College women's ice hockey locked in the 2026 Frozen Four over the weekend, as the national tournament's regional finals delivered just one upset on Saturday.
Despite two goals from Olympic gold medalist Abbey Murphy, No. 4-seed Minnesota fell 4-2 to the No. 5 Northeastern Huskies, ending the Golden Gophers' postseason — and the six-time champions' hopes of returning to the top of the podium for the first time in a decade.
"Every day I just kind of soaked it all in," Murphy said after capping her college career with a program-record 143 goals. "It's crazy it's all over."
Northeastern now moves on to face No. 1-seed Ohio State, after the Buckeyes defeated Yale 6-1 in their own regional final on Saturday.
Ohio State's revenge campaign against reigning champions Wisconsin remains intact, as the No. 2 Badgers — and their quartet of Olympic champions — also advanced to the Frozen Four after shutting out Quinnipiac 6-0 on Saturday.
Wisconsin will next take on No. 3 Penn State, with the Nittany Lions booking their trip to the national tournament semifinals with a 3-0 Saturday win over UConn.
How to watch the 2026 Frozen Four
The puck will drop on the 2026 Frozen Four on Friday, with No. 1 Ohio State taking on No. 5 Northeastern at 4 PM ET before No. 2 Wisconsin faces off against No. 3 Penn State at 7:30 PM ET.
Both national women's ice hockey semifinals will air live on ESPN+.
The NCAA hockey season is winding down, with the puck dropping on the first round of the Division I national tournament on Thursday as players start down the road to the 2026 Frozen Four.
Unseeded qualifiers Franklin Pierce, Quinnipiac, Princeton, UConn, Yale, and Minnesota Duluth will open national bracket play in Thursday's regional semifinals.
The winners will then meet either No. 1-seed Ohio State, No. 2 Wisconsin, or No. 3 Penn State in Saturday's regional finals, with No. 4 Minnesota and No. 5 Northeastern readying to make their tournament debuts against each other the same round.
Conference tournament upsets notably shaped this year's field, with the Buckeyes earning the top seed after booking a 2-1 title victory over the formerly top-ranked Badgers in the WCHA Final Faceoff on Saturday.
The perennial titans have owned the national championship over the last six NCAA hockey seasons, with Wisconsin tallying four (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025) and Ohio State taking two (2022, 2024).
"Maybe we'll see them again down the road," Badgers co-captain Caroline Harvey said after Saturday's loss, hinting at a possible Midwestern rivalry rematch in the Frozen Four's national title game. "We'll look forward to that if that's the case."
How to watch the 2026 NCAA women's ice hockey tournament
Division I's best will hit the ice beginning with Yale vs. Minnesota Duluth at 6 PM ET on Thursday.
All tournament games will air live on ESPN+, with the network elevating the March 22nd championship game to ESPNU.
ESPN will exclusively present the 2026 NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship starting March 12th, with most games streaming live on ESPN+. This month's ice hockey tournament features 11 teams competing for the national title, with the championship game set for March 22nd.
Regional semifinals tip off Thursday, March 12th, followed by regional finals Saturday, March 14th., all streaming exclusively across ESPN platforms. The Frozen Four semifinals then take the ice on March 20th and 22nd, closing out the tournament at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania.
No. 1 seed Ohio State (34-4-0) opens its regional campaign on Saturday at 6 PM ET on ESPN+. The Buckeyes finished as runners-up last season, going on to earn the No. 1 overall seed after defeating Wisconsin 2-1 at the WCHA championship.
No. 2 seed Wisconsin will defend its eighth national championship this year, after the Badgers won the 2025 title with a 4-3 overtime victory over Ohio State. The programs have alternated national championships over the last five seasons, while meeting in the title game for the last three consecutive years.
Penn State earned the No. 3 seed, after the Nittany Lions claimed their fourth straight Atlantic Hockey America title behind the nation's top-scoring defense at 1.35 goals per game.
Minnesota grabbed the No. 4 seed, while Northeastern rounds out this year's automatic berths. Five conferences earned bids, with six at-large teams set to battle through the tournament's opening round.
How to Watch the 2026 NCAA Women's Hockey Tournament on ESPN+
The tournament starts tonight at 6 PM ET, live on ESPN+, with the championship game airing Sunday, March 22 at 4 PM ET on ESPNU.
All coverage will also stream on the ESPN App via direct-to-consumer or pay TV authentication.
Ohio State women's hockey secured the No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA tournament, topping Wisconsin 2-1 in the WCHA Final Faceoff to win the conference championship.
Riding a 34-4-0 record into the national tournament, the Buckeyes next host the Columbus Regional at the OSU Ice Rink starting March 12th, where they'll face the winner of a regional semifinal between Minnesota Duluth and Yale.
This marks the program's eighth NCAA tournament appearance and seventh consecutive year in the field, with Ohio State last holding the top seed in 2024.
The WCHA placed four teams in the 2026 bracket, as Wisconsin earned the No. 2 seed while Minnesota received the fourth. Minnesota Duluth and Yale will battle for the powerhouse conference's final spot.
Ohio State finished the regular season 24-4-0 in WCHA conference play behind goaltender Hailey MacLeod's program-record 23 wins. The senior posted five shutouts during the season on a 23-3-0 record.
The winner of the Columbus Regional advances to the 2026 NCAA Women's Frozen Four. The Frozen Four runs March 20th through 22nd at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania.
How to Watch Ohio State Hockey at the Columbus Regional Tournament
The Columbus Regional semifinal kicks off Thursday, March 12th at 7 PM ET, setting up Saturday's 7 PM ET final. Both matches will air live on ESPN+.
Just like their PWHL counterparts, college hockey's Olympic stars will return to the ice on Friday night, when seven members of Team USA will rejoin their NCAA teams to battle through conference tournaments ahead of the national bracket's Selection Sunday on March 8th.
Hoping to kick off their 2025 NCAA title defense with a conference trophy is No. 1 Wisconsin and their four Team USA gold medalists: goaltender Ava McNaughton, forward Kirsten Simms, and defensemen Laila Edwards and Caroline Harvey — the 2026 Olympic tournament MVP.
"It's just more so getting the whole group back on the same page," Harvey said of Wisconsin's post-Olympic mindset. "There's a lot of excitement around playoffs now, so this is a time especially when we all naturally come together and we're united for a common goal, and we know that's winning a couple championships."
The Badgers, however, have other Olympic teammates standing in their way, with USA forwards Joy Dunne's No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes and Abbey Murphy's No. 4 Minnesota Golden Gophers also vying for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) crown.
Meanwhile, the seventh collegiate reigning Olympic gold medalist will be skating toward the 2026 Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) trophy, as forward Tessa Janecke helps her No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions hunt a fourth straight conference tournament title.
College hockey's five Division I conference tournaments — which also include the New England Hockey Alliance, Hockey East Association, and ECAC Hockey — run through next week, with the puck dropping on all five championship games on Friday, March 7th, before the NCAA tournament kicks off on March 12th.
How to watch US Olympic stars on this weekend's NCAA hockey ice
WCHA's best-of-three quarterfinals take center stage this weekend, with No. 2 Ohio State taking on St. Thomas starting at 6 PM ET on Friday before No. 1 Wisconsin faces Bemidji State and No. 4 Minnesota plays St. Cloud State at 7 PM ET.
Elsewhere, after earning a bye through to the best-of-three AHA semifinals, top-seeded No. 3 Penn State will take on Syracuse for this weekend's series, which also begins at 6 PM ET on Friday.
All games featuring the Top 4 teams will air live on B1G+.
Canada women's hockey will have revenge on their minds this week, as the 2025 Rivalry Series between the reigning Olympic champions and Team USA resumes on Wednesday.
After dropping two consecutive results against the US by a combined score of 10-2 to open the sixth annual showdown in November, the series now heads to Canada — with both of this week's games taking the ice in Edmonton, Alberta.
"They had a great start, they have a great team, but so do we," said Canada legend and team captain Marie-Philip Poulin after the first two rivalry tilts. "It's going to be a battle."
With the 2026 Winter Olympics looming less than two months away, both PWHL and NCAA standouts will be using this week's final international window of the year to make their cases for roster spots in Milan, Italy.
With both teams stacked with talent, those who make the final cut are likely to come home with hardware this winter, as five-time champions Canada and the two-time title-winning USA remain the only nations to ever win Olympic gold in women's hockey.
How to watch the 2025 Canada vs. USA Rivalry Series
The puck drops on Game 3 of the annual hockey Rivalry Series on Wednesday before Team USA and Team Canada face-off for the final time in 2025 on Saturday.
Both games will begin at 9 PM ET, with live coverage airing on the NHL Network.
The 2025 PWHL Draft spotlighted the wealth of women's hockey talent currently rising through the ranks, as the league ushered in its third rookie class on Tuesday night.
With the first overall pick, the New York Sirens selected Colgate University alum Kristýna Kaltounková, after the 23-year-old Czech forward finished her college career as the team's all-time leading scorer.
"Coming from such a small town in the Czech Republic, it's a great honor," Kaltounková said after the announcement.
The PWHL's eight teams selected a total of 48 players across the Draft's six rounds, with 43 draftees coming out of the NCAA system.
Ohio State produced the most 2025 prospects with six selected players, after the Buckeyes won two of the last four national titles.
Of the five non-NCAA recruits, four made the leap from international pro leagues in Sweden and Russia, while one player joins the PWHL from the University of British Columbia.
With two of the eight first-round picks, New York played the Draft's most aggressive hand, trading defender Ella Shelton to Toronto in order to receive the Sceptres' third and 27th overall picks.
Due to that deal, the Sirens also snagged 2024/25 NCAA MVP Casey O'Brien, a three-time national champion and the Wisconsin Badgers' all-time leading scorer.
New York also traded top forward Abby Roque to Montréal before the 2025 PWHL Draft, receiving forward Kristin O'Neill and Tuesday's 28th overall pick in return.
With league expansion widening this year's PWHL talent pool, college programs have stepped up to fill the gaps as the professional game grows.
The 2025 PWHL Draft has arrived, as the newly expanded eight-team league kicks off its third entry draft on Tuesday while continuing to stock rosters with new signings and front office reshuffling.
Incoming expansion teams Vancouver and Seattle named their head coaches in recent weeks, with the Canadian squad bringing on former St. Cloud State University coach Brian Idalski while Seattle tapped Steve O'Rourke, ex-leader of Ontario men's junior league side Oshawa Generals.
Players are also on the move, with the June 16th opening of the league-wide trade and signing window sending postseason standouts like Ottawa's Danielle Serdachny and Montréal's Mikyla Grant-Mentis to join US hockey legend Hilary Knight in Seattle.
Meanwhile, Toronto star Sarah Nurse and Montréal's Jennifer Gardiner will head to Vancouver.
Other notable signings include Boston snagging back-to-back PWHL title-winning goalscorer Liz Schepers from Minnesota, and deals sending Ottawa forward Shiann Darkangelo to Montréal and Boston defender Sidney Morin to Minnesota.
Teams have also been busy locking in veterans, with the likes of Montréal's Catherine Dubois and Toronto's Natalie Spooner — the league's 2024 Billie Jean King MVP winner — inking contract extensions with their squads.
The next step in finalizing 2025/26 PWHL rosters is Tuesday's Draft, in which 48 incoming players will earn selection by one of the eight teams across six rounds of picks.
For the second straight year, the New York Sirens hold the first pick, with reigning champion Minnesota and the expansion teams bringing up the rear of the selection order.
With a bevy of young talent available, Tuesday's No. 1 pick will likely be one of three NCAA standouts, as Wisconsin's all-time leading scorer and three-time national champion Casey O'Brien, Colgate's scoring leader Kristýna Kaltounková, and Team USA and Clarkson defender Haley Winn are all top candidates to earn the first 2025 call-up.
How to watch the 2025 PWHL Draft tonight
The 2025 PWHL Entry Draft begins at 7 PM ET on Tuesday, with live coverage streaming on YouTube.
The PWHL dropped its 2025 Draft details on Tuesday, with the league’s third-annual entry draft set to take over Ottawa, Canada — home of the Charge — on June 24th.
Eligible NCAA standouts and other pro hockey prospects have until May 8th to declare for selection, following the PWHL’s May 3rd regular-season finale.
Notably, the second-year league follows the Gold Plan when it comes to determining draft order. Under this system, teams eliminated from the playoffs have an incentive to continue hunting wins, as franchises who amass more points post-elimination secure higher draft picks.
The New York Sirens and 2024 champions Minnesota Frost currently sit below the postseason cutoff line, meaning both teams could snag the most draft capital when the league returns from international break later this month.
NCAA stars likely to top 2025 PWHL Draft selections
Last year, the New York Sirens selected Princeton star Sarah Fillier as the overall No. 1 pick, with the rookie forward having an immediate impact in her debut pro season.
Fillier currently ranks second in individual points scored on the 2024/25 PWHL stat sheet, trailing only US hockey legend and Boston Fleet captain Hilary Knight.
As for who will join Fillier and Minnesota Frost forward Taylor Heise — the inaugural 2023 PWHL Draft No. 1 pick — atop this year's draft, two NCAA standouts are likely contenders.
Should she declare, University of Minnesota forward Abbey Murphy is the projected 2025 No. 1 pick.
However, Murphy could return to the Golden Gophers for a final NCAA season following her international duty with the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship semifinals-bound Team USA.
Should Murphy defer her pro debut, 2024/25 NCAA MVP Casey O'Brien is the likely top selectee, having already declared for the draft.
The Wisconsin captain wrapped up her NCAA campaign as this season's leading scorer, claiming 88 points on 26 goals and 62 assists en route to this year’s national championship — the third NCAA title of her college career.
USA Hockey tapped 25 players to represent the US at April’s 2025 IIHF World Championships in Czechia on Wednesday, as the team looks to avenge their overtime loss to Canada in the 2024 IIHF Final.
A total of 21 players from that silver medal-winning squad will return to this year's roster, which will be led by superstar forward Hilary Knight.
Knight already boasts 14 World Championship medals, more than any other athlete in IIHF history, and is poised to help the US make a record-extending 24th appearance in the IIHF championship game.
PWHL and NCAA stars comprise Team USA
Boston Fleet captain Knight is one of 16 PWHL athletes to make Team USA's lineup, showcasing the impact of an in-season domestic league while teams around the world compete for international honors.
While all six PWHL teams are represented on the roster, the inaugural Walter Cup-winning Minnesota Frost will send a league-leading six US athletes to Czechia.
Trailing just behind Minnesota with three IIHF-bound skaters apiece are 2023/24 runners-up Boston and the Toronto Sceptres, who currently sit in second- and third-place on the 2024/25 PWHL table.
Completing the lineup and, more generally, gaining the experience to keep Team USA atop the sport are an impressive nine NCAA players, led by five skaters from No. 1 ranked Wisconsin.
One of those Badgers, sophomore goaltender Ava McNaughton, will join 2024 Wisconsin grad and Montréal Victoire defender Anna Wilgren as the team's two IIHF World Championship debutants.
Additionally, Frost defender Lee Stecklein and Sceptres forward Jesse Compher will round out the four athletes who did not feature on the 2024 roster. Both players will make their first return to the IIHF stage following silver medal-winning performances at the 2022 edition in Denmark.
"The 25 players selected to represent the US bring skill, talent, and passion on the ice," said US Women’s Hockey GM Katie Million. "The depth of our player pool never makes these decisions easy, but we’re excited to shift our focus on bringing a gold home from Czechia."
Team USA's 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship roster
- Forwards: Alex Carpenter (New York Sirens), Jesse Compher (Toronto Sceptres), Kendall Coyne-Schofield (Minnesota Frost), Britta Curl-Salemme (Minnesota Frost), Joy Dunne (Ohio State University), Lacey Eden (University of Wisconsin), Taylor Heise (Minnesota Frost), Tessa Janecke (Penn State University), Hilary Knight (Boston Fleet), Abbey Murphy (University of Minnesota), Kelly Pannek (Minnesota Frost), Hayley Scamurra (Toronto Sceptres), Kirsten Simms (University of Wisconsin), Grace Zumwinkle (Minnesota Frost)
- Defenders: Cayla Barnes (Montréal Victoire), Laila Edwards (University of Wisconsin), Savannah Harmon (Toronto Sceptres), Caroline Harvey (University of Wisconsin), Megan Keller (Boston Fleet), Lee Stecklein (Minnesota Frost), Anna Wilgren (Montréal Victoire), Haley Winn (Clarkson University)
- Goaltenders: Aerin Frankel (Boston Fleet), Ava McNaughton (University of Wisconsin), Gwyneth Philips (Ottawa Charge)
How to watch the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship
The puck will drop on the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship on Wednesday, April 9th, and run through the tournament's 12 PM ET championship game on Sunday, April 20th.
Team USA will first take the ice against Finland at 9 AM ET on April 9th.
All US games will be air live on the NHL Network.