Week 26 Hockey Release

Photo courtesy of Penn State Athletics

OFFICIAL RELEASE

• The 2024-25 college hockey season concludes this week at the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Louis, Mo. No. 12/5 Penn State, going for its first national championship, encounters No. 8/3 Boston University on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. CT in the Enterprise Center — home of the NHL St. Louis Blues. The game will be preceded by No. 6/2 Denver versus No. 3/1 Western Michigan at 4 p.m. CT. The NCAA will crown its 77th champion on Saturday with the title game beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT. All three games will be carried by ESPN2. St. Louis is hosting its third Frozen Four (1975, 2007, 2025) and for the second time at the Enterprise Center.

Thursday (7:30 p.m. CT) | NCAA Semifinal | Enterprise Center
Penn State (22-13-4) vs. Boston U. (23-13-2)
Penn State’s first appearance in the Frozen Four — in its 13th varsity season — caps a remarkable second-half of the season. On January 1 the Nittany Lions stood last in the Big Ten standings with an 0-8-0 record, two game under .500 overall at 7-9-0. PSU has since gone unbeaten in 19 of 23 games, posting a 15-4-4 mark. Penn State and Boston U. will be meeting for the first time. PSU is 4-3 all-time in NCAA action over four tournaments.

• The Big Ten Conference has sent representatives to the Frozen Four four consecutive years: Penn State (2025), Michigan (2024), Michigan/Minnesota (2023) and Michigan/Minnesota (2022). Since Big Ten Hockey was formed in 2013-14, the conference has qualified 11 teams for the Frozen Four. Three teams have advanced to the championship game as the conference looks for its first national champion. 

Big Ten Appearances in the Frozen Four (since 2014)
Michigan — 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024
Minnesota — 2014, 2022, 2023
Notre Dame — 2017, 2018
Ohio State — 2018
Penn State — 2025

• National awards will be handed out at the Friday Night at the Frozen Four ceremony on April 11 at the Stifel Theater in St. Louis. The event will be highlighted by the Hobey Baker Memorial Award announcement at 5 p.m. CT, televised live on the NHL Network and streamed on HobeyBaker.com. Michigan State’s Isaac Howard is one of three Hat Trick finalists for the award, along with Boston College’s Ryan Leonard and Denver’s Zeev Buium. Howard will look to become the third Spartan to win the award, joining Ryan Miller (2021) and Kip Miller (1990). Other awards to be handed out include the Mike Richter Award (top goaltender) with Trey Augustine of Michigan State a finalist; the Tim Taylor Award (top rookie) with Michigan’s Michael Hage a finalist; the Derek Hines Award (unsung hero) with Michigan’s Jacob Truscott a finalist along with the Hockey Humanitarian Award and the AHCA/CCM All-America Teams. 

• Michigan State’s Adam Nightingale and Penn State’s Guy Gadowsky have been named finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, presented to the CCM/AHCA Division I Head Coach of the Year. Nightingale, a Penrose finalist for the second-straight year, led the Spartans to the Big Ten Championship, the Big Ten Tournament title and was chosen Big Ten Coach of the Year. Gadowsky has guided the Nittany Lions to the Frozen Four and a 4-1 postseason record. The winner will be announced Wednesday.