. 3 Minnesota at No. 2 Ohio State, 6 p.m. ET
• After having a pair of goals overturned in the first period, Team USA scored three goals in the second period and outshot Latvia 17-2 en route to a 5-1 victory in its Olympic tournament opener. Former North Dakota center Brock Nelson scored twice while Brady Tkachuk, Tage Thompson and Auston Matthews also had a goal, and Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Matthew Tkachuk and Jack Eichel also each had two assists. Yes, Matthew Tkachuk got an assist on his brother's goal, which he called "Really, really really special." For more see Three Takeaways From Team USA’s 5–1 Victory
Just an absolute passing clinic and Brock Nelson finishes it for goal No. 2 of the night 😮💨 #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/6HOXI7auAc
• Former Boston University standout Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring for Team Canada during its 5-0 victory over Czechia. Mark Stone, Bo Horvat, Nathan MacKinnon and Nick Suzuki also scored, while Jordan Binnington made 26 saves to get the shutout. Incidentally, Celebrini scored in his NCAA and NHL debuts as well.
• Former Wisconsin player Emily Clark scored two goals as Canada closed the women’s preliminary stage with a 5-0 win over Finland. Jennifer Gardiner, Daryl Watts and Kristin O’Neill also scored in the rescheduled game that was supposed to be the Olympics opener for both teams. By finishing second in Group A, Canada, which was again with out former Boston University standout Marie-Philip Poulin, will play Germany in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Finland will face Switzerland in the playoff round.
MEN
Group A
Switzerland 4, France 0
Canada 5, Czechia 0
Group C
U.S. 5, Latvia 1
Germany 3, Denmark 1
WOMEN
Group A (rescheduled)
Canada 5, Finland 0
Friday's Games
MEN
Group B
Finland vs Sweden, 6:10 a.m. ET
Italy vs. Slovakia, 6;10 a.m.
Group A
France vs. Czechia, 10:40 a.m.
Canada vs. Switzerland, 3:10 p.m.
WOMEN
Quarterfinals
Czechia vs. Sweden, 10:40 a.m. ET
United States vs. Italy, 3:10 p.m. ET
Note: Canada vs. Germany and Finland vs. Switzerland will be played Saturday.
Spotted on the NBC broadcast’s view of USA coach Mike Sullivan’s speech: an Olympic Johnny Gaudreau jersey hanging up. #MilanoCortinaOlympic2026 | #CBJ
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What do you do the day after winning the Beanpot? Celebrate Valentine's Day at the @BCLynchSchool's Campus School, of course. ❤️
It was wonderful to have @BC_MHockey spend time with Campus School students on Tuesday. 🦅 pic.twitter.com/YAIzLRXUnv
Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of Alabama Crimson Tide On SI, which first published as BamaCentral in 2018, and is also the publisher of the Boston College, Missouri and Vanderbilt sites . He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004 and is the author of 27 books including “100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die” and “Nick Saban vs. College Football.” He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.
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