Frozen Four Hockey Hub Including How To Watch, Team Leaders, Coaches: Puck Drop

The teams have made their way to the desert. They've practiced, done their obligatory press conferences and settled in at maybe the most unique Frozen Four ever held.

Can anyone recall an Elvis impersonator and showgirls being on hand for the practices before? They were on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where the 2026 national champions will be crowned on Saturday night.

But first, the semifinals, which feature some matchups between the four teams that have won the most national titles, and their coaches. They haven't received much attention yet, but three of them have been to the Frozen Four before, three of them are coaching their alma maters, and one of them is having a remarkable first season as a collegiate head coach.

That's North Dakota's Dane Jackson, a gritty forward for the then-Fighting Sioux (1988-89 to 1991-92), who had been a longstanding assistant coach dating back to 2006-07, when UND reached the Frozen Four during his first season back with the program. He was recently named the NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year.

Meanwhile, this is the third time Brandon Naurato has led Michigan to the Frozen Four, the others being in 2023 and 2024, but he has yet to reach the championship game. What's different is this team the Wolverines are the top-overall seed.

This is also the third Frozen Four for Mike Hastings, but the first two were at Minnesota State. The Mavericks lost to St. Cloud State — ironically his alma mater — 5-4 In 2021, but the following year they topped Minnesota 5-1 in the semifinals. The team it ran into in the finals will sound familiar, Denver, which won 5-1. It was David Carle's first national title, the second coming just two years later.

This is his fifth Frozen Four in just his eighth season at the helm, and that includes 2019-20 when the NCAA Tournament was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.

While he did go to Denver, Carle never played a game for the Pioneers despite at one point being projected as a second-round NHL draft project. It was preparing for the 2008 draft that an issue came up and he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the primary disease of the myocardium muscle of the heart. The prospect originally out of Anchorage, Alaska, had to retire as a player. Regardless, the school still honored its scholarship and Carle served four seasons as a student assistant coach with the Pioneers from 2008-12.

Upon graduating, he was hired as an assistant coach by Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League, but returned to Denver less than two years later to be an assistant coach under Jim Montgomery. At age 36, he'll be credited as having college hockey's first dynasty since Boston College in 2008-12, and second since Herb Brooks at Minnesota (1974-79).

"Certainly that's been the hallmark of our conference. We've won seven of the last nine national championships."

Hear from @DU_Hockey head coach @DCarleDU on the success of #theNational, competing against bigger programs, and the opportunity ahead at the #MFrozenFour!

🎥 Full… pic.twitter.com/gfk0CdmI2b
— The NCHC (@TheNCHC) April 9, 2026

Denver Pioneers

Record: 27-1-3 (17-6-1 NCHC)
Coach: David Carle (206–75–20)
Tournament results: Def. Cornell 5-0; No. 4 Western Michigan 6-2

Team Leaders
Points: Eric Pohlkamp 39 (18 goals, 21 assists)
Goals: Eric Pohlkamp 18
Assists: Clarke Caswell 25
Power-play goals: Eric Pohlkamp 6
Shorthanded goals: Three players tied with 1
Game-winning goals: Sam Salminen 4
Plus-minus rating: Boston Buckberger +32
Faceoff percentage: Sam Salminen 54.2 perccenrt
Blocks: Eric Pohlkamp 77
Penalty minutes: Sam Harris 17-52
Goals against average: Johnny Hicks 1.12
Save percentage: Johnny Hicks .958
Shutouts: Johnny Hicks 3

Team statistics
Last 10 games: 10-0
Goals: 148
Goals allowed: 86
Power-play percentage: 19.5 percent (25-158)
Penalty-kill percentage: 82.4 percent (89-108)
Shorthanded goals: 3
Faceoff percentage: 50/9
Blocks: 461

Denver's Record When:
Scoring first goal: 19-3
Allowing first goal: 8-8-3
Leading after first period: 15-2-0
Trailing after first period :4-4-2
Tied after first period: 8-5-1
Leading after second period: 19-1-0
Trailing after second period: 1-7-1
Tied after second period: 7-3-2
Outshooting opponent: 16-7-1
Outshot by opponent: 11-3-2
One-goal games: 7-6

Games against other Frozen Four teams:
Jan. 16: North Dakota 5, Denver 0
Jan 17: Denver 3, North Dakota 2

Locked in 🔒#MFrozenFour x @DU_Hockey pic.twitter.com/B7TJp8XHlI
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) April 8, 2026

No. 1 Michigan Wolverines

Record: 31-17-1 (17-6-1 Big Ten)
Coach: Brandon Naurato (98–49–10)
Tournament results: Def.

Team Leaders
Points: TJ Hughes 56 (21 goals, 35 assists)
Goals: Will Horcoff 25
Assists: Michael Hage 38
Power-play goals: Will Horcoff 11
Shorthanded goals: Garrett Schifsky, Josh Eernisse 3
Game-winning goals: Wil Horcoff 7
Plus-minus rating: Luca Fantilli +31
Faceoff percentage: TJ Hughes 57.8 percent
Blocks: Ben Robertson 51
Penalty minutes: Will Horcoff 23-62
Goals against average: Jack Ivankovic 2.13
Save percentage: Jack Ivankovic .923
Shutouts: Jack Ivankovic 3

Team statistics
Last 10 games: 8-2
Goals: 178
Goals allowed: 92
Power-play percentage: 31.6 percent (43-136)
Penalty-kill percentage: 79.8 percent
Shorthanded goals: 11
Faceoff percentage: 53,3
Blocks: 514

Michigan's Record When:
Scoring first goal: 24-3-0
Allowing first goal : 7-4-1
Leading after first period:: 21-3
Trailing after first period: 1-2
Tied after first period: 9-2-1
Leading after second period: 23-0
Trailing after second period: 2-5-0
Tied after second period: 6-2-1
Outshooting opponent: 20-3-0
Outshot by opponent: 10-3-1
One-goal games: 6-0

Games against other Frozen Four teams:
Nov. 7: Wisconsin, W 7-4
Nov. 8: Wisconsin, L 6-1
Feb. 20: at Wisconsin, L 4-1
Feb, 21: at Wisconsin, W 3-1

Practice goal cellies still go hard pic.twitter.com/lowAFyvULP
— Ryan Zuke (@ryanzuke) April 8, 2026

No. 2 North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Record: 29-9-1 (17-6-1 NCHC)
Coach: Dane Jackson (29-9-1)
Tournament results: Def. Merrimack 3-0, Quinnipiac 5-0

Team Leaders
Points: Ellis Rickwood 36 (8 goals, 28 assists)
Goals: Dylan James 21
Assists: Cole Reschny 29
Power-play goals: Will Zellers 7
Shorthanded goals: Eillis Rickwood, Dylan James 2
Game-winning goals: Will Zellers 6
Plus-minus rating: Cody Croal +21
Faceoff percentage: Ellis Rickwood 60,3 percent
Penalty minutes: EJ Emery 16-32
Goals against average: Jan Špunar 1.90
Save percentage: Jan Špunar .917
Shutouts: Jan Špunar 6

Team statistics
Last 10 games: 7-2-1
Goals: 150
Goals allowed: 88
Power-play percentage: 26.7
Penalty-kill percentage: 83.3
Shorthanded goals: 6
Faceoff percentage: 54.0
Blocks: 442

North Dakota's Record When:
Scoring first goal: 20-3-1
Allowing first goal: 9-6
Leading after first period: 15-1-0
Trailing after first period: 3-3-0
Tied after first period: 11-5-1
Leading after second period: 22-0-0
Trailing after second period: 2-6-1
Tied after sdecond period: 5-3-0
Outshooting opponent: 20-6-0
Outshot by opponent: 8-3-1
One-goal games: 5-5

Games against other Frozen Four teams:
Jan. 16 Denver, W 5-0
Jan. 17 Denver, L 3-2

Almost that time ⏳#MFrozenFour x @UNDmhockey pic.twitter.com/FmTehtiRC4
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) April 8, 2026

Wisconsin Badgers

Record: 23-12-2 (14-10 Big Ten)
Coach: Mike Hastings (361–154–32)
Tournament results: Def. Dartmouth 5-1, No. 3 Michigan State 4-3 OT

Team Leaders
Points: Gavin Morrissey 36 (9 goals, 27 assists)
Goals: Quinn Finley 17
Assists: Gavin Morrissey 27
Power-play goals: Christian Fitzgerald 9
Shorthanded goals: Four players with one.
Game-winning goals: Ben Dexheimer 4
Plus-minus rating: Joe Palodichuk +17
Faceoff percentage: Gavin Morrissey 57.7
Blocks: Joe Palodichuk 68
Penalty minutes: Grady Deerling 13-56 (two others have as many penalties, 13, but fewer minutes; Blake Montgomery has more minutes, 12-65)
Goals against average: Daniel Houser 2.56
Save percentage: Daniel Houser .899
Shutouts: Daniel Houser 3

Team statistics
Last 10 games: 7-3
Goals: 139
Goals allowed: 112
Power-play percentage: 26.9
Penalty-kill percentage: 70.9
Shorthanded goals: 4
Faceoff percentage: 53.9
Blocks: 407

Wisconsin's Record When:
Scoring first goal: 17-6-0
Allowing first goal: 6-6-2
Leading after 1st period: 12-4-0
Trailing after 1st period: 4-6-1
Tied after 1st period: 7-2-1
Leading after 2nd period: 17-2-0
Trailing after 2nd period: 1-10-1
Tied after 2nd period: 5-0-1
Outshooting opponent: 17-10-2
Outshot by opponent: 4-2-0
One-goal games: 8-2

Games against other Frozen Four teams:
Nov, 7: at Michigan, L 7-4
Nov, 8: at Michigan, W 6-1
Feb. 20: Michigan, W 4-1
Feb 21:Michigan, L 3-1

Wisconsin is second to take ice on Weds practice day in Las Vegas at Frozen Four pic.twitter.com/GOVi2Dq5P6
— USCHO.com (@USCHO) April 8, 2026

How to Watch: Frozen Four

At Las Vegas
T-Mobile Arena
All times Eastern
Thursday, April 9
No. 2 North Dakota vs. Wisconsin, 5 p.m., ESPN2
No. 1 Michigan vs. Denver, 8:30 p.m., ESPN2

Championship
Saturday, April 11
Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2

Team capsules compiled using information from the NCAA, team sites, College Hockey News, USCHO, College Hockey Inc., plus a few things we figured out on our own.

Puck Drop: Thursday, April 9, 2026

• The DI Cabinet is set to review a proposal that would give student-athletes “five full years of eligibility from the time of their 19th birthday or their high school graduation, whichever is earliest. No waiver requests, redshirts or exceptions will be permitted, except for a small group of outliers (those on maternity leave, military service or religious missions).” Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported that If approved the proposal could be implemented as early as this fall.

• Nominations for the NHL's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, include Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, (Boston University), Flames goaltender Devin Cooley (Denver), Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight (Boston College), Red Wings forward Dominik Shine (Northern Michigan), Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson (Boston College), Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri (Notre Dame), Coyotes forward Clayton Keller (Boston University), and Jets forward Jonathan Toews (North Dakota).

• Michigan State head coach, and for former NTDP head coach, Adam Nightingale has being named head coach of the 2027 U.S. National Junior Team. The team will play in the 2027 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, Dec. 26, 2026 – Jan. 5, 2027, in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.

• Michigan senior Josh Eernisse won the Elite Scholar-Athlete Award for the 2026 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Championship. Formerly known as the Elite 90 award, it's presented annually to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships. He has a 3.97 GPA.

• Alaska goalie Lassi Lehti is entering the transfer portal as a grad transfer. For undergraduates, the men’s college hockey transfer portoal opens Monday, April 13, for a 15-day window until April 27.

• The women' s transfer portal has officially closed, meaning no more names may be added. Those finding new destinations include freshman forward Ella Pukala from Minnesota Duluth to Boston University, sophomore defender Sydney Bryant went from St. Cloud State to St. Thomas, but sophomore defender Tristin Thompson is going from Northeastern to St. Cloud State, and both sophomore forward Greta Brezinski (Clarkson) and defender Lucy Thiessen ( Boston University ) are heading to Robert Morris.

• 2025 seventh overall pick James Hagens (Boston College) signed his entry-level deal and joined the Boston Bruins. He'll wear No. 44.

Love this….. pic.twitter.com/gvWOFShwd6
— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) April 9, 2026

Hockey Quote of the Day

[On loss of his best friend and the Wayne Gretzky trade] “I lost part of my heart. That’s what the bottom line was.”
Glenn Anderon (Denver)

We'll Leave You With This ...

“Welcome to the Frozen Four, everybody!” - Elvis 👋

Media Day today, semifinals tomorrow 🔜🏒🧊#MFrozenFour pic.twitter.com/iyfMlJQh3I
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) April 9, 2026