NCAA hockey tournament predictions for Michigan, Michigan State, Western Michigan

For the second time in three seasons, three Michigan college hockey teams cracked the NCAA tournament field. This time they’re not all in the same region. Two years after duking it out in the same Maryland Heights regional, all three of Michigan, Michigan State and Western Michigan earned No.

1 seeds in the 2026 NCAA tournament. They’re the presumed favorites to make it to the Frozen Four that will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas from April 9-11. To get there, each has to win its first two games in the 16-team field.

A year after winning its first national championship at the 2025 Frozen Four in St. Louis, Western Michigan is looking to become the first repeat national champion since fellow NCHC member Minnesota-Duluth in 2018 and 2019. Under head coach Pat Ferschweiler, the Broncos have made five straight NCAA tournaments.

Michigan has won nine national championships dating back to 1948. Its most recent came in 1998, with a runner-up finish in 2011. The Wolverines have made nine Frozen Fours since then without winning a title, most recently in 2024, when it came out of that Maryland Heights regional.