Another weekend of college hockey is upon us, so which games should you tune into? Examining six of the most fun matchups this weekend.
Travel days are over, and we've reached another weekend of college hockey. This weekend, plenty of exciting matchups with lots of star power will be on display. So, if you're here to find out about the best matchups on your television, phone, or other electronic device, you've come to the right place.
I want to discuss six eye-catching matchups for this weekend, considering the general position of the teams, who will face each other, and more.
Wisconsin (1) vs. Michigan State University (11)
After the previously ranked number one team, Boston College fell and tied (even though they won in a shootout) to the University of Maine in their two-game set last weekend, we saw the University of Wisconsin step into the top spot in the national rankings.
Holding a record of 9-1-0, including six straight ranked wins, four of which came against the University of Minnesota (ranked first at the time) and the University of Michigan (ranked fourth at the time), the Badgers have made their way to the top of the totem pole.
Wisconsin is led in points by Mathieu De St. Phalle, who has registered 12 in 10 games, and in goals by Carolina Hurricanes prospect Cruz Lucius, who has registered six total. The team wants to seal two more wins against a fellow BIG 10 opponent.
As for the Spartans, they hold a record of 8-3-1 coming into this matchup, with two of their losses coming to Boston College, the other coming to Air Force, and their tie coming at the hands of Penn State University.
The most impressive aspect of Michigan State's team this year is its depth. Nine players have ten or more points, including Isaac Howard, the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2022 first-round pick, and Red Savage, the Detroit Red Wings' 2021 fourth-round selection.
Michigan State is also backed by some solid goaltending in Trey Augustine, who the Red Wings selected in the second round of the 2023 draft.
University of Connecticut vs. Boston College (4)
The UConn Huskies certainly aren't off to the start they wanted coming into the 2023-24 campaign. Now, they play an incredibly talented Boston College team in a home-and-home series.
This matchup is less about the two teams being incredible from top to bottom and more about the kind of individual players you'll get to watch if you decide to tune into one of the two games this weekend.
For UConn, the big name (literally and physically) is Matthew Wood, the Nashville Predators 2023 first-round draft pick. The 6-foot-4, 196-pound center/left-winger currently leads the team in goals (6), assists (4), and points (10), while his teammate, Hudson Schandor, sits in second place on the team with a very different build, standing at just 5-foot-9.
For Boston College, there are so many places I could start regarding names to watch. The first that comes to mind is Cutter Gauthier, the Philadelphia Flyers' fifth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and third-highest scorer on this Eagles team with 11 points in 10 games. He also leads the team in goals with eight.
Next up, however, are three names that haven't been separable since their days at the United States National Development Program (USNTDP): Gabe Perreault, Will Smith, and Ryan Leonard.
All three players were selected in the first round of last year's Entry Draft and have found success at Boston College.
Perreault, a New York Rangers draft pick, is the leading scorer of the three (and the team's leading scorer) with 15 points in 10 games, 13 of those coming in the form of assists.
Smith, who went fourth overall to the San Jose Sharks, follows closely behind him with 14 points in 10 games and is tied for second on the team in goals with five.
Leonard, drafted eighth overall by the Washington Capitals in 2023, is also tied with him in goals. He has 10 points in 10 games and is the fourth and final player to have double-digit points this season.
As a trio, those three can create highlight-reel plays every game, and I don't think they will stop now. Nine of Boston College's top ten scorers are drafted players, so if you want to watch a team with plenty of scoring threats beyond the players I just named, this would be a game for you.
University of Notre Dame (17) vs. University of Minnesota (6)
More BIG 10 action? More BIG 10 action!
Coming off two big wins against Ohio State University, Notre Dame is headed into Minnesota looking to upset a powerhouse team in the NCAA.
The prominent performer for the Irish has been in the net, with Ryan Bischel manning the blue paint and doing an excellent job of it, holding the second-best save percentage in the nation (.941) after a stellar weekend against the Buckeyes.
Landon Slaggert, a prospect of the Chicago Blackhawks, is the only point-per-game player with the Fighting Irish, with 11 points (8 goals, 3 assists) in 11 games played. So he'll be the name to watch out for on the offensive side of the puck.
For the Gophers, the usual suspects are at the top of the priority list for Notre Dame's defense. Jimmy Snuggerud, a St. Louis Blues prospect, and Oliver Moore, another Chicago Blackhawks prospect in this matchup, are the two that come to mind instantly. But New York Rangers prospect Brody Lamb currently leads Minnesota in points with 10 in 10 games.
Other players to watch out for who may not have gotten off to the hottest starts include Rhett Pitlick (5 points in 10 games) and Luke Mittelstadt (2 points in 10 games). Both are talented players who were vital parts of Minnesota's team last season, and they're too important to the current roster not to have a stretch of points.
Penn State (18) vs. University of Michigan (12)
Last year, Penn State University and the University of Michigan had their fair share of bouts, including a game in the NCAA Regional Final. Penn State was searching for their first-ever Frozen Four appearance, but after taking the lead with just over a minute remaining in the second period, were thwarted by goals from Adam Fantilli in the third and Mackie Samoskevich in overtime.
They're looking for revenge early in this 2023-24 season, holding a 5-3-3 record.
All three of Penn State's ties came in a row: two to Notre Dame and one to Michigan State. They lost the first in a shootout but won the next two.
Noah Grannan is the new face in net for Penn State, sporting a 2.23 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. And as for the scoring, it's two faces in Danny Dzhaniyev (11 points in 10 games) and Ryan Kirwan (10 points in 11 games) that were on the roster last season along with Aidan Fink, a freshman draft choice of the Nashville Predators, that are at the top of the point scoring leaderboard.
Xander Lamppa was also on the roster last season, and he is tied with Fink in points, with 9 in 11 games played.
As for Michigan, they're a powerhouse once again.
The roster currently has 10 drafted players, seven of whom have registered over double-digit points for the season. Rutger McGroarty leads the way with 18 points in 12 games, while Sheamus Casey, defenseman prospect for the Devils, is close behind with 17.
Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Gavin Brindley leads the team in goals with nine, so look for his name on the scoresheet.
The games between these two teams last year were all close, so while they might need a bit more time to feel each other out to start this series, it's bound to be fun.
University of Maine (9) vs. Boston University (8)
The University of Maine found success against one of the other big college hockey teams in Boston, and now they play Boston University in another big test.
Despite only having one drafted player on the roster, Maine is sporting a 6-1-1 record, including a win and a tie against Boston College. They also won one of their two games against Quinnipiac University and both of their games against Merrimack University, who were ranked at the time.
The name to watch for Maine is Bradly Nadeau, a Carolina Hurricanes 2023 first-round draft selection, who has an incredible shot and leads the Black Bears in goals with six. He's also tied for first in points with two other players, his brother Josh and Lynden Breen, the team's leading scorer last season.
Maine will win these games by playing through their top three scorers while also not letting Boston University's big guns find ways through their defense.
Speaking of Boston University's big guns, tune into this game if you want to watch some big names in the hockey world.
First and foremost, Macklin Celebrini, the team's leading point scorer as a 17-year-old freshman and projected first overall pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft is the name to watch per usual. He has 18 points in 9 games played.
Following him are two Montreal Canadiens prospects, Luke Tuch (12 points in 10 games) and Lane Hutson (11 points in 9 games), who are catalysts of the Terriers' offense.
Other players to watch include Lane's brother Quinn, Macklin's brother Aidan, Tom Willander, Devin Kaplan, and even Jack Hughes! (Not THAT Jack Hughes).
All of them will be looking to improve upon their current 6-3-1 record, especially after a strong series against the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a heartbreaking overtime loss in the second game of their series against the number two-ranked University of North Dakota.
Honorable mention: Cornell University (10) vs. Quinnipiac (7) -- only Friday
Unfortunately, these two teams will only play each other once this weekend, so I didn't put it with the other five matchups that are a series this weekend. Still, it's two ranked opponents going up against each other, and one of them happens to be the reigning national champion. What's not to love?
It will be a fun weekend of college hockey, so be sure to catch some of these exciting matchups!