2026 NCHC Tournament
College ice hockey tournament
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The 2026 NCHC Tournament was the 12th tournament in league history. It was played between March 6 and 21, 2026. All games were played at home sites of the higher-seeded teams.
| 2026 NCHC Men's ice hockey tournament | |
|---|---|
| Dates | March 6–21, 2026 |
| Teams | 8 |
| Finals site | Magness Arena Denver, Colorado |
| Champions | Denver (4th title) |
| Winning coach | David Carle (2nd title) |
| MVP | Johnny Hicks (Denver) |
NCHC Men's Ice Hockey Tournaments 2027 → | |
Format
The first round of the postseason tournament features a best-of-three games format. The top eight conference teams participated in the tournament. Teams were seeded No. 1 through No. 8 according to their final conference standing, with a tiebreaker system used to seed teams with an identical number of points accumulated. The top four seeded teams each earn home ice and host one of the lower seeded teams.
The winners of the first round series advanced to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. The Frozen Faceoff used a single-elimination format. Teams were re-seeded No. 1 through No. 4 according to the final regular season conference standings.[1]
Standings
| Conference record | Overall record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | |||
| #4 North Dakota † | 24 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 55 | 96 | 58 | 40 | 29 | 10 | 1 | 151 | 90 | ||
| #1 Denver * | 24 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 52 | 82 | 51 | 43 | 29 | 11 | 3 | 154 | 90 | ||
| #6 Western Michigan | 24 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 89 | 65 | 39 | 27 | 11 | 1 | 140 | 95 | ||
| #7 Minnesota Duluth | 24 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 36 | 64 | 66 | 40 | 24 | 15 | 1 | 130 | 99 | ||
| St. Cloud State | 24 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 63 | 86 | 36 | 16 | 19 | 1 | 112 | 112 | ||
| Colorado College | 24 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 29 | 63 | 66 | 36 | 13 | 17 | 6 | 95 | 98 | ||
| Miami | 24 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 60 | 74 | 36 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 104 | 108 | ||
| Omaha | 24 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 57 | 86 | 36 | 12 | 24 | 0 | 95 | 129 | ||
| Arizona State | 24 | 7 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 62 | 94 | 36 | 14 | 21 | 1 | 106 | 132 | ||
| Championship: March 21, 2026 † indicates conference regular season champion (Penrose Cup) * indicates conference tournament champion (National Cup) Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll; updated April 13, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||
Bracket
Teams are reseeded for the semifinals.
| Quarterfinals March 6–8 | Semifinals March 14 | Championship March 21 | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | North Dakota | 5 | 5 | — | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Omaha | 3 | 1 | — | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Minnesota Duluth | 5 | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | North Dakota | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | Denver | 3 | 6 | — | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Miami | 0 | 2 | — | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Minnesota Duluth | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| (Teams are reseeded after the quarterfinals) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Denver | 4** | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | Western Michigan | 5 | 2* | — | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Colorado College | 2 | 1 | — | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Western Michigan | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | Denver | 2* | ||||||||||||||
| 4 | Minnesota Duluth | 4* | 2* | — | ||||||||||||
| 5 | St. Cloud State | 3 | 1 | — | ||||||||||||
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Results
Note: All game times are local.
Quarterfinals
(1) North Dakota vs. (8) Omaha
| March 6, 2026 7:07 pm | North Dakota | 5–3 (1–2, 4–0, 0–1) | Omaha | Ralph Engelstad Arena Attendance: 11,400 |
| Game reference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Špunar | Goalies | Simon Latkoczy | Referees: Jake Jackson Ryan Hersey Linesmen: Kyle Stephens Tyler Landman | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 min | Penalties | 8 min | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 | Shots | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| March 7, 2026 6:07 pm | North Dakota | 5–1 (1–1, 2–0, 2–0) | Omaha | Ralph Engelstad Arena Attendance: 11,569 |
| Game reference | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Špunar | Goalies | Simon Latkoczy | Referees: Jake Jackson Ryan Hersey Linesmen: Kyle Stephens Tyler Landman | |||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 min | Penalties | 38 min | ||||||||||||||||||
| 28 | Shots | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||
| North Dakota wins series 2–0 |
|---|
(2) Denver vs. (7) Miami
| March 6, 2026 7:00 pm | Denver | 3–0 (1–0, 0–0, 2–0) | Miami | Magness Arena Attendance: 5,974 |
| Game reference | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Hicks | Goalies | Matteo Drobac | Referees: Brian Hankes Stephen Reneau Linesmen: Erik Contino Chase McGee | ||||||||
| |||||||||||
| 2 min | Penalties | 2 min | |||||||||
| 36 | Shots | 23 | |||||||||
| March 7, 2026 6:00 pm | Denver | 6–2 (0–1, 4–0, 2–1) | Miami | Magness Arena Attendance: 6,550 |
| Game reference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Hicks (out 52:31) Paxton Geisel (in 52:31) | Goalies | Matteo Drobac | Referees: Brian Hankes Stephen Reneau Linesmen: Erik Contino Chase McGee | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 min | Penalties | 6 min | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 37 | Shots | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denver wins series 2–0 |
|---|
(3) Western Michigan vs. (6) Colorado College
| March 6, 2026 7:00 pm | Western Michigan | 5–2 (2–0, 1–2, 2–0) | Colorado College | Lawson Arena Attendance: 2,675 |
| Game reference | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Slukynsky | Goalies | Kaidan Mbereko (out 41:22) Jackson Unger (in 41:22) | Referees: Nicholas Krebsbach Stan Szczurek Linesmen: Troy Marrett Christopher Williams | ||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 min | Penalties | 8 min | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 38 | Shots | 28 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| March 7, 2026 6:00 pm | Western Michigan | 2–1 (OT) (0–1, 0–0, 1–0, 1–0) | Colorado College | Lawson Arena Attendance: 2,945 |
| Game reference | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Slukynsky | Goalies | Jackson Unger | Referees: Nicholas Krebsbach Stan Szczurek Linesmen: Troy Marrett Christopher Williams | ||||||||
| |||||||||||
| 4 min | Penalties | 19 min | |||||||||
| 34 | Shots | 34 | |||||||||
| Western Michigan wins series 2–0 |
|---|
(4) Minnesota Duluth vs. (5) St. Cloud State
| March 6, 2026 7:07 pm | Minnesota Duluth | 4–3 (OT) (0–1, 1–1, 2–1, 1–0) | St. Cloud State | AMSOIL Arena Attendance: 4,238 |
| Game reference | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Gajan | Goalies | Yan Shostak | Referees: Brandon Schmitt Nathan Wieler Linesmen: Dana Penkivech Sam Rankin | ||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 min | Penalties | 10 min | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 39 | Shots | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| March 7, 2026 6:07 pm | Minnesota Duluth | 2–1 (OT) (0–1, 0–0, 1–0, 1–0) | St. Cloud State | AMSOIL Arena Attendance: 4,251 |
| Game reference | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Gajan | Goalies | Yan Shostak | Referees: Brandon Schmitt Nathan Wieler Linesmen: Dana Penkivech Sam Rankin | ||||||||
| |||||||||||
| 6 min | Penalties | 6 min | |||||||||
| 45 | Shots | 28 | |||||||||
| Minnesota Duluth wins series 2–0 |
|---|
Semifinals
(4) Minnesota Duluth vs. (1) North Dakota
| March 14, 2026 6:07 pm | Minnesota Duluth | 5–1 (2–0, 1–0, 2–1) | North Dakota | Ralph Engelstad Arena Attendance: 9,902 |
| Game reference | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Gajan | Goalies | Jan Špunar | Referees: Brian Hankes Stephen Reneau Linesmen: Kyle Stephens Tyler Landman | |||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 min | Penalties | 2 min | ||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | Shots | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||
(3) Western Michigan vs. (2) Denver
| March 14, 2026 6:00 pm | Western Michigan | 1–2 (OT) (0–0, 0–0, 1–1, 0–1) | Denver | Magness Arena Attendance: 6,327 |
| Game reference | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Slukynsky | Goalies | Johnny Hicks | Referees: Brandon Schmitt Nick Krebsbach Linesmen: Erik Contino Chris Williams | ||||||||
| |||||||||||
| 4 min | Penalties | 4 min | |||||||||
| 39 | Shots | 32 | |||||||||
Championship
(4) Minnesota Duluth vs. (2) Denver
| March 21, 2026 6:00 pm | Minnesota Duluth | 3–4 (2OT) (1–3, 2–0, 0–0, 0–0, 0–1) | Denver | Magness Arena Attendance: 6,506 |
| Game reference | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Gajan | Goalies | Johnny Hicks | Referees: Ryan Hersey Nathan Wieler Linesmen: Tyler Landman Erik Contino | ||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 min | Penalties | 10 min | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 44 | Shots | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Tournament awards
Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team
- G: Johnny Hicks * (Denver)
- D: Boston Buckberger (Denver)
- D: Eric Pohlkamp (Denver)
- F: Max Plante (Minnesota Duluth)
- F: Rieger Lorenz (Denver)
- F: Zam Plante (Minnesota Duluth)