We’re on winter break for the men’s hockey season, which means we’re halfway to Las Vegas and the 2026 Frozen Four. Many teams had high hopes for this season. Some exceeded expectations and others fell short.
I went back to the preseason USCHO rankings to see which teams were considered contenders this year, and compared those rankings to the current NPI to help determine each team’s grade. Let’s take a look back at the fall semester to see which teams made waves, which ones fell short, and which ones surprised us.
👉 See current USCHO rankings
Michigan: A
Preseason USCHO #12 | Current NPI #1
Michigan is definitely the team to beat in DI men’s hockey right now. The Wolverines’ offense has been impressive this fall, leading the nation with 4.80 goals per game and 96 goals per game, 21 more than any other team. CHL standout Jack Ivankovic has been impressive in goal, leads the nation in shutouts with three, and leads in SV% (.927) and GAA (1.90) through 20 starts.
One thing holding Michigan back from being an A+ is its struggle to close out series against top teams. The Wolverines have split series against Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State, with a common theme being a dominant Game 1 win followed by a decisive Game 2 loss. If the Wolves start sweeping the other top teams, they will be unstoppable in April.
Boston University: C
Preseason USCHO #2 | Current NPI No. 23
Boston University came into this season with high expectations. Coming off a national championship and boasting the most NHL draft picks of any college hockey player (19), this year looked like the year the Terriers would finally break through.
But they’ve had a mediocre start to the season, going 9-8-1 over .500 and 23rd in the NPI. The Terriers will need to come out hot in January if they want to salvage their season. Fortunately, they have plenty of experience in this area after turning their season around last year with the addition of goalkeeper Mikhail Egorov in front of Beanpot. Maybe a little rest and recovery is what this team needs.
Wisconsin: A+
Preseason USCHO #20 | Current NPI No.3
Wisconsin’s resurgence came as a surprise to the Badger faithful. The Badgers, ranked No. 20 in the USCHO preseason poll, are 12-2-2 this fall with a win over No. 2 Michigan State.
Wisconsin’s success came from a balanced and deep lineup, with seven different skaters scoring 12 or more points in 16 games. Freshman goaltender Daniel Hauser has 10 wins and two shutouts in 13 starts, posting a .915 SV% and 2.17 GAA. The Badgers have the No. 2 scoring offense at 4.44 per game.
Wisconsin will be closed to the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-off starting December 28, 2025.
Minnesota: D
Preseason USCHO #8 | Current NPI No. 27
Expectations are always high for the Golden Gophers. After winning the Big Ten regular season title with Michigan State last year, they suffered an OT loss to UMass in the NCAA Regional semifinals. Like many other teams, they lost top players like Jimmy Snuggerud, Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel, but look poised to lead this year with rising talent like freshman LJ Mooney and sophomore Brody Ziemer.
And even if those players are good, the team’s overall performance this fall is questionable. The Gophers are 8-10-1 and 4-4-0 in fourth place in the Big Ten.
The good news? They played the toughest schedule of any team in the NPI schedule. The bad news? It won’t be easy as the Gophers have two series each against Michigan and Michigan State in the second half.
Boston College: B-
Preseason USCHO #6 | Current NPI No. 15
Boston College lost several key pieces last season, most notably the nation’s leading scorers Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault, opening the door for sophomores James Hagens and Dean Letourneau to take the next step toward stardom for the Eagles.
The future Boston Bruins did just that – Hagens looked like a natural scorer, scoring 18 points (10G, 8A) in 16 games, while Letourneau was solid in the middle with 9G and 8A. Jake Sondreal, a third sophomore, was the top player to go along with Hagens, posting 6G and 11A.
The Eagles, who are 10-5-1, have plenty of work to do, but plenty to be proud of this fall.
Maine: C+
Preseason USCHO #7 | Current NPI No. 34
At times, Maine has looked like one of the best teams in the country this fall. Unfortunately, consistency has been an issue for the Black Bears thus far. Sitting at 11-7-1, they had impressive wins – sweeping BU and beating Boston College 3-0. But they also dropped questionable games — 4-0 losses to UMass and Quinnipiac, a 7-3 loss to Boston College and a home loss at the hands of New Hampshire.
Rookie Justin Poirier has emerged as a serious Hobey Baker candidate with 26 points (17G, 9A) in 19 games, but junior goaltender Albin Boija has taken a step back from last year’s dominance. If Maine wants to make the playoffs, it will need to find a way to be more consistent.
Dartmouth: A
Preseason USCHO unranked (10 votes) | Current NPI #2
Dartmouth started the season on an 11-game winning streak, finally dropping its first game in OT on Dec. 14 at New Hampshire. The only knock against Dartmouth so far has to be strength of schedule. The Big Green, ranked No. 2 in the NPI, has the lowest power (No. 59) of any of the top 15 and lacks quality wins over teams like Wisconsin and Michigan.
Despite a relatively light schedule, Dartmouth continues to beat its opponents. The Big Green are the only team in the top three in both offense and defense, with 4.33 goals per game (third) and 1.33 goals per game (first). Their schedule remains fairly light for the remainder of the season, so they should continue to slide, but if they start losing to those weaker opponents, the No. 2 NPI spot seems to be on thin ice.
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