BC, BU, Michigan, and Denver face off for college hockey’s biggest prize
It’s the week we’ve all been waiting for! The 2023-24 NCAA D1 men’s hockey season has run its course and the NCAA tournament field has narrowed down to just four teams. The Frozen Four will be held in St. Paul, Minnesota this weekend between Boston College, Boston University, Denver, and Michigan, but only one team will be crowned 2024 national champions.
We’ve compiled the full 2024 Frozen Four schedule and breakdown of the weekend for you below. And be sure to keep checking in with BC Interruption throughout the week as we provide further in-depth coverage of these hugely important games!
Schedule:
All three games of the 2024 Frozen Four will be held in St. Paul, Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center, the home of the Minnesota Wild.
Thursday April 11th, 2024
Semifinal Game #1
- Who: #2 Boston University Terriers (28-9-2) vs #3 Denver Pioneers (30-9-3)
- Puck Drop Time: 5:00pm ET (4:00pm CT)
- How to Watch: Thursday’s semifinal games will be broadcasted and streamed on ESPN2
Semifinal Game #2
- Who: #1 Boston College Eagles (33-5-1) vs #10 Michigan Wolverines (23-14-3)
- Puck Drop Time: 8:30pm ET (7:30pm CT)
- How to Watch: Thursday’s semifinal games will be broadcasted and streamed on ESPN2
Friday April 12, 2024
Hobey Baker Award Ceremony
- Who: The three finalists for the Hobey Baker award, given annually to college hockey’s best player, are Cutter Gauthier (Boston College), Macklin Celebrini (Boston University), and Jackson Blake (North Dakota).
- Time: 6:00pm ET (5:00pm CT)
- How to Watch: The announcement will be televised live on the NHL Network and streamed on the Hobey Baker website.
Saturday April 13, 2024
2024 National Championship Game
- Who: The winners of Boston College vs. Michigan and Boston University vs. Denver
- Puck Drop Time: 6:00pm ET (5:00pm CT)
- How to Watch: Saturday’s national championship game will be broadcasted and streamed on ESPN2
Betting Odds:
According to DraftKings at the time of this writing, here are the lines for the semifinal games and the winner of the championship:
Boston University vs Denver
- Boston University is favored by -1.5 goals (+135)
- Denver is the underdog by +1.5 goals (-175)
- The over/under for the game is 7 goals
- Boston University (-166) is favored over Denver (+130) on the moneyline
Boston College vs Michigan
- Boston College is favored by -1.5 goals (+124)
- Michigan is the underdog by +1.5 goals (-160)
- The over/under for the game is 7 goals
- Boston College (-175) is favored over Michigan (+135) on the moneyline
National Championship Winner
- Boston College (+150) is the favorite to take home the national championship
- Boston University (+225) has the second-likeliest odds to win
- Michigan and Denver (+450) are tied for the third-likeliest odds to win
The Teams:
Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images
Boston College
The Eagles are the favorite to win the 2024 national championship, and for good reason. BC steamrolled UMass and BU on the way to their first Hockey East championship in 12 years, capping off an incredible regular season that saw BC win the most games by any Hockey East team since Maine in 1993. Six Eagles were named to Hockey East all-star teams and four of those players rank in the top-6 nationally in total points, while the other two are freshman goaltender Jacob Fowler, who is a finalist for the Richter Award, and senior captain defenseman Eamon Powell. Boston College is the youngest team in the nation and they’ve been an all-time offensive powerhouse all season long thanks to their all-star freshman line, backed up by one of the best goaltenders in the nation and a top-5 defense. Will all of this young talent follow through for BC’s first national title since 2012?
Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Michigan
The Wolverines have been here before, but can’t seem to get the monkey off of their back. This is Michigan’s third-straight Frozen Four appearance, but they haven’t won a national title since 1998, and 2024’s team is considered less talented than the two that preceded it. After losing Hobey Baker winner Adam Fantilli to the NHL last offseason, Michigan has relied on quite a number of offensive playmakers to make up the difference. Sophomore and junior forwards Gavin Brindley, Rutger McGroarty, Dylan Duke, and T.J. Hughes have helped boost the Wolverine offense to third in the nation, behind only BC and Denver, and they’ve scored at least 4 goals in each of their last three postseason games. But their defense has struggled against the high-flying offenses of the Big Ten, and they rank outside of the top-30 in Goals Against/Game. But coming off of two impressive wins over #6 North Dakota and #4 Michigan State, are the Wolverines ready to take the next step?
Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images
Boston University
Sitting on the other side of the bracket from Boston College is Boston University, their archrival. BU’s season has been incredibly impressive, even if it has been sometimes overshadowed by their rivals down the street. The Terriers boast a top-3 offense led by Macklin Celebrini, who is 2nd in the nation in goals and is largely expected to be the #1 overall pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft. BU also has a star defenseman, sophomore Lane Hutson, who is tied for the national lead in points for a defenseman and has led the #6 defense in the country. But the Terriers haven’t always been able to perform in high-pressure games this season, losing to Northeastern in the Beanpot championship game and then to Boston College in the Hockey East Championship. Can they turn things around this weekend and win the trophy that matters most?
Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images
Denver
The Pioneers are no strangers to the national stage, having just won a national championship in 2022 (and in 2017). Head coach David Carle is considered by many to be the best college hockey coach in the nation, given his ability to blend top-end young talent with experienced veterans to create national title contenders. His team this season has been an utter offensive powerhouse, scoring the most goals per game in the nation (4.7) led by one of the nation’s best players, junior forward Jack Devine. Devine is right there among BC and BU’s top players in terms of statistical dominance, while being supported by a deep roster that can score with any line at any moment. Their recent NCAA tournament performances have been an anomaly, though, as they muscled out close 2-1 victories over both UMass and Cornell in the NCAA regionals. Can the Pioneers’ experience lead them to their second title in three years?