Recently, I’ve written articles regarding the top 6 NCAA hockey programs which most prominently feature high NHL draft picks. Links to those first five pieces are attached; the profile of Boston College hockey is coming shortly. Not surprisingly, four of these teams (Denver, Michigan, Mich. State & N. Dakota) occupy the four top spots in college hockey’s official rankings (Boston College is #11, and BU is #14). All six of these teams will be pitted against one another all season long, starting this month.
This coming weekend, top-ranked University of Denver will host 2nd-ranked University of Michigan for a two-game set. The Pioneers will then host Boston College the following weekend (Oct. 23 & 24), before traveling to Massachusetts to face Boston University on Nov. 27 & 28. Finally, Denver also will square off with league rival North Dakota for a National Collegiate Hockey Association match-up in early December.
In addition to the Denver/Michigan tilt taking place this month, #3 Michigan State University takes on #4 University of North Dakota on Halloween night in Austin, Texas. This contest, which is the 2026 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game, will take place at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park in Austin, the home of the AHL’s Texas Stars (Dallas). Later this season, the Spartans also play the Wolverines four times in Big Ten action. Finally, as a follow-up to hosting Boston College earlier this month in exhibition action (a 5-2 MSU win), the Spartans welcome to East Lansing the other big-time act in Beantown‘s college hockey scene, Boston University, on November 6 and 7.
