Bracket Busted? Here Comes NCAA Hockey
All 10 Hobey Baker finalists in action this weekend
There is a good chance your basketball bracket isn’t just busted…. it’s shattered!
Fear not, you have a chance to redeem yourself by filling out an NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship bracket.
You need to hurry as the puck drops on the opening game March 26th at 1:00 PM Eastern Time when the Bridgeport Regional number one seeded Wisconsin Badgers skate against the Bemidji State Beavers.
The Badgers are a number four seed overall in the 16-team field. Joining the Badgers as top-seeded teams in their respective regions: Boston College (Albany Regional), Minnesota (Loveland Regional) and North Dakota (Fargo Regional).
The Fighting Hawks of North Dakota are the overall number one seed and will take the relatively short road trip from Grand Forks to Fargo for regional play.
The Beavers join the four other Division I teams from Minnesota in the championship tournament. This is the first time all of Minnesota’s programs qualified in the same season in the history of the tournament, which began in 1948.
Notre Dame and Michigan will join Minnesota and Wisconsin as Big 10 entries in the event. The Wolverines and Gophers have appeared in more NCAA tournaments than any other school. This year marks the 38th appearance for each school.
Another school trying to extend an impressive streak this year is Minnesota-Duluth as the Bulldogs will be attempting to win their third consecutive title. UMD won in 2018 and 2019. The tournament was cancelled in 2020.
Minnesota, “The State of Hockey” is the home of 116 players (26%) in the tournament. To put that in another perspective-a combined 32 additional states account for a total of 141 players.
Several teams skate into the tournament with extended unbeaten streaks. Massachusetts in 7-0-3 in their last 10 matches, American International is on an 7-0-0 streak and Lake Superior State is 6-0-0.
American International boasts the best winning percentage this season (.833) in 18 total games while Minnesota State played 25 games and earned an .820 percentage.
If you are looking for the “Cinderella” on skates team, in each of the previous fourteen tournaments a four seed has defeated a one seed in regional competition.
That streak began when Holy Cross earned an overtime victory against Minnesota 4-3 in 2006.
FUTURE WATCH
Lakewood native and former Cleveland Baron Adam Scheel
For only the second time in the 41-year history of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, each of the ten finalists are in the tournament: Matt Boldy (Boston College), Cole Caufield (Wisconsin), David Farrance (Boston University), Dylan Holloway (Wisconsin), Spencer Knight (Boston College), Jack LaFontaine (Minnesota), Dryden McKay (Minnesota State), Keith Petruzzelli (Quinnipiac), Shane Pinto (North Dakota) and Odeen Tufto (Quinnipiac).
Caufield led the nation in scoring with 49 points (28G, 21A) in 30 games played for a 1.63 points per game average.
Tufto tallied 45 points on seven goals and 38 assists.
Knight, LaFontaine, McKay, Petruzzelli are also finalists for the Mike Richter Award as the top goalie in men’s Division I hockey.
Michigan’s Strauss Mann, North Dakota’s Adam Scheel (Lakewood, OH/Cleveland Barons), Lake Superior State’s Mareks Mitens are also finalists for the Richer Award.
Overall, 106 NHL Draft picks are in tournament this year and 15 of the 16 teams have at least one NHL Draft pick on their roster. Bemidji state in the lone exception.
Thirty NHL teams have prospects in the tournament. The Colorado Avalanche lead the way with eight prospects while the Washington Capitals have none.
Good luck with your bracket and go forward knowing that Oral Roberts does not have a team in the hockey tournament!
--- Follow Jim Smith on Twitter @BlueLineNotes
