Denver wins 11th title
Denver beat Wisconsin 2–1 to win the 2026 NCAA men’s ice hockey championship, giving the Pioneers their 11th national title. (ncaa.com) The game turned on a third-period rally — Denver scored two third-period goals with Kyle Chyzowski netting a key goal while goaltender Johnny Hicks made 29 saves. (flohockey.tv) Wisconsin had reached the final after upsets of No. 3 Michigan State (4–3) and No. 2 North Dakota (2–1) but fell one goal short in Las Vegas. (usatoday.com)
Denver erased a third-period deficit Saturday night and beat Wisconsin 2-1 in Las Vegas for the program’s record 11th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s hockey title. (ncaa.com) Wisconsin led 1-0 after the first period, but Denver scored twice in the third. Kyle Chyzowski put the Pioneers ahead with 5:52 left, redirecting Boston Buckberger’s shot past Badgers goalie Daniel Hauser. (usatoday.com) Freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks stopped 29 shots in the final and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after making 78 saves across Denver’s two Frozen Four games. (nhl.com) The win gave Denver its third national championship in five years, after earlier titles in 2022 and 2024. It also pushed the Pioneers two championships clear of Michigan’s nine, the next-highest total in men’s college hockey. (denverpioneers.com, nchchockey.com) Denver reached the title game by beating top-seeded Michigan in double overtime in the semifinal. Wisconsin got there by knocking off No. 2 North Dakota 2-1 for its first Frozen Four final since 2010. (collegehockeyinc.com, wtop.com) The championship game matched two programs on different timelines. Denver was chasing another banner under coach David Carle, while Wisconsin was trying to win its first title since 2006 and its seventh overall. (collegehockeyinc.com, abcnews.com) Wisconsin’s run still included two upsets in Las Vegas. The Badgers beat Michigan State 4-3 in the regional round and then eliminated North Dakota in the semifinal before falling one goal short against Denver at T-Mobile Arena. (usatoday.com, wtop.com) In the end, the final turned on one period and one deflection. Denver got its two late goals, Hicks closed the door, and the Pioneers left Las Vegas with trophy No. 11. (ncaa.com, sports.yahoo.com)
