The defending champions aim to overcome blue line turnover while trying to repeat against a challenging NCHC field.
You'd be hard pressed to find a more complete NCHC team than the defending champion Pioneers. Three National Championships and a quartet of Frozen Four Appearances since 2020 make Denver college hockey's standard, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Although alternate captain Rieger Lorenz signed with the Minnesota Wild, the Pioneers remain top tier offensively. One of the country's top rising seniors Sam Harris is back after a team second 35 points 47 penalty minutes through 43 games. I presume he is on Head Coach David Carle's shortlist of potential captains. Clarke Caswell also returns following a freshman year where he led Denver via 26 assists.
The only pause the Pioneers gave was regarding their defense. Denver lost half its blue line to the professional ranks, including Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalist Eric Pohlkamp and captain Kent Anderson. Coach Carle replaced those departing defensemen with freshmen, chief among them 2026 4th Overall Pick Daxon Rudolph. Buffalo's top prospect will continue playing alongside his Prince Albert Raider teammate and fellow freshman Max Heise. That type of chemistry will help the rest of the Pioneers gel during as they hope to repeat.
Sophomore Johnny Hicks and senior Paxton Geisel will likely share most goaltending duties following Montreal draftee Quentin Miller's transfer to Western Michigan. Miller started 25 of Denver's 43 games. The Canadiens' 2023 fourth round selection won a Memorial Cup for the Québec Remparts that same year.
Apr 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, United States; Denver Pioneers goaltender Paxton Geisel (30) skates with the trophy after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers in the championship game of the NCAA men's ice hockey Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn ImagesTo try and fill the void left by Miller, junior Tyler Krivtsov enters the rotation from Alaska–Anchorage. Krivtsov earned all five of the Seawolves' wins last year while posting a .901 save percentage and a shutout. His presence could reacclimate Geisel to a 50/50 split in net. Geisel has started just eight collegiate contests in three years, partially due to a 2024 lower body injury.
Hicks on the other hand, was one of college hockey's biggest stories as an undefeated freshman netminder. His 16-0-1 run saw him lead college hockey with a .957 save percentage and 1.19 goals allowed average. One of those 16 victories was of course, the National Championship itself.
Across the NCHC, North Dakota is Denver's closest completion. Headlined by Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff, the Fighting Hawks have one of the country's best blue lines. However, the offensive depth piled a Mile High will be just too much for rest of the NCHC and potentially the nation.
