2025 NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament Schedule and Teams Overview

The stage is set for the 2025 NCAA men`s hockey tournament, featuring 16 teams vying for the national championship. The journey culminates in the Frozen Four in St. Louis.

Regional competitions kick off on Thursday, with regional finals scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. The Frozen Four will take place in St. Louis on April 10th and 12th. All games will be broadcast on ESPN networks and streamed on ESPN+.

Automatic bids were awarded to the winners of the six conference tournaments, while the top 10 at-large teams, determined by the PairWise rankings, completed the tournament field.

Top-seeded Boston College will compete in the Manchester, New Hampshire regional. Other top seeds include Big Ten champion Michigan State (Toledo, Ohio), Hockey East champion Maine (Allentown, Pennsylvania), and NCHC champion Western Michigan (Fargo, North Dakota).

Defending national champion Denver enters the tournament as the No. 3 seed in Manchester. UConn (No. 2 in Allentown) and Bentley (No. 4 in Manchester) are notable first-time participants in the NCAA tournament.

Below is the complete tournament schedule, which will be updated with results as games progress, along with a closer look at each of the participating teams.

Schedule

Toledo (Ohio) Regional

Semifinals, March 27

• Boston University vs. Ohio State, 2 PM ET, ESPNU
• Michigan State vs. Cornell, 5:30 PM ET, ESPN+

Final, March 29

• Semifinal winners, 4 or 6:30 PM ET, ESPNU

Fargo (N.D.) Regional

Semifinals, March 27

• Western Michigan vs. Minnesota State, 5 PM ET, ESPNU
• Minnesota vs. UMass, 8:30 PM ET, ESPN2

Final, March 29

• Semifinal winners, 4 or 6:30 PM ET, ESPNU

Manchester (N.H.) Regional

Semifinals, March 28

• Boston College vs. Bentley, 2 PM ET, ESPNU
• Providence vs. Denver, 5:30 PM ET, ESPN+

Final, March 30

• Semifinal winners, 4:30 or 7 PM ET, ESPN2

Allentown (Penn.) Regional

Semifinals, March 28

• UConn vs. Quinnipiac, 5 PM ET, ESPNU
• Maine vs. Penn State, 8:30 PM ET, ESPN2

Final, March 30

• Semifinal winners, 4:30 or 7 PM ET, ESPN2

FROZEN FOUR

at Enterprise Center, St. Louis

National Semifinals, April 10

• Manchester winner vs. Fargo winner, Time TBD, ESPN2
• Toledo winner vs. Allentown winner, Time TBD, ESPN2

National Championship Game, April 12

• Semifinal winners, 7:30 PM ET, ESPN2

Teams at a Glance

Boston College`s Andre Gasseau in action against Denver in last year`s national title game. Both teams return to this year`s tournament.

Toledo Regional

No. 1 Michigan State

Record: 26-6-4

PairWise rating: No. 2

How they got here: Big Ten champion

Last 10 games: 6-3-1

History: Michigan State makes its 29th NCAA Tournament appearance. They have reached the Frozen Four 11 times and secured three national championships, with their last title in 2007. Last season, they reached the regional finals, marking their first tournament appearance since 2012.

No. 2 Boston University

Record: 21-13-2

PairWise rating: 7

How they got here: At-large bid

Last 10 games: 6-3-1 (lost Hockey East semifinal to Maine)

History: This is BU`s 40th NCAA Tournament appearance, including appearances in three of the last four years. The Terriers have a rich history with 24 Frozen Four appearances and five national titles, the most recent in 2009. They faced a narrow defeat in overtime against Denver in last year`s national semifinals, their second consecutive loss at this stage.

No. 3 Ohio State

Record: 24-13-2

PairWise rating: 10

How they got here: At-large bid

Last 10 games: 5-5 (lost Big Ten final to Michigan State)

History: Ohio State is making its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance and its second in the past three years. The Buckeyes have reached the Frozen Four twice, with their most recent appearance in 2018, but are still seeking their first national title.

No. 4 Cornell

Record: 18-10-6

PairWise rating: 17

How they got here: ECAC champion

Last 10 games: 8-2

History: Cornell is participating in its 27th NCAA Tournament, marking their third consecutive appearance. The Big Red have a strong tournament history with eight Frozen Four berths and two national championships, last winning in 1970. They were defeated by Denver in the regional finals last season.

Fargo Regional

No. 1 Western Michigan

Record: 30-7-1

PairWise rating: 4

How they got here: NCHC champion

Last 10 games: 8-2

History: Western Michigan is making its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance, their fourth in a row. The Broncos have struggled in the tournament, holding a 1-10 record, and were eliminated in overtime by Michigan State in the first round last year.

No. 2 Minnesota

Record: 25-10-4

PairWise rating: 5

How they got here: At-large bid

Last 10 games: 5-4-1 (lost Big Ten quarterfinal series to Notre Dame)

History: Minnesota boasts a storied tournament history, making their 42nd appearance, including the last five consecutive years. The Golden Gophers have reached the Frozen Four 23 times and claimed five national titles, with the last one in 2003. They were defeated by Boston University in the regional finals last season.

No. 3 UMass

Record: 20-13-5

PairWise rating: 11

How they got here: At-large bid

Last 10 games: 5-2-3 (lost Hockey East quarterfinal to BU in overtime)

History: UMass is making its 7th NCAA Tournament appearance, and have qualified in five of the last six tournaments. The Minutemen reached the Frozen Four twice, winning their sole national title in 2021. They suffered a double-overtime defeat to Denver in the first round of last year`s tournament.

No. 4 Minnesota State

Record: 27-8-3

PairWise rating: 14

How they got here: CCHA champion

Last 10 games: 9-0-1

History: Minnesota State is participating in their 12th NCAA Tournament, including six of the last seven tournaments. The Mavericks have reached the Frozen Four twice and are still in pursuit of their first national championship. They missed last year`s tournament and were defeated by St. Cloud State in the first round in 2023.

Manchester Regional

No. 1 Boston College

Record: 26-7-2

PairWise rating: 1

How they got here: At-large bid

Last 10 games: 6-3-1 (lost Hockey East quarterfinal to Northeastern)

History: BC is making its 39th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Eagles are a perennial contender with 26 Frozen Four appearances and five national titles, the most recent in 2012. They were defeated 2-0 by Denver in last year`s championship game after a two-year absence from the tournament.

No. 2 Providence

Record: 21-10-5

PairWise rating: 8

How they got here: At-large bid

Last 10 games: 5-4-1 (lost Hockey East quarterfinal to UConn)

History: Providence is making their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance, their first since 2019. The Friars have reached the Frozen Four five times, winning their only national title in 2015.

No. 3 Denver

Record: 29-11-1

PairWise rating: 9

How they got here: At-large bid

Last 10 games: 7-3 (lost NCHC final to Western Michigan in double overtime)

History: Denver is a powerhouse program making its 34th NCAA Tournament appearance, including 15 of the last 16 tournaments. The Pioneers lead all programs with 18 Frozen Four appearances and 10 national titles. They are the defending national champions, having defeated Boston College last season for their second title in three years.

No. 4 Bentley

Record: 23-14-2

PairWise rating: 22

How they got here: Atlantic champion

Last 10 games: 8-2

History: Bentley is making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in the program`s 26th Division I season and second year under coach Andy Jones. The Falcons have achieved a school record for victories and are celebrating their first winning season since 2020.

Allentown Regional

No. 1 Maine

Record: 24-7-6

PairWise rating: 3

How they got here: Hockey East champion

Last 10 games: 6-2-2

History: Maine is making its 21st NCAA Tournament appearance. The Black Bears have a strong tradition with 11 Frozen Four appearances and two national titles, the last in 1999. They returned to the tournament last season for the first time since 2012, losing to Cornell in the first round.

No. 2 UConn

Record: 22-11-4

PairWise rating: 6

How they got here: At-large bid

Last 10 games: 8-1-1

History: UConn is making their inaugural NCAA Tournament appearance in their 27 years as a Division I program. The Huskies have achieved a school record for wins as a Div. 1 team in Mike Cavanaugh`s 11th season as head coach.

No. 3 Quinnipiac

Record: 24-11-2

PairWise ranking: 12

How they got here: At-large bid

Last 10 games: 7-3 (lost ECAC semifinal to Cornell in overtime)

History: Quinnipiac is making their 11th NCAA Tournament appearance, and have qualified for each of the last six tournaments. The Bobcats have reached the Frozen Four three times, securing one national title in 2023. They were defeated by Boston College in overtime in the regional finals last season.

No. 4 Penn State

Record: 20-13-4

PairWise rating: 13

How they got here: At-large bid

Last 10 games: 7-2-1 (lost Big Ten semifinal to Ohio State in overtime)

History: Penn State is making their 5th NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2023, the Nittany Lions reached the regional finals, losing to Michigan in overtime. Penn State is still seeking their first Frozen Four appearance.