"The Big Ten and NCHC have been the strongest leagues so far, with teams from those leagues holding down the top seven spots in the first USCHO poll of the new year. No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Michigan State and No. 3 Wisconsin give the Big Ten a tight grip on the top of the rankings, with Nos. 4-7 held by North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, Western Michigan and Denver of the NCHC."
"An important change this season is the switch from the PairWise rankings to the NCAA Power Index, or NPI, to determine selection and seeding for the NCAA tournament. While the NPI is intended to address some statistical anomalies, preventing teams from being excessively rewarded for strong wins or penalized by poor losses, the overall effect is not expected to be drastically different from PairWise."
"Sean Ritchlin: The decision by Gavin McKenna, the likely No. 1 pick in the upcoming NHL draft, to leave Major Juniors and play for Penn State has captured the full attention of the college hockey world. It represents a seismic shift in how elite prospects may view their development paths going forward. College hockey has always been a proven development league, producing NHL stars through a model built on strength development, structure and maturity."
In 2026, college hockey teams resumed conference play after the holiday break. The Big Ten and NCHC occupy the top seven spots in the first USCHO poll. No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Michigan State and No. 3 Wisconsin lead the Big Ten, while four NCHC teams hold Nos. 4–7. Quinnipiac, Penn State and Connecticut round out the top 10. The NCAA replaced PairWise with the NPI to determine tournament selection and seeding, aiming to fix statistical anomalies while producing similar results. Midseason assessments identify storylines, rising teams, Hobey Baker candidates and projected Frozen Four participants for April in Las Vegas. Gavin McKenna’s move from Major Juniors to Penn State could reshape elite prospect development paths.
Read at ESPN.com
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