Your Ultimate Guide to the Men’s Frozen Four: Complete Conference Tournament Schedules and Results

This weekend marks an exciting time for college hockey as tournaments kick off for four major leagues, a crucial step leading to the NCAA tournament in 2025. The spotlight is on the six conference champions, who will secure their spots in the NCAA field. Additionally, there will be 10 at-large teams selected based on the PairWise rankings, bringing the total to 16 teams. Fans can eagerly await the NCAA tournament bracket reveal on March 23, available on ESPNU and ESPN+.

Regional matches start on March 27, with finals taking place on March 29 and 30. Then, all eyes will be on St. Louis for the Frozen Four on April 10 and 12. Viewers can catch all the action on ESPN networks and streaming through ESPN+.

Several leagues, including the Atlantic, CCHA, and ECAC, seem poised for a tight race, likely leading to only one representative from each in the NCAA tournament. Here’s a rundown of the conference schedules and what to expect:

Atlantic Hockey

The Atlantic Hockey conference is shaping up with Holy Cross, which has an impressive regular season behind them, hunting for a spot in the NCAA tournament. They’ve been on a hot streak with a record of 12-1-1. Meanwhile, AIC faces a challenging situation as they will leave Division I after this season.

Quarterfinal Matchups
March 7-9 (best of three)

• No. 8 AIC at No. 1 Holy Cross (Game 1: AIC 3, Holy Cross 2; Game 2: Holy Cross 3, AIC 2)
• No. 5 Army at No. 4 Niagara (Game 1: Army 3, Niagara 2 (2 OT); Game 2: Niagara 4, Army 3)
• No. 6 Canisius at No. 3 Bentley (Game 1: Bentley 4, Canisius 0; Game 2: Bentley 2, Canisius 0; Bentley wins series, 2-0)
• No. 7 Air Force at No. 2 Sacred Heart (Game 1: Sacred Heart 4, Air Force 1; Game 2: Air Force 3, Sacred Heart 2 (2 OT))

Big Ten

Penn State is igniting playoff hopes by picking up vital points against Minnesota, then sweeping Michigan in the quarterfinals. The Wolverines’ chances for an at-large bid are getting slimmer. Michigan State and Minnesota stand as potential number one seeds, with Ohio State also well positioned.

Quarterfinal Matchups
March 7-9 (best of three)

• No. 5 Penn State at No. 4 Michigan (Game 1: Penn State 6, Michigan 5 (OT); Game 2: Penn State 5, Michigan 2; Penn State wins, 2-0)
• No. 6 Wisconsin at No. 3 Ohio State (Game 1: Wisconsin 4, Ohio State 1; Game 2: Ohio State 3, Wisconsin 2 (OT))
• No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 2 Minnesota (Game 1: Notre Dame 3, Minnesota 2; Game 2: Minnesota 4, Notre Dame 2)

CCHA

Minnesota State is pushing to secure its own NCAA position after a strong finish to the regular season. Augustana, in its second season in Division I, hopes to make a mark as a number two seed.

Quarterfinal Matchups
March 7-9 (best of three)

• No. 8 Lake Superior at No. 1 Minnesota State (Game 1: Minnesota State 4, Lake Superior 1; Game 2: Minnesota State 3, Lake Superior 2; Minnesota State wins, 2-0)
• No. 5 Michigan Tech at No. 4 Bowling Green (Game 1: Bowling Green 2, Michigan Tech 1 (OT); Game 2: Bowling Green 4, Michigan Tech 0; Bowling Green wins, 2-0)
• No. 6 Ferris State at No. 3 St. Thomas (Game 1: St. Thomas 7, Ferris State 3; Game 2: St. Thomas 4, Ferris State 0; St. Thomas wins, 2-0)

ECAC

Quinnipiac is on the edge of NCAA contention, where another loss could mean elimination from the at-large group. Other teams like Clarkson, Colgate, and Cornell are also in the mix, making the tournament competitive.

First Round
March 7

• No. 8 Brown 3, No. 9 Princeton 2
• No. 7 Harvard 5, No. 10 Rensselaer 2

Quarterfinals
March 14-16 (best of three)

• Brown at No. 1 Quinnipiac
• Harvard at No. 2 Clarkson
• Cornell at No. 3 Colgate
• Dartmouth at No. 4 Union

Hockey East

Boston College stands out as a powerhouse, with teams like Maine and Providence also expected to make NCAA appearances. They all sit comfortably among the top seeds.

First Round
March 12

• No. 11 Vermont at No. 6 UMass
• No. 10 New Hampshire at No. 7 UMass-Lowell
• No. 9 Northeastern at No. 8 Merrimack

NCHC

Western Michigan is eyeing a top seed in the NCAA, while last year’s champion Denver aims for a strong finish. Arizona State and others need to win their conference tournament to advance.

Quarterfinal Matchups
March 14-16 (best of three)

• No. 8 St. Cloud State at No. 1 Western Michigan
• No. 7 Minnesota Duluth at No. 2 seed Arizona State
• No. 6 Colorado College at No. 3 Denver
• No. 5 North Dakota at No. 4 Omaha

As the tournaments unfold, every game will matter, defining the path leading to the Frozen Four. Let’s see which teams carve their names in history!