North Dakota, Michigan Lead the Pack as Conference Tournaments Heat Up

Conference tournament season is in full swing, and the college hockey landscape is beginning to take shape ahead of the upcoming NCAA tournament. The final weeks of the regular season mixed up the deck, and last weekend's conference results shuffled it again. Some teams took care of business, others stumbled, and a few saw their seeding hopes took a serious hit.

At the top, Michigan and North Dakota look poised to claim No. 1 seeds regardless of what happens this weekend. Denver and Minnesota Duluth are set for a heavyweight clash in the NCHC championship with seeding implications on the line.

Meanwhile, Quinnipiac is reeling after a shocking ECAC quarterfinal loss at the hands of Clarkson, and Providence's overtime loss to Merrimack raised some eyebrows. Here is a look at where things stand heading into championship weekend.

1. North Dakota

North Dakota's Abram Wiebe celebrates. | North Dakota Athletic

North Dakota fell last weekend in the NCHC semifinals, losing 5-1 to Minnesota Duluth. The Fighting Hawks have lost five straight semifinals and are 2-9-0 since the league was formed in 2013. UND will likely be a top seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021.

2. Michigan

March 8, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward William Whitelaw (8) celebrates a goal in the second. — March 8, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward William Whitelaw (8) celebrates a goal in the second period with teammates at Yost Ice Arena. | Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images

Michigan advanced to the Big Ten championship after skating to a 5-2 victory over Penn State. The Wolverines will face off against Ohio State for the Big Ten crown on Saturday. Regardless of the outcome, the Wolverines should be a lock for a No. 1 seed in the tournament.

3. Michigan State

Jan 31, 2026; State College, PA, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Charlie Stramel (15) celebrates with teammates after a goal against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. | James Lang-Imagn Images

Michigan State was stunned in a 3-2 overtime loss to Ohio State, missing out on a Big Ten championship appearance. The Spartans have been among the nation's best all year; the only question that remains is whether or not they will drop to a No. 2 seed. Probably not.

4. Denver

Denver's goalie Johnny Hicks blocks the puck. | Denver Athletics

Denver continues its recent tear with a 2-1 overtime victory over Western Michigan to advance to the NCHC championship. The Pioneers will play Minnesota Duluth for the Frozen Faceoff crown, and with a win, they could earn an additional No. 1 seed for the NCHC.

5. Western Michigan

Apr 12, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Western Michigan Broncos pose for a photo with the national championship trophy after defeating the Boston University Terriers to win the Frozen Four college ice hockey national championship at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The defending NCHC champions lost 2-1 in overtime to Denver in the Frozen Faceoff semifinals. The Broncos currently sit at No. 4 in the NPI poll and could use some outside help to keep its hopes of being a top seed alive.

6. Providence

Providence players celebrate after scoring a goal. | Providence Athletics

Providence was upset in overtime, losing 3-2 to Merrimack in the Hockey East quarterfinals. The Friars certainly wanted to make a deep run in the conference tournament, but this loss doesn’t derail the whole season.

7. Minnesota Duluth

Minnesota Duluth players defend the net against North Dakota. | Minnesota Duluth athletics

Minnesota Duluth jumped on North Dakota, scoring two goals in the first period en route to a 5-1 victory and a berth in the NCHC championship. The Bulldogs will be looking for another signature victory in the Frozen Faceoff championship against Denver.

8. Cornell

Cornell players celebrate after advancing to the ECAC semifinals. | Cornell Athletics

Cornell was stunned in game one of the ECAC quarterfinals before it ripped off two wins to advance past Harvard. The Big Red will skate against Princeton on Friday, with a ticket to the ECAC championship on the line. The more wins and momentum that they build before the NCAA tournament, the better.

9. Quinnipiac

Quinnipiac Bobcats Victor Czerneckianair, goalie Vinny Duplessis, Cristophe Tellier and CJ McGee watch. — Quinnipiac Bobcats Victor Czerneckianair, goalie Vinny Duplessis, Cristophe Tellier and CJ McGee watch as a shot from Boston College forward Jack Malone heads into the net to win the NCAA Regional Hockey Final 5-4 in overtime for the Eagles. | Kris Craig/Providence Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Quinnipiac was shocked by Clarkson, losing game one 3-0 and game two 4-3. The Bobcats are in no danger of missing the NCAA tournament, but the last few weeks have not been their best. They have dropped out of the top 10 in the NPI poll behind both Cornell and Dartmouth.

10. Dartmouth

Dartmouth bench players celebrate. | Dartmouth Athletics

Dartmouth advanced to the ECAC quarterfinals, beating Colgate 4-1 in back-to-back nights. The Big Green have a favorable matchup against Clarkson in the semifinals. If it can advance to the conference championship, and win, there's no telling how deep this team could go.