Week 15 Hockey Release
Photo by: Taylor Wolfram / Courtesy of Wisconsin Athletics
OFFICIAL RELEASE
• The second half of the Big Ten Hockey schedule begins this week with three pairs of teams meeting for the first time this season. No. 1/1 Michigan, which has played two more games than the rest of the conference, is off this week, giving other teams an opportunity to move up the standings. Having reclaimed the No. 2/2 spots in the national polls, Michigan State returns home to host Minnesota. Gopher goaltender Luca Di Pasquo was tested last week, making 92 saves against Michigan. Saturday’s MINN-MSU contest will be carried by the Big Ten Network. No. 8/8 Penn State travels to No. 5/5 Wisconsin. Should the Nittany Lions manage a pair of wins in regulation, they would move into a first-place tie. No. 8/8 Wisconsin looks to keep pace as it closes a six-game homestand. Saturday’s game will be part of a BTN doubleheader. Ohio State and Notre Dame square off at the Compton Family Ice Arena with both games streamed on Peacock.
• The latest NCAA Power Index includes four Big Ten teams among the Top 16. Michigan occupies the top spot followed by Michigan State (second), Penn State (sixth) and Wisconsin (seventh). The NPI is a statistical formula that emulates the selection process used for at-large bids to the 16-team NCAA Tournament.
• A glance at NCAA statistics finds the Big Ten leading eight team categories and four individual areas. Teamwise, the Big Ten paces the country in power play goals (MICH, 28), assists (MICH, 198), points (MICH, 314), scoring offense (MICH, 4.83), scoring defense (MSU, 1.77), scoring margin (MICH, 2.75), blocked shots (MINN, 373), and winning percentage (MICH, .833). Individually, the Big Ten tops the charts in game-winning goals (Will Horcoff, MICH, 6), shorthanded goals (Dane Dowiak, PSU, 3/Josh Eernisse, MICH, 3), hat tricks (Matt DiMarsico, PSU, 3), and save percentage (Josh Fleming, PSU, .943).
• Three Big Ten players are featured in the NHL Central Scouting midterm rankings for North American skates, which identifies top prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft. Penn State forward Gavin McKenna is listed as the No. 1 prospect. At 18 years of age, McKenna ranks eighth in Big Ten scoring with 24 points (6 goals, 18 assists) in 20 games. He was named the Big Ten Third Star of the Week after logging five points and averaging 24:04 minutes of ice time per game in PSU’s sweep of Notre Dame last week. The midterm rankings also include Michigan teammates Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen and Adam Valentini. A sophomore defenseman, Rhéaume-Mullen competed for Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championship while Valentini, a forward, is the top freshman scorer for the Wolverines, ranking fifth in team points.
• The Big Ten Tournament will sport a new look in 2026, being shortened from three weeks to two weeks. The quarterfinals, previously played as best-of-three series over a weekend, will now be single-elimination games played on Wednesday (March 11) to open the tournament. Single-elimination semifinals and the ensuring championship game will be played on consecutive Saturdays on March 14 and March 21 at campus sites.