Parity reigns supreme in the college hockey world with all teams in the American landscape suffering at least two losses on the 2025-26 campaign as the calendar reaches American Thanksgiving. There was a reshuffling of the order in the top 10 in the U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division I Men’s Poll after Michigan State’s rough weekend. Let’s take a look at the situation in this month’s check-in on the NCAA Men’s hockey scene.

***

Michigan State Slides in New Rankings

The Michigan Wolverines trampolined into the top spot in the men’s D1 poll on Monday afternoon with 42 first-place votes after Michigan State’s 0-1-1 weekend against Wisconsin. The Badgers move north five places (from seventh to second) as they’ve officially put NCAA hockey fans on notice. Michigan State slips to third to complete the shakeup at the top of the rankings after a forgettable weekend. Denver and Minnesota Duluth complete the top five picture. 

Penn State fell from fifth to ninth in the poll following a one win-one loss-weekend against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Nittany Lions secured the first game on the road at 3M Arena at Mariucci with a 3-2 win, but Minnesota was on the winning end of a one-score game the next day. 

Only two teams remained where they were in the top 10 rankings: North Dakota stayed at sixth while Maine will continue to see a #10 next to their name on the scorebug. 

Northeastern, Connecticut, Boston College, and Boston University remain in the top 20 of the USCHO rankings for November 24. 

***

A Pair of Bulldogs Leading NCAA Scoring Race

Max Plante and Zam Plante have taken the NCAA by storm over the first six weeks of action. The University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog brothers combined for 50 points in 32 games. Max leads the NCAA in scoring with 26 points, while Zam stands alone atop the assists leaderboard with 17 helpers on the season. Linemate Jayson Shaugabay is tied for fourth in assists (14) as the line has powered the Bulldogs to a place inside the top five ranking in 2025. 

Will Horcoff, a 2025 Pittsburgh Penguins first-round selection, tops the goal-scoring chart with 14 celebrations on the campaign, followed by Plante (13) and Felix Trudeau of Sacred Heart (12). Several players are tied with 11 goals on the season, including Penn State’s JJ Wiebusch (Penn State), Porter Martone (Michigan State), and Justin Poirier (Maine). 

T.J. Hughes, the Michigan Wolverines captain and Tampa Bay Lightning draftee, has set the bar for his squad with 24 points, two behind Max Plante’s 26 points at UMD. Penn State’s Charlie Cerrato sits alongside Horcoff inside the top five of the points leaderboard with 21 points on the campaign. 

Among goalies with at least 500+ minutes of game action, Denver’s Quentin Miller leads the way with a 1.63 goals against average (GAA) over 733 minutes of action. Michigan’s Jack Ivankovic has logged a 2.00 GAA over 956 minutes of ice time between the pipes, the most in the NCAA landscape.

Adam Gajan, a 2023 Chicago Blackhawks draft selection, has provided solid defense behind the Plante brothers with a 1.78 GAA over 943 minutes. Trey Augustine continues to backstop the top team in the country as the Spartans continue their quest for a date in the NCAA postseason picture. 

***

Five Players (and Teams) to Watch in December

December can sometimes be a bit tricky in the NCAA scene. There is sparse action in the college scene over the next six weeks as some rosters are decimated by departures to the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the end of month as well as a break for the holiday season. 

Penn State doesn’t have any games scheduled during the final month of the 2025 calendar, while Michigan plays only once during the month. Most teams will play a few games and/or a tournament before the schedule kicks back into gear following the 2026 New Year’s holiday. Here are five players to watch over the next month of college hockey action: 

Most players and coaches will get a chance to take a break from high-intensity competition provided by the NCAA schedule. The truly elite players and prospects in the college scene will descend upon Minnesota for the IIHF World Championship from Dec. 26 to Jan. 6, 2026, as the annual tournament returns to American soil. The best prospects in the world are expected to battle for medals (and pride) over two weeks in one of the best hockey tournaments on the hockey calendar every year. 

***

My socials can be found on Twitter/X – @CBabosWrites 

Christopher Babos