Friday’s season opener at Sullivan Arena begins at 9 p.m. MT while Saturday’s start time is 7 p.m. MT. Both games will be streamed for free on the UAA Seawolves’ YouTube while James Mansfield will have the radio call from Anchorage on Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan HD3.
The Pioneers are coming off their third national championship in five years and their 11th overall, which extended their lead for the most in college hockey history. Denver finished the 2025-26 campaign by going unbeaten in its last 17 games (16-0-1), with wins in each of the last 13 games. DU won 4-3 in double overtime against then-No. 1 Michigan in the NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals on April 9 in Las Vegas before earning a comeback 2-1 win versus Wisconsin in the championship game on April 11.
Goaltender Johnny Hicks made a career-high 49 saves in the game vs. the Wolverines before stopping 29-of-30 shots in the national title contest against the Badgers, earning the honor as the Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player.
DU posted a 29-11-3 overall record last season and finished second in NCHC play with a 17-6-1 record in the conference. In addition to winning the national title, Denver also claimed the National Cup by winning the NCHC Frozen Faceoff conference tournament over Minnesota Duluth before beating Cornell and Western Michigan in the NCAA West Regionals in Loveland, Colorado, to advance to their fourth Frozen Four in the past five seasons.
Alaska Anchorage went 5-27-1 last season as an NCAA Independent squad, with one of their victories coming in overtime against the Pioneers at Magness Arena on Oct. 31. DU goaltender Tyler Krivstov guarded the pipes in that game for UAA and made 46 saves in the 4-3 OT win; he joined the Pioneers in the offseason as a junior transfer.
The Pioneers earned a series split the following night on Nov. 1 with a 6-0 shutout of the Seawolves as they were led by two goals and an assist by James Reeder, two markers by Kristian Epperson and three helpers from Boston Buckberger.
Denver leads the all-time series over Alaska Anchorage with a 51-17-7 record and is 23-8-5 as the road squad in the matchups. The two programs were longtime conference foes in the WCHA where DU posted a 42-13-7 mark in that time. The Pioneers are 11-2-2 in the last 15 meetings dating back to Jan. 9, 2009, which included a 10-game unbeaten streak (8-0-2) from 2010-2013.
DU is starting the season in Alaska for the third time in the last four years and the second time in Anchorage. The Pios played in Fairbanks against the UAF Nanooks in 2023 and played the UAA Seawolves to start 2024-25.
Denver picked up wins of 6-2 and 4-1 in its last visit to Anchorage on Oct. 5-6, 2024, which also marked the team’s first games after winning the national title in 2024 and was Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle‘s first time leading the bench in his hometown.
Those games were played at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex on the UAA campus, but this weekend’s series will be played back in the Seawolves former home barn, the 6,290-seat Sullivan Arena. The Pios’ last games at “The Sully” were Jan. 27-28, 2012 in Denver’s final trip to Alaska to face the Seawolves with both teams being members of the WCHA.
IN OPENERS: Denver has a 44-25-8 all-time record in season openers and will be starting the regular season on the road for the fourth year in a row after playing in Alaska in both 2023-24 (Fairbanks) and 2024-25 (Anchorage) and at Air Force last season. The last time DU began a campaign away from home ice in at least four consecutive seasons was when it did so six years in a row in 2001-02 (vs. Boston College in Alaska), 2002-03 (vs. Michigan State in Omaha), 2003-04 (vs. Ohio State in Dayton, Ohio), 2004-05 (vs. Minnesota in U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game in St. Paul), 2005-06 (at Maine) and 2006-07 (at Miami in Ice Breaker Tournament).
The Pioneers are unbeaten in each of their last five season openers dating back to 2021-22 (4-0-1).
In home openers, DU has a 54-18-5 all-time mark and owns a 20-5-2 record in home-opening contests at Magness Arena. The Pioneers are unbeaten in their last nine home openers (7-0-2) and are 16-1-2 in the last 19 opening nights at Magness.
CAPTAIN KIERAN: Senior forward Kieran Cebrian was named the 97th team captain in program history on Sept. 23. This is the first time that the Denver native and former Jr. Pioneer has served as a captain since also wearing the ‘C’ with the Colorado Thunderbirds 16U AAA in 2019-20.
The two-time national champion is joined by four alternate captains this season in fellow seniors Cale Ashcroft and Sam Harris, junior Jake Fisher and sophomore Kyle Chyzowski. The five Denver players wearing letters are the most by the program in a single season since the team had six team captains for the 1969-70 campaign.
CARLE & KRIVSTOV RETURN TO ANCHORAGE: Denver’s David Carle is set to guide the bench for the second time in his hometown of Anchorage this weekend. His only other occurrence came on the 2024-25 opening weekend on Oct. 5-6, 2024. Hired as the program’s Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach prior to 2018-19, Carle owns a 4-0 mark in games he’s served as the head coach in the 49th State with wins at Alaska Fairbanks on Oct. 5-6, 2019. He missed games at UAF to start the 2023-24 season for the birth of his second son, Callum.
Carle did serve as a “coach” in Anchorage on Jan. 27-28, 2012 while a student assistant coach under George Gwozdecky (4-2 and 6-3 wins). Overall, the Pioneers went 10-2-2 overall against UAA during Carle’s tenure as a student assistant coach from 2008-2012.
Junior goaltender Tyler Krivstov’s first game suiting up with the Pioneers will come against his former team, as the Santa Clarita, Calif., native spent the previous two seasons with Alaska Anchorage before transferring in the offseason to Denver. Krivstov led UAA in wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts last year.
Assistant coaches Tavis MacMillan and Dallas Ferguson also have connections to Alaska, as both played and served as head coaches with the UAF Nanooks.
CARLE AMONG THE BEST COACHES ALL-TIME: Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle continued to solidify his spot among the best college coaches ever after leading the Pioneers to its third national championship in five years last season.
After being the fourth-youngest coach in history to win an NCAA D-I national title in 2022 (32 years, 5 months, 0 days), Carle became the youngest ever to win both two national championships following the Pioneers’ victory in 2024 (34 years, 5 months, 4 days) and three titles after winning again in 2026 (36 years, 5 months, 3 days).
He was the 11th coach all-time to win at least three national championship, as he moves into an eight-way tie for fourth place on the all-time list. He and Scott Sandelin of Minnesota Duluth (2011, 2018, 2019) are the only active coaches to win a trio of rings.
In the NCAA Tournament, Carle owns a 16-3 all-time record and his .842 win percentage in the Big Dance is the second-highest all-time behind Herb Brooks, who went 8-1 and posted a .889 mark from 1974-1979 with Minnesota.
STREAKING: The Pioneers finished its championship-winning campaign with a 17-game unbeaten streak, with the team going on a 16-0-1 stretch that began on Jan. 24 vs. St. Cloud State. The run was fourth-longest in a single season in DU history and the longest since going 22-0-0 in 1966-67. It was also the fifth-longest overall (across multiple seasons), with DU’s last longest such streak was 21 straight games with a win at the end of 2023-24 and the start of 2024-25 seasons.
Denver’s run to end last season marked its second stretch of the year where it went at least 12 contests without losing in regulation, as the team had nine wins and three overtime losses from Oct. 31-Dec. 12 in a stretch that included sweeps at defending national champion Western Michigan (Nov. 7-8), against rival Colorado College (Nov. 14-15) and at home versus Miami (Dec. 5-6).
Overall, DU picked up wins in each of its last 13 games in 2025-26, which tied for the fourth-longest win streak in a season and the most since the 2016-17 squad also won 13 in a row (1977-78 as well). Denver finished by matching a season best by going unbeaten in its last four true road contests (3-0-1) and by winning its last 10 home games—the longest home-winning stretch in a single season since posting 19 straight victories in its friendly confines from Dec. 8, 1967-March 9, 1968.
HISTORY VS. UAA: The Pioneers and Seawolves will face off for the third straight season and their second series in Anchorage in that time. DU began the 2024-25 campaign in Alaska’s largest city, winning 6-2 and 4-1. That series on Oct. 5-6, 2024 was the first time that David Carle led the bench as the head coach in his hometown and marked the first meeting between the former WCHA foes in more than a decade. Alaska Anchorage made a return trip to Denver last season, earning a 4-3 win in overtime on Oct. 31 before the Pios responded with a 6-0 shutout on Nov. 1. Denver has a 51-17-7 all-time record and went 42-13-7 in conference play in the WCHA against UAA when they were league foes. The Pios sport a 23-8-5 mark on the road in the all-time series and is 28-8-2 on home ice vs. the Seawolves. DU last played at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage on Jan. 27-28, 2012, where the Pios won 4-2 and 6-3—the series in October 2024 was at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex. Denver has an 8-2-0 record in the past 10 matchups with Alaska Anchorage and is 14-3-2 in the last 19 meetings dating back to March 13, 2009, which included an 11-game unbeaten streak from Jan. 8, 2010 to March 10, 2013 (8-0-3). Since the series first began on Jan. 29-30, 1993, Denver’s 51 all-time wins over Alaska Anchorage is its ninth-most against a single opponent in program history.
CONNECTIONS: Junior goaltender Tyler Krivstov played the previous two seasons for UAA and helped the Seawolves earn a 4-3 overtime win at Denver on Oct. 31, 2025 … Head coach David Carle was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and grew up going to Seawolves games … Assistant coaches Dallas Ferguson and Tavis MacMillan played and graduated from UAA’s rival, Alaska Fairbanks, and they both later served as assistant and head coaches of the program … MacMillan led UAF as the head coach from 2004-2007 while Ferguson was the bench boss from 2008-2017 … Denver’s Max Heise, Eric Jamieson and Ben MacBeath and Anchorage’s Ethan Warrener are all from Calgary, Alberta … Alec Whipple played two seasons on the BCHL Trail Smoke Eaters with Adam Parsons and Ethan Warrener from 2022-2024 … Johnny Hicks was a teammate of Cosmo Wilson in 2024-25 with the WHL Victoria Royals … Blake Fiddler played the last two seasons (2024-2026) on the WHL Edmonton Oil Kings with Niko Tsakumis … Luke Helgeson played two seasons with NAHL Colorado Grit in Greeley from 2023-2025 … DU’s Sam Harris (San Diego) and Tyler Krivstov (Santa Clarita) and UAA’s Dylan Contreras (Yorba Linda) are all from Southern California
PREVIOUS MEETING (NOV. 1, 2025): No. 6 Denver scored four power-play goals and goaltender Quentin Miller stopped all 17 shots he faced in a 6-0 victory against the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves at Magness Arena. Forward James Reeder scored twice and added an assist and defenseman Boston Buckberger also had a three-point game with a trio of helpers. Freshman Kristian Epperson tallied twice, while defensemen Eric Jamieson and Eric Pohlkamp each had a goal and an assist apiece. The rookie Miller recorded his second shutout of the season despite not being tested much. DU outshot UAA 49-17 and held a 33-7 margin in shots on goal after two periods of play. Denver had 11 different players record a point to earn a series split against Alaska Anchorage after falling in overtime on Friday at home. The Pioneers scored four power-play goals on seven opportunities, both season highs, while holding off the Seawolves on their two man advantages. Denver led 2-0 after the first period and took a 5-0 advantage going into the second intermission.
SCOUTING THE SEAWOLVES: Alaska Anchorage went 5-27-1 last season as an NCAA independent squad, which included a 4-3 overtime win at Denver on Oct. 31, 2025. UAA also defeated Bentley, Stonehill, Alaska Fairbanks and Lindenwood during the season. The Seawolves closed last year at the inaugural United Collegiate Hockey Cup in Maryland Heights, Missouri, where they lost 3-0 to Stonehill and 4-3 to Long Island to close out the campaign. Head coach Eric Rud is in his first season leading Alaska Anchorage after being an assistant coach at St. Cloud State the past two years. UAA returns its leading scorer and assist-getter from last season in Karter McNarland, who recorded 21 points with four goals and 17 assists in 33 games. The Seawolves’ top goal scorers Tye Spencer and Aiden Westin also return, with Spencer finishing with 13 points (8g/5a) and Westin picking up nine (8g/1a) in 2025-26. Tyler Krivstov, now with DU, started 25 of the 33 games last year for UAA, posting a 5-19-1 record, 3.48 goals-against average, .901 save percentage and one shutout. Bryan Marks is the lone returning netminder and started five games and appeared in six total last year. He posted a 0-5-0 record, 4.53 GAA and .871 save percentage.
IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: The Pioneers open their 12-game non-conference schedule on opening weekend on Oct. 2-3 at Alaska Anchorage. DU is playing a 36-game schedule in 2026-27, as it picked up a two-game exemption playing a series in Alaska.
Denver’s non-league slate also includes matchups against NCAA bluebloods Michigan, Boston College and Boston University. The Pios will host UM in their home-opening weekend on Oct. 16-17, with the team raising its 2026 championship banner on that Friday. Michigan is making its first visit to Denver since March 5-7, 1981. DU will then host BC for homecoming the following weekend on Oct. 23-24.
The Pioneers will also take on Lindenwood in a home non-conference series on Nov. 13-14 before playing at BU over Thanksgiving Weekend on Nov. 27-28. Denver concludes its non-NCHC schedule with a trip to Ohio to play the Bowling Green Falcons after the New Year on Jan. 1-2.
Denver owns a 33-7-3 overall against non-conference opponents since the start of 2023-24. DU is 20-3-4 all-time against teams from the Big Ten Conference since that league began men’s ice hockey in 2013-14, and the Pioneers hold a 10-4-1 mark against squads from the Hockey East Association since 2023.
CHYZ GETS HOT AT RIGHT TIME: Forward Kyle Chyzowski got hot at the right time to close out the 2025-26 season as he finished last season on a career-long, three-game goal streak. He scored the opening goal in the Frozen Four Semifinals vs. Michigan on April 9 and tallied the championship-winning marker for the Pioneers by redirecting Boston Buckberger’s outside shot at the top of the crease with 5:52 left in the third period against Wisconsin in the national title game on April 11 in Las Vegas.
Chyzowski was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Frozen Four and also picked up the same accolade at the NCAA West Regional in Loveland, Colo., after he recorded a career-best three points on one goal and two assists against Western Michigan on March 29 in the Regional Final.
The Surrey, British Columbia, native finished the season with 13 goals, ranking fourth on the team and owning the most among DU rookies.
PRE-SEASON MISCELLANEOUS:
- Sam Harris enters the season as the NCAA active leader in career goals (52), game-winning goals (11) and power-play goals (18) and ranks fifth in the nation in points (91) and fourth in plus/minus rating (+47).
- Kieran Cebrian’s +45 plus/minus rating is the fifth highest among active players’ career to start the year.
- Cale Ashcroft’s 124 career games played are the most among active defensemen while his four game-winning goals are tied for the fourth-best entering the season.
- As a team, Denver is returning both the ninth-most goals (88) and points (247).
- DU enters the season tied with North Dakota and UMass as the fifth-youngest team in the country with an age of 20.9; Boston University is the youngest at 20.4.
- Denver’s 16 NHL Draft picks are the most in the NCHC and tied with Michigan for the third-most in the nation behind Boston University (18) and Michigan State (17).
- The Pioneers are the only team in the nation to make nine of the last 10 NCAA Tournaments.
- David Carle (2022, 2024, 2026) is one of six active coaches that have won an NCAA Championship and joins Minnesota Duluth’s Scott Sandelin (2011, 2018, 2019) of the NCHC as the only bench bosses to win multiple titles.
- Carle is the fourth-youngest coach in the NCAA, as he turns 37 years old on Nov. 9, and he is one of 25 coaches to be leading their alma mater.
PRO PIOS ON NHL OPENING NIGHT: Denver had 12 alumni make NHL Opening Night rosters for the 2026-27 season, leading all NCHC players and the fifth-most in the NCAA.
The Pioneers have more NHL players than fellow league members North Dakota (11) and Minnesota Duluth (10), as well as last year’s national runner-up Wisconsin (10). Only Michigan (21), Boston College (20), Boston University (20) and Minnesota (18) had more alumni make the NHL at the start of the season than DU
Among the Pioneers is 2022 national champion Carter Mazur, who made the Detroit Red Wings roster out of training camp for the first time in his career. Denver’s list includes recent alums Bobby Brink (Minnesota), Garrett Brown (Winnipeg), Tristan Broz (Pittsburgh) and Zeev Buium (Vancouver), as well as veterans Troy Terry (Anaheim), Jason Zucker (Buffalo), Devin Cooley (Calgary), Logan O’Connor (Colorado), Danton Heinen (Columbus), Trevor Moore (Los Angeles) and Scott Mayfield (NY Islanders). Brown, Broz, O’Connor, Terry and Zucker are all starting the season on their clubs’ respective injured reserve and/or non-roster lists.
In 2025-26, Denver had 15 former players play in the NHL, including Broz (Pittsburgh), Mike Benning (Florida Panthers), Jack Devine (Florida Panthers) and Jared Wright (Los Angeles) making their debuts in the league. Dakota Mermis (Toronto), Brink (Philadelphia and Minnesota), Buium (Minnesota and Vancouver), Cooley (Calgary), Heinen (Pittsburgh and Columbus), Mayfield (NY Islanders), Mazur (Detroit), Moore (Los Angeles), O’Connor (Colorado), Terry (Anaheim) and Zucker (Buffalo) also appeared in NHL games last season.
Overall, DU has had 89 all-time players skate in an NHL game and 149 players be drafted by NHL clubs.
PIONEERS IN THE POLLS: Denver was voted No. 1 in the nation in both the USCHO.com and USA Hockey preseason media polls that were released over the past two weeks. The Pioneers earned 35-of-50 first-place votes in the USCHO.com rankings that was released on Sept. 21 and picked atop the ballot by 29-of-34 voters in the USA Hockey rankings that came out on Monday.
The NCHC led all conferences with the most teams in the top 10 with four in each ranking. After Denver, North Dakota came in at No. 4/4, Minnesota Duluth at No. 5/5 and Western Michigan at No. 9/9. Arizona State (USCHO.com only), Colorado College, Miami and St. Thomas also received votes in the polls.
PRESEASON FAVORITES: The Pioneers were voted as the favorite to win the 2026-27 NCHC in the conference’s preseason media poll that was released on Wednesday.
Denver, which claimed the league’s National Cup as the Frozen Faceoff Tournament champions in addition to its national title last year, collected 14-of-33 first-place votes and 304 points, two more than second-place North Dakota, which had 302 points and 12 top tallies from voters.
ROSTER BUILDING: Denver returns 17 players from last season and is welcoming nine newcomers with eight freshmen and junior-transfer Tyler Krivstov from Alaska Anchorage. Each of DU’s freshmen have already been drafted by NHL squads.
DU is bringing back 11-of-14 forwards, 4-of-8 defensemen and 2-of-3 goaltenders from its 2026 national championship roster.
The Pioneers’ 26-member squad features seniors Cale Ashcroft, Kieran Cebrian and Sam Harris, all of whom won national titles at DU in both 2024 and 2026. Denver has five juniors and nine sophomores.
Five players from last year’s team have signed professional contracts, while forward Hagen Burrows (Notre Dame) and goaltender Quentin Miller (Western Michigan) transferred in the offseason.
DENVER IN THE DRAFT: For the first time in program history, the Pioneers had two players picked in the first round of the NHL Draft this past summer, with incoming freshman defenseman Daxon Rudolph selected at No. 4 overall by the Buffalo Sabres and fellow rookie blueliner Ryan Lin chosen at No. 21 by the San Jose Sharks. Rudolph surpassed Craig Redmond (No. 6, Los Angeles, 1984) as the highest-picked player in Pioneer history and DU’s first Round 1 selection since Zeev Buium went 12th overall to Minnesota in 2024.
Overall, Denver now has seven first-round picks in its history, with Joe Colborne (No. 16, Boston, 2008), Beau Bennett (No. 20, Pittsburgh, 2010) and Henrik Borgstrom (No. 23, Florida, 2016) also being opening-round selections.
The Pioneers had four total incoming freshmen picked in the early rounds at the 2026 draft as forward Ben MacBeath was chosen in round 2 at No. 64 by the New York Rangers and Mikey Berchild in the fourth round at No. 105 by the Stanley Cup-champion Carolina Hurricanes. Each of the other four DU rookies were previously drafted in 2025 or 2024.
This is the 25th straight year that Denver has had a player chosen in the NHL’s annual entry selection, and the Pioneers have now had multiple picks in each of the last 11 drafts.
2026-27 SCHEDULE NOTABLES
- DU kicks off its national title defense and 78th season on Oct. 2-3 at Alaska Anchorage. The Pios will be starting the season on the road in America’s Last Frontier for the third time in the last five seasons, as they also began the 2024-25 campaign at UAA.
- The Pioneers will play an even amount of 18 home and 18 away games during the year, as the program picked up a two-game exemption to play 36 outings this season due to its trip to Alaska.
- Hosts an exhibition on Oct. 10 vs. the U.S. National Team Development Program Under-18 Team for the first time since 2011.
- Denver takes on Michigan on its home opening weekend on Oct. 16-17 after the teams met on April 9 in the NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals in Las Vegas.
- The Pioneers and Wolverines will be playing for the first time in the regular season since they were both members of the old WCHA during the 1980-81 campaign. Michigan will be making its first visit to Denver since March 5-7, 1981.
- Denver hosts the Boston College Eagles on Oct. 23-24 for Homecoming Week and will mark the fourth consecutive season and the eighth and ninth meetings between the two programs since 2019.
- Season-long, six-game homestand from Oct. 16-31, and DU will have 10-of-12 games at Magness Arena from Oct. 16-Nov. 21.
- The 24-game NCHC league schedule opens on Oct. 30-31 vs. Omaha.
- Faces new NCHC-member St. Thomas for the first time on Nov. 13-14 at home.
- Plays at Boston University on Thanksgiving Weekend on Nov. 27-28. DU beat BU in overtime in the 2024 Frozen Four en route to the national title in St. Paul, Minnesota.
- DU begins a season-long, six-game road swing on Dec. 11-12 at St. Cloud State, and the trip continues after the Holiday Break with the series at Bowling Green on Jan. 1-2 and a playoff rematch at Western Michigan on Jan. 8-9.
- Denver will play nine-of-12 contests away from Magness Arena from Dec. 11-Jan. 30 and will play on the road in 13-of-18 games from Nov. 27-Feb. 13.
- The Pioneers will close out the main campaign with three of their final four (Feb. 19-27) and five of their last eight games (Feb. 5-27) on home ice.
- DU and Colorado College will meet for single-game weekends on Jan. 16 (Denver) and Jan. 30 (Colorado Springs) before wrapping up the Gold Pan series against one another in a home-and-home set on Feb. 26-27 to close the regular season.
- The entire NCHC Frozen Faceoff Tournament will be played on campus sites for the second consecutive season. Denver won the conference title on home ice in 2026.
- Denver is hosting NCAA Regionals at Blue Arena in Loveland, Colorado, for the second straight season. The Pioneers will play the opening round games at the home of the AHL’s Colorado Eagles if they qualify for the national tournament.
JOHNNY BE GOOD, JOHNNY BE GREAT: Goaltender Johnny Hicks capped off a historic season by helping lead the Pioneers to the national title as a freshman in 2025-26. He became the first DU goaltender to go unbeaten in his first 17 career decisions, posting a 16-0-1 record in 2025-26 after entering early in the first period on Jan. 24 vs. St. Cloud State following an injury to starter Quentin Miller.
The Kamloops, British Columbia, native appeared in 21 total games during the year and started each of the final 16 contests, with his .957 save percentage setting an NCAA record and his 1.19 goals-against average tied with Jimmy Howard for second-best all-time in a single season. He recorded his third individual shutout in the NCAA West Regional Semifinals on March 27 against Cornell before two memorable performances in the 2026 Frozen Four in Las Vegas.
Hicks made a career-high 49 saves on 52 shots in a 4-3 double-overtime win vs. No. 1 Michigan in the semifinals on April 9 before stopping 29-of-30 shots faced, including all 20 in the final two periods of play, in a 2-1 victory against Wisconsin in the national championship game on April 11.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP NOTABLES
- Denver has won three of the last five and four of the last nine national championships.
- DU has reached the Frozen Four in seven of the past 10 NCAA Tournaments dating back to 2016.
- The Pioneers’ nine Frozen Four appearances since 2004 are tied for the most in the NCAA in that time (Boston College and North Dakota).
- Denver finished the season on a 17-game unbeaten streak (16-0-1), the fourth-longest stretch in program history and the longest since the team went 22-0-0 in 1966-67.
- DU also ended the year on a 13-game winning streak, the team’s longest winning stretch since the 2016-17 squad also did it.
- The Pioneers earned comeback wins in both games at the Frozen Four and finished the campaign with 11 come-from-behind victories (all by one goal deficits).
- Denver and Wisconsin played in the NCAA Championship Game for the second time in their history, with the Pioneers earning their first win in the head-to-head (UW won in 1973).
- The Pioneers have won each of the last seven contests against Wisconsin.
- Johnny Hicks posted career highs with 49 saves on 52 shots faced in the national semifinals on April 9 vs. Michigan, which were the most by a DU goalie since Matt Davis stopped 49 shots on Feb. 8, 2025 at Arizona State.
- Hicks stopped 29-of-30 shots against Wisconsin in the title contest and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Frozen Four.
- Hicks was joined on the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team by teammates Boston Buckberger, Kyle Chyzowski and Rieger Lorenz.
- Rieger Lorenz finished his collegiate career with 169 games played, second-most in program history and the most-ever by a four-year player at Denver.
- Denver’s 2026 senior class finished with 122 victories, the second-most all-time in the school’s annals and two behind the 2025 class for first place (124).
- Head coach David Carle‘s three national championships are tied for the fourth-most by a men’s college coach in NCAA history, and his three titles are tied with Minnesota Duluth’s Scott Sandelin for the most by active bench bosses.
- Kyle Chyzowski scored the game-winning goal in the third period vs. Wisconsin on a redirection off a Boston Buckberger shot and finished the season on a career-long, three-game goal streak (3g/2a from March 29-April 11).
- Defenseman Eric Pohlkamp – a 2026 First Team All-American and Hobey Baker Award Finalist – blocked five shots in the national championship game and finished the season with 83 blocks. It was the most blocked shots in a single campaign in school history since the statistic first began being tracked in 2013-14. Defenseman Will Butcher had the previous most with 82 during DU’s 2016-17 championship run.
- Each of the last five national semifinals that DU has played in have gone to overtime (3-2 record). The Pioneers also beat Michigan in overtime in the team’s 2022 Frozen Four matchup in Boston.
TICKETS: Single-game tickets as well as mini plans and group packages for the DU hockey’s championship-defense campaign in 2026-27 are on sale now. Click here for more information.
