by Mike McMahon/Staff Writer (@mikemcmahon)
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There hasn’t been a back-to-back national champion in college hockey since Minnesota Duluth claimed consecutive titles in 2018 and 2019. Could Western Michigan be the program to end that drought next April in Las Vegas?
The Broncos certainly look like contenders again.
Fresh off their first national championship, Western Michigan appears well-positioned for another deep run. Like any champion, they lost pieces to graduation and NHL contracts, but the Broncos bring back a strong core and arguably landed the best transfer-portal class in the country.
Their transformation is remarkable. When Duluth was winning those titles, Western Michigan was still fighting uphill as an up-and-down sub-.500 program. Just a decade ago, the Broncos staggered through an 8-25-3 season.
But since Pat Ferschweiler took over as head coach, the program has become a regular fixture in the NCAA Tournament, steadily climbing until they broke through last spring. Heading into 2025-26, they sit atop the CHN Preseason Top 10.
1. Western Michigan
So many key players return, including goalie Hampton Slukynsky, Grant Slukynsky and NCAA Tournament MVP Owen Michaels. And that’s only scratching the surface. Western is continuing to use a formula that got it here.
Their portal class is loaded, headlined by three NHL draft picks — Zaccharya Wisdom, Will Whitelaw and Theo Wallberg — plus potential undrafted gem Zach Bookman. With depth at every position, the Broncos look like the most complete team in the nation.
There’s a lot of stiff competition, which is why repeating is difficult. But when determining which team has the best chance, the Broncos rise above the pack by a hair.
2. Michigan State
The Spartans might have claimed the No. 1 spot had Hobey Baker Award winner Isaac Howard not been traded and signed his entry-level deal. Even so, Michigan State returns as one of the most balanced teams in the country, anchored by star goaltender Trey Augustine.
With the doors being opened to Major Junior players, Michigan State was certainly among the blue-blood programs taking full advantage of the opportunity to sign blue chippers. The Spartans got high 2024 pick Cayden Lindstrom early, then added high 2025 pick Porter Martone when the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia Flyers, encouraged the move.
In the Big Ten, the road to the title runs through East Lansing.
3. Boston University
The Terriers are the clear-cut favorite in Hockey East. Mikhail Yegorov stabilized BU’s crease last year and nearly carried them to a national championship. Without him, they don’t reach St. Louis.
He’s back for a full season, supported by elite talent up front. Amid all the chatter about CHL imports this fall, it’s worth asking: Have people forgotten about Cole Hutson and Cole Eiserman? The pair isn’t getting the hype they deserve.
4. Penn State
The Nittany Lions may have the best forward group in the nation, led by projected 2026 No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna, and all the hype that went along with his arrival. The blue line looks sturdy, but goaltending is a up in the air.
Kevin Reidler has the tools to be a No. 1 goalie in the Big Ten, but he must prove it. Last season, the difference was clear: Penn State’s offense only improved by 0.4 goals per game from the previous year, but Arsenii Sergeev cut goals against by more than one per night. That swing carried the Nittany Lions into the national conversation.
They’ll score plenty again — the question is whether they can keep the puck out of their own net.
5. Maine
Maine’s postseason ended early thanks to a surging Penn State squad in Allentown. Without that draw, the Black Bears might have reached St. Louis.
They return one of the nation’s elite goaltenders in Albin Boija, whose name belongs alongside Augustine and Yegorov. Maine lost some scoring but added Max Scott from Brown. Their defensive corps ranks among the best in the country.
6. Michigan
After a disappointing year, the Wolverines are primed for a rebound. Neutral Zone rated their incoming recruiting class No. 1, with Adam Valentini, Malcolm Spence, Henry Mews and Cole McKinney headlining the group.
Michigan also added standout portal defenseman Ben Robertson from Cornell and Carolina Hurricanes prospect Jayden Perron from North Dakota.
Goaltending has long been a rollercoaster in Ann Arbor, but it could finally stabilize with freshman Jack Ivankovic, a Nashville second-rounder coming in from the OHL.
7. North Dakota
The Fighting Hawks lost several big names in the portal but countered with a top-notch recruiting class. Keaton Verhoeff, Cole Reschny and Will Zellers lead the newcomers.
Reschny, a Calgary first-rounder, and Zellers, taken by Colorado in the third round, are already NHL property. Verhoeff, meanwhile, has scouts buzzing — some believe he could challenge McKenna for the top pick in 2026.
8. Quinnipiac
The Bobcats remain kings of the ECAC. Their top-end talent may not match BU or Michigan State, but their forward depth is unmatched, bolstered by a promising freshman class.
One rival ECAC coach summed it up: “[Quinnipiac] will be the same as always. When you compare them to Big Ten teams or someone like BU, they don’t have the same type of top line, but they have four second lines. All four lines can hurt you.”
That depth keeps them in the national mix year after year.
9. Denver
The Pioneers will need freshmen to step into offensive roles, and with Matt Davis graduated, the crease is uncertain.
But Denver’s defense remains its backbone. The pairing of Eric Pohlkamp and Boston Buckberger is among the nation’s best, giving the Pioneers an anchor while the offense develops, which it usually does.
10. Arizona State
Several teams had cases here — Providence, UMass, Wisconsin, UConn — but our CHN brass believed the late addition of Jack Beck, a former minor-leaguer, gave the Sun Devils just enough of a bump to edge out the others.
ASU’s talented forward group also includes Bennett Schimek and Cullen Potter. The defense is sound, and the Sun Devils found their goalie in Connor Hasley, who backstopped Bentley to the NCAA Tournament and nearly upset BC last spring.