Denver wins Frozen Four
Denver rallied for a 2-1 win over Wisconsin to capture the 2026 NCAA men’s hockey championship — the Pioneers’ 11th national title. The comeback came with two third‑period goals and a strong performance from goalie Johnny Hicks, who made 29 saves as Kyle Chyzowski celebrated a key third‑period score that flipped the game. (flohockey.tv) (denverpost.com) (ncaa.com)
Denver came from behind in the third period to beat Wisconsin 2-1 on April 11 in Las Vegas and win the 2026 National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s hockey championship. (ncaa.com) Wisconsin led 1-0 after a first-period goal from Ryland Mosley, and Denver did not score until Aidan Thompson tied it in the third before Kyle Chyzowski put the Pioneers ahead with 5:52 left. (ncaa.com) Goalie Johnny Hicks kept Denver in the game with 29 saves while Wisconsin finished with a 31-15 edge in shots. Denver coach David Carle said Hicks “kept us within striking range” as the Pioneers absorbed long stretches of pressure. (collegehockeynews.com) The win gave Denver its 11th national title, extending the program’s Division One men’s hockey record. It was also the Pioneers’ third championship in five seasons, after earlier titles in 2022 and 2024. (ncaa.com) (nbcnews.com) Wisconsin was playing for its first men’s hockey title since 2006 and its seventh overall. The Badgers reached the final after a 3-1 semifinal win over Michigan, while Denver needed double overtime to beat North Dakota 4-3 in the other semifinal. (wsaw.com) (espn.com) This year’s Frozen Four was held at T-Mobile Arena, the first time Las Vegas hosted the men’s championship event. The final matched a Big Ten program, Wisconsin, against Denver from the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. (ncaa.com) (espn.com) Denver’s title added another championship to a run of recent dominance by the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. The league has produced eight of the past 10 national champions, including each of the last three. (nbcchicago.com) (nchchockey.com) When the final horn sounded, Denver had turned one late push into another banner. Wisconsin controlled much of the night, but the trophy left Las Vegas with the program that now owns 11 national titles. (lasvegassun.com)
