The first four weeks of the NCAA season are complete, and the usual suspects are emerging as National Championship contenders.
The defending National Champion Denver Pioneers started slowly, going 3-2-1. However, the Pioneers haven’t shied away from competition, facing back-to-back home series against Michigan and Boston College. The Wolverines took both games in that series, while Denver bounced back with a win and a tie over the Eagles.
Speaking of the Wolverines, they are showing why they are currently the odds-on favorites to win the National title, as they are undefeated in their first seven games. They have won series against Bowling Green, Alaska-Anchorage, and Denver, and they took their lone game this past weekend with a Will Horcoff walk-off goal with 0.1 seconds remaining over Western Michigan.
Augustana is making waves early this season, with a 5-0-1 record that includes wins over Ohio State, Minnesota-Duluth, and Omaha. Colorado College also swept UMass to start the season and is 5-1-0, while Providence is undefeated with wins over Union, Clarkson, UMass-Lowell, and St. Lawrence.
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CHL to NCAA Pipeline is Starting to Pay Off
NCAA hockey has never been this talented: 326 NHL Draft Picks are playing in college this season, including 30 first-round picks and some future ones we will get to later. Some early names to watch include Caleb Malholtra, Tynan Lawrence (Boston University), Chase Reid, Tommy Bleyl (Michigan State), and Daxon Rudolph (Denver).
Caleb Malholtra (Vancouver Canucks) – 6 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 4 PIM, +3
Tynan Lawrence (St. Louis Blues) – 6 GP, 4 G, 3 A, 0 PIM, +3
Chase Reid (Seattle Kraken) – 5 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 10 PIM, +1
Tommy Bleyl (Nashville Predators) – 5 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 2 PIM, +4
Daxon Rudolph (Buffalo Sabres) – 6 GP, 2 G, 5 A, 4 PIM, +1
This is just a snapshot of the talent you can find in college hockey weekly now. Before the CHL-NCAA agreement, this would never have been possible, which is unfortunate for Canada’s junior towns but a massive win for college hockey fans.
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University of Michigan’s Dominance
Michigan’s biggest statement was their road sweep of Denver, but they’ve outclassed their opponents in all seven wins so far. Jayden Perron (Carolina Hurricanes) has started the year at a rapid pace, scoring in each of Michigan’s games for 10 goals and adding six assists. The senior could parlay a National Championship-winning season into a chance to enter the Hurricanes’ lineup this spring for a Stanley Cup run.
Speaking of players whose NHL fanbases are waiting to turn pro, Michael Hage (Montreal Canadiens) is showing why he could’ve pushed for the Habs’ 2C role this season. The junior has 14 points thus far and is proving to be a lethal one-two punch on the team’s top line with Perron. He assisted on seven of Perron’s 10 goals, and Canadiens fans can only dream of that kind of connection with Ivan Demidov.
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2027 NHL Draft Prospects
Michigan also features Landon Dupont, the potential first-overall pick in the 2027 draft. The offensive defenseman played just one of two games against Denver, which was unfortunate. Still, he has six assists in six games, putting him on an elite pace for draft-eligible defensemen.
Another potential top-10 pick is playing at the University of Notre Dame: Sammy Nelson joined the Fighting Irish this season after two years at the NTDP, and has two points through six games. Nelson started the year on fire with a goal and an assist in the Niagara series, but has been held scoreless with just five shots in his next four games against tougher competition in Western Michigan and Merrimack.
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November Look-Ahead
The college hockey season will begin to heat up as the calendar turns to November, with conference games beginning around the country.
Michigan’s home-and-home series against Michigan State on November 20-21 will be one to watch, as the Wolverines could still be undefeated heading into that matchup, with two series against Ohio State and Penn State standing in their way.
Denver and Arizona State’s series on November 7-8 will also be intriguing, as the Sun Devils are undergoing a much-needed culture change under new head coach Dave Hakstol. Arizona State had a good start to the season, and taking a game or two from the defending National Champs would be a step in the right direction.
Boston University and Michigan State will also add intrigue that same weekend, as the Spartans are National Championship contenders and the Terriers are trying to return to that level after a tough 2025-26 season. Later that month, Denver’s visit to Agganis Arena will also feature many of the top prospects discussed earlier.
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Nate Duffett