The Men’s Frozen Four is underway in Las Vegas, with North Dakota and Wisconsin battling for a spot in the championship game. T-Mobile Arena is hosting the competition.
Early Goaltending Duel
The first period saw strong performances from both goaltenders. Nodak’s Jan Špunar and Wisconsin’s Daniel Hauser each made important saves early on, keeping the game scoreless through the opening 10 minutes. Špunar denied Vasily Zelenov, while Hauser stopped Cody Croal and Keaton Verhoeff.
Wisconsin won the opening draw, officially starting the contest.
NHL Draft Picks on Display
A total of 17 NHL draft picks are present in the combined lineups of North Dakota and Wisconsin. North Dakota boasts 11 of these picks, while Wisconsin has six. The Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, and Calgary Flames each have two draft picks participating in this semifinal match.
Fan Support in Vegas
Las Vegas has embraced the Frozen Four, with a large contingent of North Dakota fans turning the Strip green. It appears the Nodak faithful outnumber the fanbases of the other teams, but that remains to be seen as the games approach. Frozen Fest included activities for Wisconsin and Nodak fans, offering shooting challenges and a DJ outside T-Mobile Arena.
The teams have arrived at T-Mobile Arena, greeted by fans at Frozen Fest.
Championship Pedigree
The Frozen Four includes teams with a history of success in college hockey. The four teams—Denver, North Dakota, Michigan, and Wisconsin—have a combined 33 national championships. Denver leads with 10 titles, followed by Michigan with nine, North Dakota with eight, and Wisconsin with six. Denver is the most recent champion, having won in 2017, 2022, and 2024.
- Denver: 10 national titles
- Michigan: 9 national titles
- North Dakota: 8 national titles
- Wisconsin: 6 national titles
Michigan has not secured a national championship since 1998. North Dakota last won 10 years ago.
The stakes are high as the teams compete for a place in the championship game.