The 2026 DI men’s hockey championship begins with the selection show at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, on ESPNU. Sixteen DI men’s hockey teams will qualify for the tournament and compete for a spot in the 2026 Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
Six conference tournament champions will be awarded an automatic bid to the tournament, with the other 10 teams being selected at-large using the NPI.
See the full bracket and schedule for the 2026 DI men’s hockey championship below.
2026 DI men’s hockey championship bracket
👉 Click or tap to see the interactive bracket
2026 DI men’s hockey championship schedule
All times Eastern
- Selection show — ESPNU
- 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 22
- Regionals — Thursday, March 26 through Sunday, March 29
- Men’s Frozen Four
- Semifinals — Thursday, April 9
- Final — 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 on ESPN2
DI men’s hockey championship history
Western Michigan is the defending national champion after defeating Boston U. in the 2025 Frozen Four final to win its first title in program history. Denver has the most national championships of any DI men’s hockey program with 10. Below is the full list of DI men’s hockey champions dating back to 1948.
| Year | Champion | Coach | Score | Runner-Up | Host or Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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, Minn. |
| 2023 | Quinnipiac (34-4-3) | Rand Pecknold | 3-2 (OT) | Minnesota | Tampa, Fla. |
| 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, N.Y. |
| 2018 | Minnesota Duluth (25-16-3) | Scott Sandelin | 2-1 | Notre Dame | St. Paul, Minn. |
| 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, Fla. |
| 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 D.C. |
| 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, Ohio |
| 2004 | Denver (27-12-5) | George Gwozdecky | 1-0 | Maine | Boston |
| 2003 | Minnesota (30-8-9) | Don Lucia | 5-1 | New Hampshire | Buffalo, N.Y. |
| 2002 | Minnesota (32-8-4) | Don Lucia | 4-3 (ot) | Maine | St. Paul, Minn. |
| 2001 | Boston College (33-8-2) | Jerry York | 3-2 (ot) | North Dakota | Albany, N.Y. |
| 2000 | North Dakota (31-8-5) | Dean Blais | 4-2 | Boston College | Providence, R.I. |
| 1999 | Maine (31-6-4) | Shawn Walsh | 3-2 (ot) | New Hampshire | Anaheim, Calif. |
| 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, R.I. |
| 1994 | Lake Superior State (31-10-4) | Jeff Jackson | 9-1 | Boston University | St. Paul, Minn. |
| 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, N.Y. |
| 1991 | Northern Michigan (38-5-4) | Rick Comley | 8-7 (3ot) | Boston University | St. Paul, Minn. |
| 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 NCAA Committee on Infractions.
