2023-24 College Hockey Power Rankings
Men's Hockey Power Rankings: Boston College, Boston Universi...
Chris Peters delivers weekly power rankings for the 2023-24 men's college hockey season.
Each week veteran hockey analyst Chris Peters delivers his men's college hockey power rankings. Check back every week to see who's rising, who's falling and where your favorite team might land.
1. Boston College (16-4-1) | Last Week: 1
The most anticipated regular-season college game in years will be the first ever No. 1 vs. No. 2 Battle of Commonwealth Avenue as the Eagles and Terriers square off in a pair of sold out games for a home-and-home series. The Eagles are coming into the game after 12 goals against Merrimack across two games last weekend. BC is No. 2 in the Pairwise, but I still think they have the stronger scoring depth between the two squads.
2. Boston University (16-4-1) | Last Week: 2
BU is coming into this highly-anticipated matchup hot, riding a seven-game winning streak into the Battle of Comm Ave. They swept Vermont last week, outscoring the Catamounts 10-3 in the series. While BU's stars have taken a lot of headlines, transfer goalie Mathieu Caron has seemingly come into his own as the Terriers' starter with a 16-4-1 record and .918 save percentage.
We are officially SOLD OUT for Saturday’s Battle of Comm. Ave! pic.twitter.com/3Uj4UmuCis
— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) January 23, 2024
3. Denver (15-5-2) | Last Week: 4
Sweeping Omaha last weekend while scoring 12 goals in the process, Denver's high-powered offense just keeps cooking. They'll enter another highly-anticipated matchup this weekend against North Dakota riding a seven-game unbeaten streak. DU is averaging a staggering 5.3 goals for per game, the NCAA's only team north of five this season.
4. Wisconsin (19-4-1) | Last Week: 6
The idle Badgers had an extra week to prepare for a tough road series at Michigan starting Friday night. Wisconsin's impressive goaltending probably hasn't gotten enough attention this year as senior Kyle McClellan carries a .939 save percentage in 21 appearances this season, which is the best mark in the country.
5. Michigan State (16-5-3) | Last Week: 5
A stunning loss in which they gave up seven goals to Michigan on home ice was followed up by a big win where they scored seven goals of their own in Ann Arbor. The Spartans responded to their worst game of the season in a major way, showing the kind of resilience you have to have to be a championship team. Make no mistake, this Spartan squad is a contender.
MSU with 4 goals in the second!!! #NCAAHockey x 🎥 BTN / @MSU_Hockey
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) January 21, 2024
pic.twitter.com/HzuowFqk73
6. Quinnipiac (15-6-2) | Last Week: 3
The Bobcats had their seven-game unbeaten streak snapped by Colgate on the road, then they dropped a 3-2 OT decision to Cornell. It was a rare stumble for a Bobcats squad who scored just three goals over the weekend series and just the second instance all season of back-to-back losses. QU is gearing up for the Connecticut Ice Tournament this weekend where they'll open against Yale.
7. Maine (16-4-2) | Last Week: 7
After splitting with UConn the week before, Maine left no doubt against UMass-Lowell, picking up a pair of wins on home ice and scoring 12 goals over the weekend. It's as if that shutout at UConn alerted the offense to pour it on, so they did. Maine is idle this weekend as they launch into a tricky portion of their schedule with all Hockey East foes awaiting.
8. North Dakota (16-6-2) | Last Week: 8
The Fighting Hawks passed a big test over the weekend as they came out of St. Cloud with a win and a tie. As tough an assignment as that was, UND will welcome Denver to Ralph Engelstad Arena for a pair of critical NCHC conference games. Jackson Blake (CAR) has been on a heater for North Dakota, with points in each of his last six games including four points against the Huskies last weekend. He's at 30 points in 24 games so far this year.
9. Minnesota (14-6-4) | Last Week: 9
It really does seem as though the Gophers have righted the ship. Minnesota put up 11 goals against Ohio State last weekend. They've scored four or more goals in eight of their last 10 games. Rhett Pitlick (MTL) and Sam Rinzel (CHI) have been among the hottest offensive players for the Gophers. Pitlick has 10 points over his last six games, while Rinzel has a stunning 12 assists over his last five games from the back end. They'll travel to East Lansing for a big tilt with the Spartans.
10. Western Michigan (15-6-1) | Last Week: 11
A tough home series with Minnesota Duluth ended in a split for the Broncos, which was another blow to their NCHC regular-season title hopes. They are now six points out of first place in the league, but may get a chance to gain some ground if they can take care of business against a tough Colorado College squad on home ice this weekend.
You can't beat a gameday at Lawson!#BroncosReign https://t.co/naDXUGLQpI pic.twitter.com/Vslgf1wLds
— WMU Hockey (@WMUHockey) January 25, 2024
11. UMass (13-6-3) | Last Week: 12
The Minutemen only had one game on the docket last week and will sit idle this weekend as they head into a busy February in Hockey East. UMass beat Northeastern in their lone game last Saturday in what has been a relatively light, but uneven January schedule. They'll return to action Feb. 2 against Merrimack.
12. Cornell (10-4-3) | Last Week: 15
Unbeaten in their last six games, the Big Red picked up a signature win for their season, besting Quinnipiac 3-2 in overtime last Saturday. They've allowed an average of just 2.1 goals against per game, which ranks third in the country and bodes well for their postseason outlook. They've got a pair of Ivy League battles on the road this weekend against Harvard and Dartmouth.
Photos from our double victory weekend! 📸😎 #YellCornell
— Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey (@CornellMHockey) January 24, 2024
(📸 // Leilani Burke) pic.twitter.com/cD2Yx8807k
13. Providence (12-7-2) | Last Week: 10
A split with Alaska-Anchorage was not the way to end Providence's non-conference schedule. They shut out the Seawolves in the opener, 2-0, then got shut out the next night, losing 4-0. This is the same team that beat Boston College a week prior. Consistency continues to evade the Friars this season, but you can see they have the talent and structure to hang with some of the nation's best.
14. Michigan (11-8-3) | Last Week: 16
A seven-goal explosion in a road win against Michigan State looked like a huge statement made by the Wolverines, but they gave up seven goals the next night (while scoring five of their own). Michigan is the second-highest-scoring team in the country, averaging 4.7 goals per game. They simply have to prove they can outscore their deficiencies, though.
15. New Hampshire (12-7-1) | Last Week: 14
A split with UConn, in a home-and-home series last weekend knocked the Wildcats off pace a little bit, but they have a chance to get back on track against Vermont this weekend. Few teams in the NCAA will have a tougher schedule than UNH down the stretch though as they still have eight Hockey East games against teams ahead of them in our power rankings.
Hard at work. #BeTheRoar pic.twitter.com/D5msY5vnR4
— UNH Men's Hockey (@UNHMHOCKEY) January 24, 2024
16. St. Cloud State (11-7-4) | Last Week: 13
The Huskies are winless in their last four games, all important conference matchups against top-tier teams. Lucky for them, two of those games were shootout wins that gave them extra standings points in conference, but don't matter in the national outlook. The Huskies are currently tied with North Dakota for the top spot in the NCHC. They host Omaha this weekend with a chance to pick up some ground as North Dakota and Denver -- their two closest standings competitors -- are meeting in Grand Forks.