NCAA Men’s Hockey Power Rankings: Defending champion Denver leads preseason Top 10
As the leaves start to change color, the puck is set to drop on a new season of NCAA Men’s Hockey in the U.S.
With the new rules regarding major junior players’ participation, the collegiate game is better than it has ever been. Deeper rosters, thrilling stars and future NHLers are balancing both their athletic and academic careers, all to the enjoyment of us university hockey fanatics.
Heading into the 2026-27 campaign, there are several teams expected to do well. Whether it be thanks to returning players or new faces on campus, many of the NCAA’s blue bloods are set to have another strong season, with a few surprises brewing as well.
Here are my top 10 teams heading into the new season:
1. Denver Pioneers
It’s easy to start off with the defending national champions, but can you blame me?
Sure, Hobey Baker finalist Eric Pohlkamp is gone…as are Rieger Lorenz, Boston Buckberger, and Samu Salminen. However, what David Carle’s team lost, they seemed to have gained even more. Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick Jack Pridham comes to the Mile High City after helping the Kitchener Rangers win the Memorial Cup, while San Jose Sharks prospects Ryan Lin and Max Heise are set to add even more firepower in their rookie seasons.
Not to mention, the Pioneers have a number of players who are ready to run it back. Montreal Canadiens prospect Sam Harris is looking to have a strong senior season, with James Reeder (Los Angeles Kings) and Eric Jamieson (Calgary Flames) leading a solid veteran core. Goaltender Johnny Hicks surprised everyone with his incredible run in the second semester and is hoping to pick up right where he left off.
2. Michigan Wolverines
The team that DU had to beat to get to the national championship game last year was the Wolverines, as the Maize and Blue fell in double overtime in the Frozen Four semifinals. It seemed that Michigan only got better from 2025-26, thanks to a number of key returners to Brandon Naurato’s lineup, as well as Landon Dupont.
Yeah, the Wolverines only have the top prospect for the 2027 NHL Draft in their arsenal. A player with a skill set that would fit right into the program now gives Michigan one of the best blue lines in the country, let alone the Big Ten. Along with DuPoint, the Wolverines have J.P. Hurlbert, whom the Detroit Red Wings took in the first round last June, joining a forward group that features Will Horcoff (Pittsburgh Penguins), Jayden Perron (Carolina Hurricanes), Nick Moldenhauer (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Michael Hage, who decided to return for his sophomore season, rather than join the Canadiens during last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
On top of that, they have Nashville Predators prospect Jack Ivankovic between the pipes. While the former Brampton Steelhead had some growing pains in his rookie season with U-M, expect to see him develop into a complete goaltender this year.
3. North Dakota Fighting Hawks
The Fighting Hawks seemed to have a clear path to the national title game last year, before being shockingly defeated by Wisconsin in the semifinals. Yet, Dane Jackson has so much talent, both old and new, that it’s hard not to see North Dakota back in the Frozen Four once again this spring.
They might’ve lost their top two scorers in Ellis Rickwood and Ben Strinden, as well as Dylan James, but North Dakota has so much in their arsenal that can challenge Denver for the top spot in the NCHC. Cole Reschny was exciting to watch in his rookie campaign, with the Flames draft pick projected to do even more. Same goes for Will Zellers (Boston Bruins) and Mac Swanson (Penguins), who have more than enough talent to carry the offensive attack.
On the back end, NoDak has two exciting young players. Keaton Verheoff realized that the college game was tougher than the WHL, but the Sharks prospect is hopeful for a more fruitful sophomore campaign. He’ll be joined by Carson Carels, who was taken by the Flames three spots before him in the 2026 draft, giving the Fighting Hawks a strong D-corps to watch this year.
Goaltender Jan Spunar was big for North Dakota down the stretch last year, and he’ll have a little more support, as Lightning prospect Caleb Heil is set to make his NCAA debut this fall.
4. Michigan State Spartans
With the number of players the Spartans lost after the 2025-26 season, you would’ve thought they might take a greater step back. Trey Augustine and Porter Martone both turned pro, with veteran leaders in Charlie Stramel and Daniel Russel graduating as well. Yet, as Adam Nightingale has done in his first four seasons at the helm, he has managed to fill holes in his roster admirably, maintaining MSU’s status as one of the best in college hockey.
The biggest name coming to East Lansing is Chase Reid. The young defenseman was taken by the Seattle Kraken with the seventh overall pick this year, and gives even more talent to Michigan State’s back end. He isn’t the only rookie on the blue line, as Tommy Bieyl (Predators) is coming off an 81-point season with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. Then there’s Joshua Ravensbergen, many analysts’ top goaltender heading into the 2026 draft. When it became known that the eventual Sharks draft pick was coming to MSU, Spartan fans were okay with Augustine electing to sign with the Red Wings.
Ryker Lee (Predators) and Anthony Romani (Vancouver Canucks) both made excellent first impressions last season, with Lee narrowly averaging a point per game as a freshman. Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Shane Vansaghi has shown glimpses of being a future NHLer, but has some proving to do heading into his third year. Also, Cayden Lindstrom (Columbus Blue Jackets) needs to show a little more consistency and some discipline if he wants to be a true threat for the Spartans.
5. Quinnipiac Bobcats
Every year, the basic fans tend to overlook the Bobcats because they don’t have the “NHL star power” that some of the other schools have. However, in my years of covering college hockey, you never count out a Rand Pecknold team, especially with the amount of players that are back in Hamden this year.
16 players are back on the Bobcats roster this year, an unheard-of number in today’s world of collegiate athletics. Leading the pack is the guy who led college hockey in scoring last year, Flames prospect Ethan Wyttenbach. Some wondered if the freshman would turn pro after one year at QU, but he decided to come back and play with an experienced bunch that features Bruins draft picks Chris Pelosi and Ethan Groenewold, as well as Canucks prospect Matthew Lansing.
The Bobcats are inheriting some players who have done some winning lately. Dylan Edwards and Sharks goaltending prospect Christian Kirsch were part of the Kitchener Rangers team that won the Memorial Cup. Kirsch is expected to play the bulk of the games for the Bobcats, while Edwards is going to be an X-factor offensively for the program.
6. Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
Y’all…the Bulldogs might be one of the most exciting teams to watch this year. Sure, UMD came short of the Frozen Four last year, but they have the firepower to outgun the best teams in the country, and their star players are a little bit older.
The obvious name here is Max Plante. The Red Wings prospect is coming off winning the Hobey Baker in his sophomore campaign, and is only going to get better the more he plays in Duluth. Expect him to be on a line with his brother, Zam (Penguins), as well as Jayson Shaugabay. The trio spent more of 2025-26 together, and were one of the more formidable lines in college hockey.
Did I forget to mention that there’s a third Plante? Max and Zam’s younger brother, Victor, is joining the program after Detroit took him in the second round last June.
Defensively, the Bulldogs are stacked as well. Adam Kleber (Buffalo Sabres), Brady Cleveland (Red Wings), Aaron Pionk (Minnesota Wild) and Ty Hanson are tough to beat, with Hanson proving to be an outstanding offensive weapon.
Goaltending is going to look a little different in Duluth. With Adam Gajan joining the Blackhawks, expect Scott Sandelin to turn to rookie Carl Axelsson. The Utah Mammoth draft pick is coming off a terrific season with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks.
7. University of Wisconsin
I don’t know what it is, but the Bagers were just annoyingly fun to watch last season. They weren’t flashy, especially compared to other teams in the Big Ten, but they were efficient. It’s the formula that has made Mike Hastings one of the more underrated coaches in college hockey, and helped Wisconsin make a surprising run to the Frozen Four last spring.
There are some significant changes to the team in Madison. Quinn Finley and Christian Fitzgerald have both turned pro, as has Ben Dexheimer. However, the veterans on the Badgers heading into 2026-27 suggest they can hang with the best in their conference again. Gavin Morrissey, who led the team with 36 points last year, is at the top of a strong undrafted contingent that features Oliver Tulk, Ryan Botterill and goaltender Daniel Hauser. Hauser will have some help between the pipes this year, as Canadiens prospect Alexis Cournoyer transferred over from Cornell.
The biggest addition this year has to be J.J. Wiebusch. After becoming a hero with Penn State, the junior has joined Wisconsin, giving them a needed boost up front.
8. Providence Friars
Let’s call a spade a spade…Hockey East was terrible last year. However, the Friars were one of the conference’s bright spots, despite not going far in the national tournament.
What Nate Leaman and his staff did this past year was structured to make Providence better on all fronts. While Roger McQueen turned pro, the team is getting back its top two scorers in John Mustard (Blackhawks) and Logan Sawyer (Canadiens). The Friars have a very strong freshman class, with some notable names coming out of the Canadian junior ranks, including Carter Klippenstein (Wild) and Thomas Vandenberg (Kings). I’m really excited to see what Lightning prospect Everett Baldwin can do on defense. He established himself as a two-way threat with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs.
It seems like Winnipeg Jets draft pick John Parsons could be the team’s 1A netminder this year after sharing the net with Philip Svedeback in 2025-26. Yet, North Dakota transfer Gibson Homer can provide quality starts if need be.
9. Boston College Eagles
I was going back and forth on including the Eagles in the top 10 to start the year. The program lost some notable assets from recent years – James Hagens, Andre Gasseau and Drew Fortescu to name a few – but there’s enough returning faces that can help turn BC’s fortunes around after a down season.
Dean Letourneau was a pleasant surprise last season, going from a whole three points in his freshman campaign to 22 goals and 39 points a year ago. The Bruins draft pick is hoping to have an even better output in his junior season, with Ryan Conmy (Kings) and Will Moore (Bruins) also looking to have a greater impact. World Juniors hero and Predators prospect Teddy Stiga had a slight dip in his sophomore year, but has the tools to be one of Boston College’s top scoring threats.
What makes this Eagles team different from years past is how they’ll rely heavily on undrafted veterans. Players like Will Vote, Jake Sondreal and Luke Radivojevic will be playing some big minutes for Greg Brown’s squad.
10. Western Michigan Broncos
The Broncos were expected to take a dip after winning the program’s first national championship. The team ended up finishing third in the NCHC, but were just one win away from getting back to the Frozen Four, but fell to the Pioneers in the regional finals.
WMU lost some key pieces after the year was over. Brothers Grant and Hampton Slukynsky signed with the Kings, with Liam Valente, Owen Michaels and Samuel Sjolund all joining the pro ranks, too. Yet, as Pat Ferschweiler has done every year he has been at the helm, he has filled the gaps by bringing in talent from elsewhere to keep the Broncos near the top of the polls.
William Whitelaw (Blue Jackets) and Zaccharya Wisdon (Kraken) were key transfers prior to last season. This year, 11 new names are looking to help the team. With Hampton Slukynsky gone, Western Michigan is getting a quality goaltender in Quentin Miller, who transferred from rival Denver. Wild draft pick Adam Benak and Jets prospect Edison Engle were both key players with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs last season.
One aspect that could be the difference in WMU’s national standing is the return of Joona Vaisanen. The Penguins prospect suffered a season-ending injury after just seven games, leaving a sizeable gap on the team’s blue line. If he can stay healthy, the Broncos will have one of the best D-corps in the NCHC.
Honorable Mention: Dartmouth, Massachusetts, Miami, Cornell