This year’s Frozen Four did not disappoint. In Las Vegas, NV, for the first time, the games certainly lived up to the atmosphere. After a hectic regional round, Wisconsin found itself just two wins away from hoisting its first trophy in 20 years after beating Michigan State in OT in the Worcester Regional Championship game. No.1 Michigan survived a tough game against Minnesota-Duluth in the Albany Regional Championship, winning 4-3 after a late push from the Bulldogs. North Dakota took care of Quinnipiac and freshman sensation Ethan Wyttenbach handily en route to a 5-0 win in the Sioux Falls Regional. Lastly, Denver bested rival Western Michigan 6-2 in the Loveland Regional to make yet another Frozen Four appearance.
Simon Tassy celebrates after getting the Badgers on the board. Photo: Wisconsin Athletics
Semifinal #1 – Wisconsin vs. No. 2 North Dakota
After an embarrassing 7-1 exit in the Big Ten Tournament to Ohio State, Wisconsin played with a chip on its shoulder all tournament long. They came out flying and completely dominated North Dakota. The Badgers controlled the pace of the game from start to finish. After scoring 2 goals in 27 seconds in the 1st period, they never looked back. North Dakota was held scoreless until just under a minute in the 3rd period. After a 2-1 victory, the Badgers were set to face the winner of No. 1 Michigan vs. Denver.
The Denver Pioneers celebrate Kent Anderson’s game-winning goal in the semifinal. Photo: Denver Athletics
Semifinal #2: No. 1 Michigan vs. Denver
Denver is no stranger to moments like these. After waxing Western Michigan 6-2, the Pioneers were set for their toughest game of the season. All season long, the Michigan Wolverines have beaten opponents down with their high-powered offense and stellar goaltending. Michigan controlled the game for almost the entire game. Denver was outshot 52-26, but freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks stood on his head and stayed in the game despite a full-speed collision to his head in the 3rd period. Michigan looked sure to be playing on Sunday with a 3-2 lead late in the 3rd period, but first-year Clark Caswell tied the game 3-3 off a tipped pass. The first overtime frame can be described as Denver fighting to stay alive every time Michigan crossed the blue line. After a scoreless first overtime dominated by Michigan, the second overtime was more of the same. Midway through the second frame, Denver captain Kent Anderson found himself in the slot and ripped a shot bottom right to send the Pioneers to another national championship game.
National Championship: Wisconsin vs. Denver
The entire season came down to this game. Denver had 15 players with Frozen Four experience on their roster, while Wisconsin had 0. In these situations, experience is huge, and Denver Head Coach David Carle leaned on his guys all game. Much like the semifinal, Wisconsin dominated the whole game. 7 minutes into the 1st period, Wisconsin freshman Vasily Zelenov ripped a shot from the top of the left circle over Johnny Hicks’ shoulder, giving the Badgers a 1-0 lead. Throughout the first 47 minutes, the Pioneers were held to just 9 shots on goal. With 7:31 remaining in the 3rd period, Rieger Lorenz scored a rebound goal to tie the game 1-1. About 7 minutes later, Garrett Brown set up Boston Buckberger, who blasted a one-timer from the blue line, and Kyle Chyzowski tipped it, giving Denver the lead 2-1. The Pioneers held on to win 2-1, making it their third championship in the last five years and a historical 11th program title. The story of the tournament, by far, was Denver goalie Johnny Hicks. Hicks finished the Frozen Four with 78 saves and capped a record-setting season in which he went 16-0-1 and posted a .957 save percentage.
Denver takes their team picture with the 2026 National Championship Trophy. Photo: Denver Athletics
