Freshman goalie shines
Freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks made 29 saves in the Frozen Four championship game and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. ( ). Coverage highlighted Hicks as a defining figure of Denver’s run to the title. (espn.com)
Denver rode a freshman goaltender to another national championship, with Johnny Hicks stopping 29 shots in a 2-1 title-game win over Wisconsin on Saturday in Las Vegas. (denverpost.com) Hicks was named the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player after that performance, two days after he made a career-high 49 saves in Denver’s 4-3 double-overtime semifinal win over Michigan. (nhl.com) Denver finished 29-11-3 and erased a 1-0 deficit in the third period against Wisconsin, tying the game before Kyle Chyzowski scored the winner with 5:52 left. (denverpioneers.com) The title was Denver’s 11th in Division I men’s hockey, extending its record, and its third in five seasons under coach David Carle. (ncaa.com) Hicks’ run changed Denver’s season late. The freshman took over as the starter in late January and did not lose in regulation, finishing 16-0-1. (nbcnews.com) He also ended the year first nationally in save percentage at.957 and goals-against average at 1.19, according to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. (nchchockey.com) This Frozen Four brought together the four winningest programs in Division I men’s hockey: Denver, Michigan, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Denver left Las Vegas with the trophy again, and Hicks was at the center of both wins. (usatoday.com) For Denver, the latest title followed championships in 2022 and 2024 and added another postseason run built around elite goaltending. This time, the defining saves came from a freshman who arrived and took over the season’s biggest stage. (espn.com)
