When Denver (31-9-3) and Boston College (34-5-1) meet for the NCAA Division I men’s hockey championship on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center (5 p.m., ESPN2), one team will come away with its fifth national crown this century. Here are five things to know about the Pioneers and Eagles.
Denver vs. Boston College: Five things to know about the NCAA Frozen Four championship game
NHL prospects and Minnesota ties on both sides as Denver and Boston College each vie for a fifth national crown this century.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
April 12, 2024 at 2:43PM
1. Yes, both teams are loaded with NHL prospects
Boston College has 14 NHL draft picks on its roster, including a quartet of first-round picks in Will Smith (San Jose, fourth overall, 2023), Ryan Leonard (Washington, eighth, 2023), Gabe Perreault (N.Y. Rangers, 23rd, 2023) and Cutter Gauthier (Anaheim via Philadelphia, fifth, 2022). Smith (two goals), Perreault (one goal, two assists), Leonard (one assist) and Gauthier (one goal) combined for seven of the Eagles’ eight points in their 4-0 semifinal win over Michigan on Thursday.
Denver has 12 NHL draft picks on its roster but none in the first round. That is expected to change in June, when freshman defenseman Zeev Buium could become a top-15 pick.
2. Yes, both teams are on a roll
Since losing to Boston University 4-3 in the Beanpot Tournament semifinals on Feb. 5, Boston College has won 15 consecutive games, outscoring opponents 79-28, or an average of 5.3-1.9
Denver is 13-1-1 in its past 15 games. The Pioneers have outscored opponents 55-25 in that stretch, or an average of 3.7-1.7. The Pioneers have won their three NCAA tournament games by 2-1 scores.
3. Denver has more Minnesota ties
If you’re looking for Minnesota flavor in this game, look at the Pioneers. Tristan Broz, a Bloomington native, former Blake standout and ex-Gopher, scored the winning goal in overtime to give Denver a 2-1 semifinal victory over Boston University. Broz, a junior, has 16 goals and 24 assists this season. Pioneers sophomore forward Jared Wright, a former St. Thomas Academy standout from Burnsville, has 14 goals and 10 assists this season.
Boston College has one Minnesotan on its roster: sophomore forward Will Traeger of Mendota Heights. The former Shattuck-St. Mary’s player has seen action in nine games this season but did not play Thursday.
4. Denver has had Boston College’s number historically
Denver is 20-16 all-time against Boston College, including a 4-3 victory over the Eagles on Oct. 21 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Carter King’s power-play goal at 17:58 of the third period was the winner for Denver. Massimo Rizzo, Connor Caponi and Broz also scored for the Pioneers. Smith scored two goals and Oskar Jellvik one for the Eagles.
In NCAA tournament play, Denver has won three of four meetings, with the last coming in 2015.
5. Banner day for private schools
Since this is a tournament being held at Xcel Energy Center, it just seems fitting to frame it with some public school vs. private school talk, which happens annually with the Minnesota boys hockey state tournament.
Well, folks, you’re getting a version of Hill-Murray vs. St. Thomas Academy on Saturday night in a matchup of private schools. Denver is a private research university that is nonsectarian but was founded by Methodists. Boston College is a private Jesuit research university.
Private schools are meeting for the title for the first time since Yale beat Quinnipiac 4-0 in 2013. There have been 10 such private school matchups in the tournament’s championship game history.
The match was the first between Washington and the Gophers since Keegan Cook left the Huskies to coach Minnesota.
