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 five 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
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