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2023-24 College Hockey Power Rankings

Men's Hockey Power Rankings: Boston College Tightens Grasp O...

Chris Peters delivers weekly power rankings for the 2023-24 men's college hockey season.

Each week veteran hockey analyst Chris Peters delivers his men's college hockey power rankings. Check back every week to see who's rising, who's falling and where your favorite team might land.

1. Boston College (18-4-1) | Last Week: 1

If there was any doubt before, it seems like it's gone now. The Eagles swept Boston University in an emphatic statement to the country about their No. 1 status. BC has the scoring depth to compete with anyone in the country, but last weekend was another example of how far good goaltending can take a team. Jacob Fowler (MTL) continues to be a difference-maker in net while appearing in every game to date. He has a .924 save percentage through his first 23 NCAA starts.

2. Wisconsin (20-5-1) | Last Week: 4

The Badgers split last weekend at Michigan, marking their first loss since Nov. 24. Looking at the remarkable run the Badgers have been on this year, they're the first team in the NCAA to reach 20 wins. Mike Hastings is guaranteed to secure another winning season, making it 12-for-12 in his NCAA coaching career. It's one of the more remarkable runs we've seen in modern college hockey.

3. North Dakota (16-6-2) | Last Week: 8

North Dakota swept Denver right out of Grand Forks, putting on a defensive clinic in the process. The Fighting Hawks have not lost in regulation since a 3-2 loss to Boston University on Nov. 3. That's 19 straight games without a regulation loss. They are in every game they play because they defend well and have plenty of offensive pop.

4. Boston University (16-7-1) | Last Week: 2

A sweep at the hands of their arch rivals is a bitter pill to swallow for the Terriers, which entered that weekend No. 1 in the major polls and the Pairwise. They followed that up with a controversial overtime loss to Northeastern. They're now third in the Pairwise, which still puts them on track to be a top seed in the NCAA tournament, but there will be some regrouping to do. They play Maine this weekend before the rematch with BC in the Beanpot tournament.

5. Michigan State (17-6-3) | Last Week: 5

The Spartans split with the Gophers on home ice last weekend, but are unbeaten in eight of their last 10 games. Michigan State has two big series on the horizon including a tricky road battle with Notre Dame this weekend before the big showdown with Michigan which includes a neutral-site game in Detroit.

6. Denver (17-7-2) | Last Week: 3

The Pioneers got humbled a bit in Grand Forks as the highest-scoring team in the country was held to four goals over the entire weekend against the Fighting Hawks. DU had been averaging more than five goals per game coming into that series. They'll host Western Michigan next weekend as they look to claw their way back into the NCHC race for first place, which North Dakota has strengthened their grasp on.

7. Maine (16-4-2) | Last Week: 7

The Black Bears sat idle last weekend, but will hit the road for a pair of challenging Hockey East contests this weekend. They'll start with Northeastern which has been a tougher out of late and the same can be said for UMass, which will be Saturday's opponent. The improved play of Maine also led to a new contract extension for head coach Ben Barr, who has given some reprieve to long-suffering alumni waiting for the Black Bears to be relevant again. Are they ever now.

8. Quinnipiac (17-6-2) | Last Week: 6

Quinnipiac picked up more hardware last weekend as they secured the Connecticut ice championship with wins over Yale and UConn in Hartford. That got the Bobcats back on track after a pair of losses the week before. QU doesn't have the most challenging schedule to close out the year, which should allow them to build up more momentum heading into the postseason where they should remain a legit threat to contend. 

9. Minnesota (15-7-4) | Last Week: 9

A split with Michigan State was another weekend of some positive momentum for the Gophers. They've won six of their last seven games and their scoring attack really woke up in the second game against MSU. An even bigger test lies ahead over the weekend as the Gophers travel to Madison for a Border Battle series with Wisconsin.

10. Providence (14-7-2) | Last Week: 11

The Friars had a big weekend against UMass-Lowell, exploding for 11 goals over the two-game set. Averaging 3.1 goals per game, Providence is somewhat in the middle of the pack offensively in the NCAA. They've been a tough team to read all year and it's still hard to figure out what their postseason prospects look like with a sub-.900 team save percentage and relatively low-scoring. Still, they find themselves in the hunt in every game they play.

11. UMass (13-6-3) | Last Week: 11

UMass was off last weekend, but have a couple of important games over the weekend. They start on the road at Merrimack, but there's going to be a big crowd on hand Saturday night when the Minutemen host Maine. That should be an instructive series as UMass has certainly been another one of those teams that have had their share of ups and downs this year.

12. Cornell (11-4-4) | Last Week: 12

A win and a tie against Ivy League foes last weekend kept Cornell on track, but the Big Red put up just two goals against a Harvard team that has bled goals all year. Cornell's biggest plus is that they're super tough to score against with the second-lowest goals-against numbers this season at 2.0 goals against per game. The lack of offense isn't as scary when they seemingly stop everybody.

13. Michigan (12-7-2) | Last Week: 14

A split with Wisconsin, with the Wolverines' loss coming in overtime, was a positive result in a series of positive results for the Wolverines. They have clawed their way back into the NCAA tournament picture, currently sitting 12th in the Pairwise. An emphatic win over Wisconsin and a split the previous weekend with Michigan State with an emphatic win in that series showed that Michigan may be heating up. They still have their flaws, but they sure can score.

14. Colorado College (15-8-1) | Last Week: NR

Sweeping Western Michigan has the Tigers on a five-game winning streak. They have a number of high-profile wins this season and are lurking around the outside of the NCAA tournament at-large picture. Being able to compete with the top-tier teams more consistently, however, has opened a lot of eyes to what Kris Mayotte is doing in Colorado Springs. 

15. Western Michigan (15-8-1) | Last Week: 10

Getting swept by Colorado College on home ice was the latest stumble for the Broncos. They've now lost four of their last five games and have seen themselves slip closer to the NCAA tournament bubble. Now they've got to go to Denver and take on a team that also was just swept in what should be a very challenging NCHC series that looks like it could be a flashpoint for the entire season for WMU.

16. New Hampshire (13-8-1) | Last Week: 15

The shine on the Wildcats is dimming a bit as they've lost three of their last five including a split at Vermont last weekend. UNH's schedule still includes three games against Boston College, one against Boston University and a pair against Maine, meaning it could be a tough road ahead if the Wildcats want to push themselves back into the NCAA at-large picture.

Dropped Out: St. Cloud State