At the risk of a little repetition, we’re going to circle back to Thursday’s Puck Drop, which named the five Most Surprising Teams of the 2025-26 Season in the nation, and take it to another level. In short, we’re going to do something simialr at the conference level.
Granted, the regular season has yet to conclude, and only one team has locked down a first-place finish. Bentley clinched its first Atlantic Hockey regular season title on Friday night with a 4-3 win at RIT. But some of the other aces are pretty close to being locked down.
For example, Providence can clinch at least a share of the Hockey East regular season title with a regulation win Friday. North Dakota has a showdown series with Western Michigan as the Penrose Cup recognizing the NCHC regular-season champion is up for grabs, but the Fighning Hawks just need one point to clinch a share of the the title, and two points to win it outright.
You get the idea. Nothing is completely set until the final regular season game is played on March 7, but here are the teams that have exceeded expectations the most in each league. :
AHA: RIT. In the preseason coaches poll, the Tigers were voted eighth in the 10-team league. Instead, they are tied for second with Sacred Heart, the preseason favorite. A year ago, RIT finished 10-23-2, including 9-15-2 in league play. Even if it finishes in third in the standings that’s a big-time jump for the program.
Big Ten: If you read the national story you already know the answer is Michigan, which was projected to finish fourth in preseason coaches poll. Only one other team will likely wrap up the season higher up in the standings than expected, Wisconsin, and just by a single spot at fourth after being picked fifth.
CCHA: Augustana. The regular season title is still very much up for grabs and the Vikings are very much in the mix even though their regular season is already completed. They have 50 points are are off this weekend, while St. Thomas and Michigan Tech have 48 points, Minnesota State is at 46 and Bowling Green at 44 — Bowling Green is at No. 18 Michigan Tech, No. 16 Minnesota State hosts las-place Northern Michigan, and No. 15 St. Thomas is at Bemidji State this weekend, so a lot can still happen. But Augustana was projected to finish fifth in the preseason media poll, behind all of the other contenders.
ECAC: Princeton. A year ago, the Tigers were 12-15-3 overall, 7-12-3 in the ECAC, which put Princeton squarely in ninth in the standings. In the preseason poll it was voted to finish eighth. It goes into this final week of league play, albeit with tough games at Harvard and Dartmouth, in fourth at 15-11-2 overall, 11-8-1 ECAC, and No. 27 in National Collegiate Percentage (NPI) Index.
Hockey East: This is the one conference in which a team does not clear stand out yet, as Boston College, Massachusetts and Northeastern are all roughly two spots ahead of the where they were projected in the preseason coaches poll, and there are still two weeks of games remaining on the schedule. We’re going to say that this is the Huskies’ claim or win or lose as last year they finished 14-20-3 overall, 7-14-3 in Hockey East and placed ninth. They were preseason tied for seventh (with UMass Lowell), just behind BC in fifth and UMass in sixth. Yes, the Eagles are currently in second place, but won the regular-season title last year.
NCHC: We’ve been banging this drum all season. Miami went 0-23-1 in conference play last year, and were projected to finish dead last again. Instead, at 17-13-2, the RedHawks are already guaranteed of finishing above .500 overall, and are tied for sixth in the conference. They’ll wrap up the regulation season with two games at last-place Omaha.
Puck Drop: Friday, February 27, 2026
• The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman did a deep-dive on the Big Ten’s financial documents in its first year as an 18-team league. “Outside of football and men’s basketball, Minnesota men’s ice hockey was the only program to make a profit during the 2025 fiscal year, clearing about $2.75 million. Gophers hockey reported $9.72 million in revenue, including $3.92 million in ticket sales. That was not only the highest outside of the big two sports, but it also topped gate revenue for five Big Ten public schools’ men’s basketball programs,”
• Gophers Men’s Hockey Knocks Off No. 2 Michigan on the Road
Gophers get it done 🙌
Minnesota picks up a B1G win over No. 2 Michigan 💥 pic.twitter.com/lYzRqz3aDp
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) February 27, 2026
• Augustana and Ohio State announced two future home-and-home series over the next two seasons. Augustana will travel to Columbus in 2026-27, then host the Buckeyes at Midco Arena in 2027-28.
• Carson Scott, a 6-3 defenseman for the U17 USNTD has committed to North Dakota.
• Coming off a high-ankle sprain former Wisconsin center Dylan Holloway scored his second NHL hat trick and had an assist to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 5-1 win against Seattle. Meanwhile, Dylan Larkin’s capped his first game following the Olympics by scoring his second goal at 1:50 of overtime to give Detroit a 2-1 win against Ottawa. It was his 13th career overtime goal, the most in franchise history, surpassing Sergei Fedorov.
• From Breakaway On SI: Macklin Celebrini Bringing Olympic Mindset Back to Sharks
Men’s College Hockey Thursday Scores
Big Ten
Minnesota 4, No. 2 Michigan 2
CCHA
Ferris State 5, Lake Superior 2
Games between ranked opponents are bolded. All times are local to where the game is being played.
Men’s College Hockey Friday Schedule
AHA
Canisius at Niagara, 6 p.m. ET
RIT at Holy Cross, 7 p.m. ET
Robert Morris at Mercyhurst, 7 p.m. ET
Sacred Heart at Army, 7 p.m. ET
Air Force at Bentley, 7 p.m. ET
Big Ten
Minnesota at No. 2 Michigan, BTN, 6 p.m. ET
No. 5 Penn State at Notre Dame, TSN 7 p.m. ET
Ohio State at No. 1 Michigan State, BTN, 8:30 p.m. ET
CCHA
Ferris State at Lake Superior, 7 p.m. ET
Bowling Green at No. 18 Michigan Tech, 7 p.m. ET
Northern Michigan at No. 16 Minnesota State, 7 p.m. CT
No. 15 St. Thomas at Bemidji State, 7 p.m. CT
ECAC
RPI at Brown, 7 p.m. ET
Clarkson at Colgate, 7 p.m. ET
St. Lawrence at No. 10 Cornell, 7 p.m. ET
No. 7 Quinnipiac at No. 11 Dartmouth, 7 p.m. ET
Princeton at Harvard, 7 p.m. ET
No. 20 Union at Yale, 7 p.m. ET
Hockey East
No. 12 Boston College at Boston University, 7 p.m. ET
No. 19 Massachusetts at No. 14 UConn, NESN 7 p.m. ET
Vermont at Merrimack, 7 p.m. ET
Maine at Northeastern, 7 p.m. ET
New Hampshire at No. 6 Providence, 7 p.m. ET
NCHC
Arizona State at No. 9 Denver, 7 p.m. MT
Miami at Omaha, 7 p.m. CT
Colorado College at No. 8 Minnesota Duluth, 7 p.m. CT
No. 3 North Dakota at No. 4 Western Michigan, 8 p.m. ET
Exhibition
Simon Fraser at Stonehill, 7 p.m. ET
Non-Conference
Alaska-Anchorage at Alaska, 7 p.m. AT
Women’s College Hockey Conference Tournaments
AHA Tournament
Semifinals (Best of 3)
Friday’s Games
Lindenwood at No. 12 Mercyhurst, 3 p.m. ET
Syracuse at No. 3 Penn State, 6 p.m. ET
Saturday’s Games
Lindenwood at No. 12 Mercyhurst, 1 p.m. ET
Syracuse at Penn State, 3 p.m. ET
Sunday’s Games (if necessary)
Lindenwood at No. 12 Mercyhurst, 1 p.m. ET
Syracuse at No. 3 Penn State, 3 p.m. ET
ECAC Tournament
Quarterfinals (Best of 3)
Friday’s Games
No. 13 Colgate at No. 11 Cornell, 3 p.m. ET
Harvard at No. 10 Princeton, 3 p.m. ET
Union at No. 8 Yale, 3 p.m. ET
Brown at No. 6 Quinnipiac, 6 p.m. ET
Saturday’s Games
No. 13 Colgate at No. 11 Cornell, 3 p.m. ET
Harvard at No. 10 Princeton, 3 p.m. ET
Union at No. 8 Yale, 3 p.m. ET
Brown at No. 6 Quinnipiac, 3 p.m. ET
Sunday’s Games (if necessary)
Brown at No. 6 Quinnipiac, 2 p.m. ET
No. 13 Colgate at No. 11 Cornell, 3 p.m. ET
Harvard at No. 10 Princeton, 3 p.m. ET
Union at No. 8 Yale, 3 p.m. ET
Hockey East Tournament
Quarterfinals
Saturday’s Games
Vermont at Boston College, NESN+, 1 p.m. ET
New Hampshire at Holy Cross, 2 p.m. ET
Maine at No. 7 Connecticut, 3 p.m. ET
No. 5 Northeastern at Boson University, 4 p.m. ET
NEWHA Tournament
Quarterfinals (Best of 3)
Friday’s Games
Post at Assumption, 3 p.m. ET
Long Island at Stonehill, 5 p.m. ET
Saint Michael’s at Franklin Pierce, 7 p.m. ET
Sacred Heart at Saint Anselm, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday’s Games
Sacred Heart at Saint Anselm, TBD
Long Island at Stonehill, 1 p.m. ET
Post at Assumption, 4:10 p.m. ET
Saint Michael’s at Fraklin Pierce, 7 p.m. ET
Sunday’s Games (if necessary)
Long Island at Stonehill, 1:30 p.m. p.m. ET
Sacred Heart at Saint Anselm, 3 p.m.
Saint Michael’s at Fraklin Pierce, 4 p.m. ET
Post at Assumption, 7 p.m. ET
WCHA Tournament
Quarterfinals (Best of 3)
Friday’s Games
No. 15 Minnesota State at No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth, 2 p.m. CT
St. Cloud State at No. 4 Minnesota, 6 p.m. CT
St. Thomas at No. 2 Ohio State, 6 p.m. CT
Bemidji State at No. 1 Wisconsin, 6 p.m. CT
Saturday’s Games
No. 15 Minnesota State at No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth, 1 p.m. CT
St. Cloud State at No. 4 Minnesota, 2 p.m. CT
St. Thomas at No. 2 Ohio State, 3 p.m. CT
Bemidji State at No. 1 Wisconsin, 3 p.m. CT
Sunday’s Games (if necessary)
No. 15 Minnesota State at No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth, 1 p.m. CT
Bemidji State at No. 2 Wisconsin, 2 p.m. CT
St. Cloud State at No. 4 Minnesota, 3 p.m. CT
St. Thomas at No. 2 Ohio State, 3 p.m. CT
Hockey Quote of the Day
“I don’t think I could ever pinpoint one favorite moment from my career. I was so fortunate to play on a lot of great teams and have a lot of great teammates. But winning four Beanpots I always thought was pretty cool and pretty unique.”
Chris Drury (Boston University)
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We’ll Leave You With This …
Give it up for Ellie! 👏
Ellie joins us tonight as our ceremonial puck dropper on Pediatric Cancer Night. Moments like this remind us that we are all stronger together and no one has to fight alone💛 pic.twitter.com/NbSBCJf330
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) February 27, 2026
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