Hockey Season-in-Review

Photo courtesy of Hobey Baker Memorial Award

OFFICIAL RELEASE

• The 12th season of Big Ten Hockey concluded April 10 at the NCAA Frozen Four as Penn State fell to Boston University, 3-1, in a semifinal game held at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. The Nittany Lions were the fifth different Big Ten team to reach the Frozen Four since 2018.

• The Big Ten sent four teams to the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Michigan State earned the conference’s automatic berth while Minnesota, Ohio State and Penn State received at-large berths into the 16-team field. For the fourth-straight year, a Big Ten school advanced to the Frozen Four. During the regular season, the Big Ten compiled the best nonconference record in the country with a 53-20-5 mark (.712), a distinction the conference achieved for the fourth-consecutive season.

• Michigan State junior forward Isaac Howard captured the 45th Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in college hockey. Howard compiled 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 points in 37 games. He became the third Spartan and the 12th player from a Big Ten institution to win the Hobey. Three of the last five Hobey recipients have come from the Big Ten.

• The Hobey Baker Award presentation highlighted the “Friday Night at the Frozen Four” awards ceremony held April 11 at the Stifel Theatre in St. Louis. Michigan graduate defenseman Jacob Truscott received the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award, becoming the fourth Big Ten player to receive that honor. Six student-athletes achieved All-America status: 

AHCA/CCM West First Team                 
Trey Augustine, G, Michigan State
Isaac Howard, F, Michigan State             
Sam Rinzel, D, Minnesota

AHCA/CCM West Second Team
Matt Basgall, D, Michigan State
Jimmy Snuggerud, F, Minnesota
Aiden Fink, F, Penn State

• Michigan State became the fourth team to capture the Big Ten Double, winning the conference regular season championship and the conference tournament in the same season. MSU also accomplished a first by securing the Big Ten Double in back-to-back seasons. Michigan State and Minnesota were crowned co-champions during the regular season, marking the first time that had occurred since Big Ten Hockey began in 2013-14. Minnesota led the conference with 18 Academic All-Big Ten selections.

• The Big Ten had five teams finish in the Top 20 in the final USCHO.com and USA Today/The Rink Live polls. Earning spots were No. 5/5 Penn State, No. 6/6 Michigan State, No. 9/8 Minnesota, No. 11/12 Ohio State and No. 17/17 Michigan.

• A total of 93 former Big Ten players have appeared in the National Hockey League in 2024-25, including five recent signees who played in the Big Ten this season: Karsen Dorwart (MSU/Philadelphia), Oliver Moore (MINN/Chicago), Sam Rinzel (MINN/Chicago), Jimmy Snuggerud (MINN/St. Louis), and Matthew Wood (MINN/Nashville). The Big Ten was home to 54 NHL Draft picks and on the international stage, six Big Ten players and an assistant coach helped the U.S. National Junior Team defend its gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

• In NCAA rankings, Michigan State posted the second-best winning percentage (.757) while Minnesota ranked third in scoring offense (3.85), Penn State third in short-handed goals (8) and Wisconsin third in faceoff win percentage (.545). Individually, Isaac Howard led the country in points per game (1.41), Michigan’s Garrett Schifsky ranked second in short-handed goals (3) and Penn State’s Aiden Fink stood third in points per game (1.33).

• Big Ten teams played before large crowds with five schools ranked among the Top 10 in NCAA attendance. The Big Ten produced the four-highest attended games in the NCAA, with three games at the Frozen Confines: Big Ten Hockey Series drawing more than 24,000 fans. Michigan and Michigan State also attracted 19,515 spectators for the “Duel in the D” at Little Caesars Arena, along with a viewing audience of 159,000 on the Big Ten Network. Penn State’s Frozen Four game against Boston University on ESPN2 averaged 253,000 viewers.