University of Denver Hockey Team Advances to Frozen Four for Third Consecutive Year The University of Denver men’s hockey team has secured its third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Frozen Four, marking a historic run in the program’s history. The Pioneers defeated Western Michigan University, the defending national champion, 6-2 in the West Regional Final on Sunday, April 7, 2024, at the Blue Arena in Loveland, Colorado. This victory propelled Denver to its 21st Frozen Four appearance and its fourth in the past five seasons. The win also avenged a 3-2 double-overtime loss to Western Michigan in the 2023 Frozen Four semifinals, extending Denver’s winning streak against the Broncos to 2-0 in the postseason. Denver’s path to the Frozen Four was defined by a dominant first-period performance, during which the team scored four goals to overwhelm the top-seeded Broncos. The Pioneers’ offensive surge was led by freshman forward Kyle Chyzowski, who recorded a career-high three points (two goals and one assist). Fellow freshman Brendan McMorrow and juniors Kieran Cebrian and Eric Pohlkamp each added a goal and an assist, while senior center Samu Salminen and junior left wing Sam Harris scored the team’s other goals. Freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks, who stopped 26 of 28 shots, extended his unbeaten streak to 15 games (14-0-1) and was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA West Regional. The Pioneers’ victory sets up a Frozen Four semifinal matchup against No. 1 overall seed Michigan on Thursday, April 11, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The winner of that game will advance to the national championship on Saturday, April 11, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal between North Dakota and Wisconsin.#t_mobile_arena #xcel_energy_center #university_of_denver #western_michigan_university #blue_arena
The Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks are set to face off on March 17, 2026, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The game, scheduled for 7:00 PM ET, will be part of a crucial matchup between the teams, with both squads vying for playoff positioning in the Western Conference. Key Matchup Insights Recent Performance: Minnesota enters the game on a 5-game winning streak against Chicago, including an impressive 8-1 record in their last 9 road games against the Blackhawks. However, the Wild have struggled in March, posting a 3-7 record in their last 10 games during the month. Total Points Trends: The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 5 games against Western Conference opponents and in 6 of Chicago’s last 7 games against Central Division teams. Conversely, Minnesota has seen the total go OVER in 14 of its last 17 road games. Home Advantage: Chicago has a poor record at home against Minnesota, going 1-8 in their last 9 matchups. The Blackhawks also carry a 4-12 SU record in their last 16 games overall. Injuries and Roster Updates Minnesota’s roster includes several key injuries: Marcus Foligno (LW) is out with a lower-body injury. Joel Eriksson Ek (C) is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Bobby Brink (RW) is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Chicago’s injuries include: Ryan Ellis (D) is out with a back injury. Joey Anderson (RW) is out with a lower-body injury. Oliver Moore (C) is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Sacha Boisvert (C) is on injured reserve due to visa issues. Recent Game Highlights Minnesota Wild (Last 10 Games): March 15, 2026: Lost 2-4 to Toronto (SU -250, 38-26 shots). March 12, 2026: Lost 2-3 to Philadelphia (SU -225, 23-27 shots). March 10, 2026: Won 5-0 against Utah (SU -160, 30-25 shots).#minnesota_wild #chicago_blackhawks #march_17_2026 #xcel_energy_center #st_paul
