The story of the men’s NCAA season so far has been the inverse of recent history. The Big Ten, which has not won a national championship since forming in 2013, is dominating thanks to some incredible recruiting classes buttressed by a wave of major junior players from Canada.
Hockey East, which has typically been one of the strongest conferences in the nation, is struggling. Perhaps it’s just a blip or maybe the parity in Hockey East is simply muddying the waters, but it’s odd to see the likes of Boston University and Boston College not at the top of the rankings.
Let’s not forget the NCHC, either. That conference has minted seven of the past 10 national champions and the likes of Denver and North Dakota are looking dangerous again.
There is still a lot of hockey left to play, however, so anything can happen. In the meantime, we go with the information we have on these first power rankings of the 2025-26 season.
College hockey power rankings
1. Michigan Wolverines (15-3-0)
The most entertaining team in the nation, the Wolverines have scored 92 goals so far – no other team has even hit 70. Led by the likes of NHL first-rounders Will Horcoff (Pittsburgh) and Michael Hage (Montreal), Michigan has blitzed the competition and played a pretty good schedule. Archrival Michigan State is up next and that will be a battle royale for state supremacy.
2. Wisconsin Badgers (10-2-2)
The Badgers may not have the same big names as some of their Big Ten cohorts, but they did recently sweep Michigan State, who had been the No. 1 team in the nation. So give Bucky his due. Forwards such as Christian Fitzgerald and Gavin Morrissey are pacing the offense, but keep an eye on sophomore defenseman Logan Hensler (Ottawa), as he is finding his scoring range in his second year.
3. Dartmouth Big Green (8-0-0)
The only undefeated team left in the nation, Dartmouth has done it with defense and goaltending. The Big Green have surrendered just nine goals total so far, with netminder Emmett Croteau (Montreal) boasting an absolutely ridiculous .970 save percentage through four starts. They’ve beaten Cornell once, but let’s see if this team can keep the party rolling when it plays the likes of Arizona State and Quinnipiac later in the campaign.
4. Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (12-4-0)
A couple of splits with Omaha and Colorado College have dented UMD’s armor a bit, but this is still a top-notch squad. The Plante brothers, Max (Detroit) and Zam (Pittsburgh), are two of the top scorers in the nation and Max will be one to watch for Team USA at the world juniors at the end of December. In goal, Adam Gajan (Chicago) has become the No. 1 stopper we all thought he would become.
5. Michigan State Spartans (11-3-0)
When you’re on top, everyone takes a shot at you. Unfortunately for the Spartans, Wisconsin took a bunch of good shots, handing Michigan State two losses in a row. Nevertheless, this is still a top team thanks to scintillating freshman Porter Martone (Philadelphia) and senior Charlie Stramel (Minnesota), among others. Trey Augustine (Detroit) has been a titan in net, as per usual.
6. North Dakota Fighting Hawks (10-4-0)
An early loss to Minnesota doesn’t look as bad now that the Gophers are on the upswing and in general, North Dakota has taken care of business. Freshman defenseman Keaton Verhoeff has played so well that some believe he can challenge Gavin McKenna as the top prospects in the 2026 NHL draft, while fellow major junior import Cole Reschny (Calgary) has been everything the team could have hoped for.
7. Northeastern Huskies (9-4-0)
One of the most pleasant surprises of the season so far, the Huskies have been shining in a confusing Hockey East conference. Northeastern already has a sweep over Boston College and a non-conference win over powerhouse Denver. Junior goaltender Lawton Zacher has been fantastic between the pipes with a .943 save percentage, while Dylan Hryckowian has paced the offense.
8. Denver Pioneers (9-5-1)
Never doubt a David Carle-coached team. Even if the Pioneers have been streaky, this is a team that knows how to win it all. Having said that, Denver has lost two in a row after winning six straight, so I have to ding them a bit. Defenseman Eric Pohlkamp (San Jose) is leading the team in offense, while goaltender Quentin Miller (Montreal) has been solid in net.
9. Minnesota State Mavericks (10-2-4)
The kings of the CCHA tied Wisconsin twice early on and that’s looking impressive now. Minnesota State has ripped off six consecutive wins and has a pretty favorable schedule in the future. Senior goaltender Alex Tracy has played every game and has an admirable .936 save percentage to show for it. Luigi Benincasa leads the offense.
10. Penn State Nittany Lions (11-5-0)
Early success for the hotly anticipated Nittany Lions came to a crashing halt in recent weeks due to match-ups with Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota. Not a death knell, but perhaps a wake-up call. Gavin McKenna, the top prospect in the 2026 NHL draft, has been one of the top-scoring freshmen in the country while Charlie Cerrato (Carolina) has been sizzling. Too bad they don’t play for another month.
