DENVER – University of Denver hockey remained as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation for the sixth poll this season and for the seventh in a row after the latest USCHO.com and USA Hockey/The Rink Live rankings were released on Monday.
Denver improved 8-0-0 on the season after winning 6-0 on Friday and 5-1 on Saturday at Yale. It is the program's best start since also winning its first eight games in 2019-20 and the squad is one shy of tying the program record of beginning 9-0-0 in 2001-02.
The Pioneers have been a the near-unanimous top choice in both polls for several weeks now, including picking up 48-of-50 first-place votes and 998-of-1000 points overall in the newest USCHO.com ranking. No. 3 Minnesota and No. 6 Cornell also picked up top-vote tallies in the poll. DU garnered 33-of-34 first-place votes in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live rankings, with No. 6 Cornell earning the other top vote.
Boston College ranks behind Denver at No. 2, while Minnesota jumped past Michigan State at No. 3 in the USCHO.com poll. MSU moved just one spot down to No. 4 and Maine comes in at No. 5. The USA Hockey/The Rink Live rankings feature the same top-five squads, but Minnesota and Michigan are tied at No. 3.
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference has five schools ranked, all of which are in the top 15—the most among all conferences. Overall, the NCHC has the third-most schools in the USCHO.com poll, with Hockey East and the Big Ten both having six.
The Colorado institutions lead the NCHC in the rankings with Colorado College at No. 8/8 behind Denver, while North Dakota comes in at No. 10/10—helping tie the NCHC for the most squads in the top 10 among all leagues. St. Cloud State ranks at No. 12/14 and Western Michigan is at No. 14/12. Omaha and Arizona State received votes in both polls.
About the USCHO.com: The Division I men's ice hockey poll is compiled weekly and consists of 50 voters, including coaches and media professionals from across the country.
About the USA Hockey/The Rink Live Poll: The 30th annual USA Hockey/The Rink Live Men's College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the six NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey.
UP NEXT: No. 1 Denver celebrates its 75th Anniversary this weekend as the Pioneers host Lindenwood at Magness Arena. Both Friday and Saturday's games begin at 7 p.m. MT and will be broadcast exclusively on NCHC.tv.
TICKETS: Limited tickets remain for Denver hockey's 75th anniversary in 2024-25. Click
here for more information and to purchase.
