Draft prospects, Hobey Baker race among NCAA hockey 2nd-half storylines

The second half of the NCAA hockey season gets rolling with a full slate of games this week.

Schools will be jockeying for position in conference tournaments prior to the Frozen Four, which will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 9 and 11.

There are plenty of storylines to follow. Here are 10 of the best:

Draft class comes into focus

It's always worth watching college players who are likely to hear their names called near the top of the NHL Draft in late June. The spotlight will continue to shine on winger Gavin McKenna of Penn State University, the consensus choice be picked first.

Defenseman Keaton Verhoeff of the University of North Dakota likely won't be far behind.

Other names to keep in mind are forward Oscar Hemming, who recently enrolled at Boston College for the second half of the season, and center Ilia Morozov of Miami University, who at 17, is the youngest player in college hockey.

Who will win the Hobey Baker?

The race for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the best player in college hockey, is wide open. Among the players who should be in the Hobey conversation are University Minnesota Duluth forward Max Plante, who leads the country with 30 points (16 goals, 14 assists), University of Michigan forward Will Horcoff, who leads the nation with 19 goals, Michigan center Michael Hage, Boston University defenseman Cole Hutson and University of Denver defenseman Eric Pohlkamp.

Michigan machine

After missing the NCAA Tournament last season, Michigan is playing with a chip on its shoulder so far this season.

The Wolverines are No. 1 in the national polls and, more importantly, first in the NCAA Power Index (NPI), the formula that determines who makes the NCAA Tournament. Michigan is 16-4-0 and has outscored opponents 96-41.

They have three of the top four scorers in the country in Horcoff, Hage and T.J. Hughes, each of whom has 28 points. Freshman goalie Jack Ivankovic has played in all 20 games this season and has a .927 save percentage.

Wisconsin is back

The University of Wisconsin finished a disappointing sixth in the seven-team Big Ten last season and missed the NCAA Tournament.

It's been a different story so far this season as the Badgers, winners of six NCAA championships, start the New Year in first place in the Big Ten and third in the NPI.

Goalie Daniel Hauser, who went 123-36-9 for three Western Hockey League teams in five seasons, has been a key addition. He is 11-2-2 with a .914 save percentage and 2.16 goals-against average.

UMD back in business

Minnesota Duluth, one of the titans of college hockey before falling on tough times after winning back-to-back national championships in 2018 and 2019, is back.

They finished below .500 and missed the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons, but coach Scott Sandelin's team Is currently seventh in the NPI and has the nation's leading scorer in Plante, a second-round pick (No. 47) of the Detroit Red Wings in 2024.

Repeat business?

Winning back-to-back NCAA championships is a tall order.

No one has done it since Minnesota Duluth in 2018 and 2019. Before that, Denver did it in 2004 and 2005 and Minnesota in 2002 and 2003.

Defending champion Western Michigan University is in position to take a run at it this season but there's work to be done.

As the second half starts, they are fourth in the NCHC and ninth in the NPI after a 4-1 win against Minnesota Duluth in the championship game of the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off on Dec. 29.

Dartmouth surges

Dartmouth College most recently played in the NCAA Tournament in 1980, when they reached the Frozen Four. As the second half opens, they're in position to earn an invitation come March.

Dartmouth won its first 11 games before an overtime loss to in-state rival New Hampshire on Dec. 14 and ranks fourth in the NPI after a 4-1 home win against Arizona State University on Dec. 28.

Under coach Reid Cashman, a former Washington Capitals assistant, they are a strong defensive team with a well-balanced offense, led by undrafted sophomore forward Hayden Stavroff, who has 14 goals in 14 games.

Blue bloods struggle

Boston University and the University of Minnesota, two of college hockey's blue blood programs, underachieved in the first half.

BU, which has reached the Frozen Four for three straight seasons, is 25th in the NPI, while Minnesota, which has made the tournament for five consecutive seasons, is 27th.

The good news for each is that with a combined total of 32 NHL draft picks on the rosters (19 at BU, 13 at Minnesota), each is capable of putting together a strong second half and vaulting into the tournament picture.

Down year for Hockey East

Six Hockey East schools earned invites to the NCAA Tournament last season, but the conference likely will not come close to that number this season.

As of this week, Providence College at 13th in the NPI is the highest-ranked Hockey East school, followed by Northeastern (16), Boston College (17), UConn (18), New Hampshire (20) and Boston University (25).

What happens in Vegas …

The Frozen Four will be played in Las Vegas for the first time in April, hosted by the University of North Dakota.

With the popularity of the Vegas Golden Knights, college hockey is looking to build off that success in a market that hasn't yet been exposed to Division I NCAA hockey.