Here is your guide to the history and records of the Frozen Four, the championship for college men's ice hockey.
What is the Frozen Four?
The Frozen Four is the semifinals and finals of the college DI men's ice hockey tournament. The final two rounds of that tournament take place on one weekend in April after the field has been whittled down from 16 to four.
The Frozen Four only refers to the semifinals, but the tournament consists of four rounds. The selection committee grants the four No. 1 seeds in order, but does not officially release seed lines for the other 12 teams. This tournament setup requires the national champion to win four tournament games in a row to claim the national championship crown.
History of the Frozen Four
The Frozen Four started in 1948, with Michigan taking the title over Dartmouth. It was just called the NCAA men's ice hockey championship until 1999, when it was re-branded as the Frozen Four.
The first 10 Frozen Fours were held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, before moving to a new location every season. Of course, some locations have hosted multiple times. Minneapolis, Denver, Utica, N.Y, Chestnut Hill, Ma.; Providence, Syracuse, Duluth, Minn. are among the locations that have hosted the Frozen Four.
Boston University has hosted six times, including three years in a row from 1972 to 1974.
Coach Vic Heyliger's Michigan teams won six of the first nine national championships, and was the runner-up in each of those three when they didn't win. The Wolverines added another title in 1964, then had to wait 30 years for their next one.
Denver leads all schools with six championships since 2000. Boston College has four. Minnesota Duluth has three. Minnesota has two.
After every Frozen Four, the NCAA names a Most Outstanding Player and an All-Tournament Team.
| Year | Champion | Coach | Score | Runner-Up | Host or Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Denver (29-11-3) | David Carle | 2-1 | Wisconsin | Las Vegas |
| 2025 | Western Michigan (34-7-1) | Pat Ferschweiler | 6-2 | Boston University | St. Louis |
| 2024 | Denver (32-9-3) | David Carle | 2-0 | Boston College | St. Paul |
| 2023 | Quinnipiac (34-4-3) | Rand Pecknold | 3-2 (OT) | Minnesota | Tampa |
| 2022 | Denver (31-9-1) | David Carle | 5-1 | Minnesota State | Boston |
| 2021 | Massachusetts (20-5-4) | Greg Carvel | 5-0 | St. Cloud State | Pittsburgh |
| 2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | Minnesota Duluth (29-11-2) | Scott Sandelin | 3-0 | Massachusetts | Buffalo |
| 2018 | Minnesota Duluth (25-16-3) | Scott Sandelin | 2-1 | Notre Dame | St. Paul |
| 2017 | Denver (33-7-4) | Jim Montgomery | 3-2 | Minnesota Duluth | Chicago |
| 2016 | North Dakota (34-6-4) | Brad Berry | 5-1 | Quinnipiac | Tampa |
| 2015 | Providence (26-13-2) | Nate Leaman | 4-3 | Boston University | Boston |
| 2014 | Union (N.Y.) (32-6-4) | Rick Bennett | 7-4 | Minnesota | Philadelphia |
| 2013 | Yale (22-12-3) | Keith Allain | 4-0 | Quinnipiac | Pittsburgh |
| 2012 | Boston College (33-10-1) | Jerry York | 4-1 | Ferris State | Tampa |
| 2011 | Minnesota Duluth (26-10-6) | Scott Sandelin | 3-2 (ot) | Michigan | St. Paul, Minn. |
| 2010 | Boston College (29-10-3) | Jerry York | 5-0 | Wisconsin | Detroit |
| 2009 | Boston University (35-6-4) | Jack Parker | 4-3 (ot) | Miami (Ohio) | Washington |
| 2008 | Boston College (25-11-8) | Jerry York | 4-1 | Notre Dame | Denver |
| 2007 | Michigan State (26-13-3) | Rick Comley | 3-1 | Boston College | St. Louis |
| 2006 | Wisconsin (30-10-3) | Mike Eaves | 2-1 | Boston College | Milwaukee |
| 2005 | Denver (32-9-2) | George Gwozdecky | 4-1 | North Dakota | Columbus, OH |
| 2004 | Denver (27-12-5) | George Gwozdecky | 1-0 | Maine | Boston |
| 2003 | Minnesota (30-8-9) | Don Lucia | 5-1 | New Hampshire | Buffalo |
| 2002 | Minnesota (32-8-4) | Don Lucia | 4-3 (ot) | Maine | St. Paul |
| 2001 | Boston College (33-8-2) | Jerry York | 3-2 (ot) | North Dakota | Albany |
| 2000 | North Dakota (31-8-5) | Dean Blais | 4-2 | Boston College | Providence, RI |
| 1999 | Maine (31-6-4) | Shawn Walsh | 3-2 (ot) | New Hampshire | Anaheim |
| 1998 | Michigan (32-11-1) | Gordon "Red" Berenson | 3-2 (ot) | Boston College | Boston |
| 1997 | North Dakota (31-10-2) | Dean Blais | 6-4 | Boston University | Milwaukee |
| 1996 | Michigan (33-7-2) | Gordon "Red" Berenson | 3-2 (ot) | Colorado College | Cincinnati |
| 1995 | Boston University (31-6-3) | Jack Parker | 6-2 | Maine | Providence, RI |
| 1994 | Lake Superior State (31-10-4) | Jeff Jackson | 9-1 | Boston University | St. Paul |
| 1993 | Maine (42-1-2) | Shawn Walsh | 5-4 | Lake Superior State | Milwaukee |
| 1992 | Lake Superior State (30-9-4) | Jeff Jackson | 5-3 | #Wisconsin | Albany |
| 1991 | Northern Michigan (38-5-4) | Rick Comley | 8-7 (3ot) | Boston University | St. Paul |
| 1990 | Wisconsin (36-9-1) | Jeff Sauer | 7-3 | Colgate | Detroit |
| 1989 | Harvard (31-3) | Bill Cleary | 4-3 (ot) | Minnesota | St. Paul, Minn. |
| 1988 | Lake Superior State (33-7-6) | Frank Anzalone | 4-3 (ot) | St. Lawrence | Lake Placid, N.Y. |
| 1987 | North Dakota (40-8) | John "Gino" Gasparini | 5-3 | Michigan State | Detroit |
| 1986 | Michigan State (34-9-2) | Ron Mason | 6-5 | Harvard | Providence, R.I. |
| 1985 | Rensselaer (35-2-1) | Mike Addesa | 2-1 | Providence | Detroit |
| 1984 | Bowling Green (34-8-2) | Jerry York | 5-4 (4ot) | Minnesota Duluth | Lake Placid, N.Y. |
| 1983 | Wisconsin (33-10-4) | Jeff Sauer | 6-2 | Harvard | Grand Forks, N.D. |
| 1982 | North Dakota (35-12) | John "Gino" Gasparini | 5-2 | Wisconsin | Providence, R.I. |
| 1981 | Wisconsin (27-14-1) | Bob Johnson | 6-3 | Minnesota | Duluth, Minnesota |
| 1980 | North Dakota (31-8-1) | John "Gino" Gasparini | 5-2 | Northern Michigan | Providence, R.I. |
| 1979 | Minnesota (32-11-1) | Herb Brooks | 4-3 | North Dakota | Detroit |
| 1978 | Boston University (30-2) | Jack Parker | 5-3 | Boston College | Providence, R.I. |
| 1977 | Wisconsin (37-7-1) | Bob Johnson | 6-5 (ot) | Michigan | Detroit |
| 1976 | Minnesota (28-14-2) | Herb Brooks | 6-4 | Michigan Tech | Denver |
| 1975 | Michigan Tech (32-10) | John MacInnes | 6-1 | Minnesota | St. Louis |
| 1974 | Minnesota (22-12-6) | Herb Brooks | 4-2 | Michigan Tech | Boston |
| 1973 | Wisconsin (29-9-2) | Bob Johnson | 4-2 | #Denver | Boston |
| 1972 | Boston University (26-4-1) | Jack Kelley | 4-0 | Cornell | Boston |
| 1971 | Boston University (28-2-1) | Jack Kelley | 4-2 | Minnesota | Syracuse, N.Y. |
| 1970 | Cornell (29-0) | Ned Harkness | 6-4 | Clarkson | Lake Placid, N.Y. |
| 1969 | Denver (26-6) | Murray Armstrong | 4-3 | Cornell | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| 1968 | Denver (28-5-1) | Murray Armstrong | 4-0 | North Dakota | Duluth, Minnesota |
| 1967 | Cornell (27-1-1) | Ned Harkness | 4-1 | Boston University | Syracuse, N.Y. |
| 1966 | Michigan State (16-13) | Amo Bessone | 6-1 | Clarkson | Minneapolis |
| 1965 | Michigan Tech (24-5-2) | John MacInnes | 8-2 | Boston College | Providence, R.I. |
| 1964 | Michigan (24-4-1) | Allan Renfrew | 6-3 | Denver | Denver |
| 1963 | North Dakota (22-7-3) | Barry Thorndycraft | 6-5 | Denver | Boston |
| 1962 | Michigan Tech (29-3) | John MacInnes | 7-1 | Clarkson | Utica, N.Y. |
| 1961 | Denver (30-1-1) | Murray Armstrong | 12-2 | St. Lawrence | Denver |
| 1960 | Denver (27-4-3) | Murray Armstrong | 5-3 | Michigan Tech | Boston |
| 1959 | North Dakota (20-10-1) | Bob May | 4-3 (ot) | Michigan State | Troy, N.Y. |
| 1958 | Denver (24-10-2) | Murray Armstrong | 6-2 | North Dakota | Minneapolis |
| 1957 | Colorado College (25-5) | Thomas Bedecki | 13-6 | Michigan | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| 1956 | Michigan (20-2-1) | Vic Heyliger | 7-5 | Michigan Tech | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| 1955 | Michigan (18-5-1) | Vic Heyliger | 5-3 | Colorado College | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| 1954 | Rensselaer (18-5) | Ned Harkness | 5-4 (ot) | Minnesota | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| 1953 | Michigan (17-7) | Vic Heyliger | 7-3 | Minnesota | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| 1952 | Michigan (22-4) | Vic Heyliger | 4-1 | Colorado College | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| 1951 | Michigan (22-4-1) | Vic Heyliger | 7-1 | Brown | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| 1950 | Colorado College (18-5-1) | Cheddy Thompson | 13-4 | Boston University | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| 1949 | Boston College (21-1) | John "Snooks" Kelley | 4-3 | Dartmouth | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| 1948 | Michigan (20-2-1) | Vic Heyliger | 8-4 | Dartmouth | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
#Participation in the tournament vacated by the krikya89.committee on Infractions.
The 2026 Frozen Four was the 78th in NCAA history. Michigan leads the way with 29 appearances.
Here's the leaderboard:
| Team | Appearances |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 29 |
| Boston College | 26 |
| Boston University | 25 |
| Minnesota | 23 |
| North Dakota | 23 |
| Denver | 20 |
| Wisconsin | 13 |
| Harvard | 13 |
| Michigan State | 11 |
| Maine | 11 |
| Michigan Tech | 10 |
| Colorado College | 10 |
| St. Lawrence | 9 |
Fifteen programs have won multiple Frozen Fours.
| Team | Championships |
|---|---|
| Denver | 11 |
| Michigan | 9 |
| North Dakota | 8 |
| Wisconsin | 6 |
| Boston College | 5 |
| Boston University | 5 |
| Minnesota | 5 |
| Lake Superior State | 3 |
| Michigan State | 3 |
| Michigan Tech | 3 |
| Minnesota Duluth | 3 |
| Colorado College | 2 |
| Cornell | 2 |
| Maine | 2 |
| RPI | 2 |
| Bowling Green | 1 |
| Harvard | 1 |
| Northern Michigan | 1 |
| Providence | 1 |
| Quinnipiac | 1 |
| UMass | 1 |
| Union | 1 |
| Western Michigan | 1 |
| Yale | 1 |
