DENVER – The University of Denver hockey team ranked No. 4 in the nation in the USA Hockey 2025-26 preseason poll that was released on Monday.
Denver, which reached its second-straight NCAA Frozen Four appearance to close out 2024-25 and has now made it to at least the national semifinals three times in the past four seasons, was also No. 4 in the USCHO.com preseason poll that was unveiled last Monday. The Pioneers finished last year at No. 3 in the polls after losing to eventual national champions and conference-foe Western Michigan in the semifinals on April 10 in St. Louis, Missouri.
WMU ranks No. 1 in both preseason rankings with 22 first-place votes. Boston University is at No. 2 while Michigan State is at No. 6. BU (four), MSU (six), No. 5 Penn State (one) and No. 12 Michigan (one) all received first-place nods among the 34-member electorate.
DU has recorded four-straight 30-win campaigns—a program record—and finished 2024-25 with a 31-12-1 overall mark. The Pioneers, who were picked second in this year's National Collegiate Hockey Conference preseason media poll, finished third in last season's conference standings with a 15-8-1 record in league play.
The NCHC has four schools ranked in the first USA Hockey poll, the third-most among all conferences behind six by both the Big Ten and Hockey East. Joining Denver and Western Michigan on the list is North Dakota at No. 10 (tied) and Arizona State at No. 14, while Colorado College, Omaha, Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State also received votes among pollsters.
About the USA Hockey/The Rink Live Poll: The 31st annual USA Hockey 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: Denver begins play this week with an exhibition against UNLV at Magness Arena on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT. The Pioneers open the regular season on Friday, Oct. 10 at Air Force before hosting Bentley the next night on Saturday, Oct. 11 in the home opener.
TICKETS: Single-game tickets and 5-game mini plans for DU hockey's 2025-26 campaign are on sale now.
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