Predicting the bracket, tournament, and Frozen Four

As the conference tournaments come to a close in the upcoming week, all eyes in college hockey will be on ESPN for the selection show a week from tonight. To give you an idea of what I will write about, I will provide my picks for the brackets as well as some potential upsets, and who I think will be heading to St. Paul.

What began as an eventful year with the resurgence of the Badgers and the traditional powerhouses in the east, alongside the emergence of surprise teams like Colorado College and Maine, as well as some underwhelming performances by teams like Michigan. Throughout the season, the sense that any team could emerge victorious has prevailed. While Boston College undoubtedly captures attention as the frontrunner to win it all, I maintain a level of skepticism due to their strength of schedule. Nevertheless, it appears that Boston College will likely secure the number one overall seed.

Here is what I can see happening on selection Sunday.

Number 1 seeds (in no particular order)

• BC

• BU

• NoDak

• Denver

Number 2 seeds (in no particular order)

• Maine

• Minnesota 

• Quinnipiac

• Michigan State

Number 3 seeds (in no particular order)

• Colorado College

• Wisconsin

• Western Michigan

• Michigan

Number 4 seeds (in no particular order)

• Bemidji State/Michigan Tech

• RIT/AIC

• UMass

• Omaha

Here is how the bracket could shape up 

Providence Region (RI)

1. BC vs 4. Bemidji State/Michigan Tech

2. Minnesota vs 3. Western Michigan

Maryland Heights (MO)

1. BU vs 4. Colorado College

2. Maine vs 3. Wisconsin

Sioux Falls (SD)

1. NoDak vs 4. RIT

2. Quinnipiac vs 3. Michigan

Springfield (MA)

• 1. Denver vs 4. UMass

• 2. Mich St vs 3. Omaha

Who could pull an upset

"Obviously, this is just an educated guess, but based on what I've got here, let's get going with some predictions. Who's getting upset? There are three potential upsets that I can see. My first and biggest one is Bemidji State bouncing BC. It feels like just yesterday when those pesky Beavers bounced Cole Caufield in the 2021 NCAA tournament. Well, it's a new opportunity for the Beavers, and they are hot right now and have an opportunity to play against a BC team that is not as battle-tested as many think despite having only five losses. Michigan is my other choice to make a splash; the Michigan team we saw play the Gophers last night looked like the best we have seen all year out of those Wolverines; keep an eye out for them. My final team I think could pull an upset is Omaha beating Michigan State. While talented, Michigan State has yet to truly impress me."

Who I think could make some noise

• Michigan 

Michigan possesses considerable talent, boasting players like McGroarty, Brindley, Nazar, and Casey. However, their coaching has been subpar all year, marked by undisciplined play and occasional collapses. If the Wolverines bring their A-game, don't be surprised to see them in St. Paul.

• Minnesota 

There's really no need for explanation. Minnesota boasts one of the deepest rosters in college hockey, from top to bottom. While the absence of Logan Cooley and Brock Faber has undoubtedly had an impact this season, the Gopher team has demonstrated flashes of excellent hockey in recent games. Additionally, they are fortunate to have two fantastic coaches behind the bench in Bob Motzko and Steve Miller.What the Gophers need to do is show up. Most of their losses and ties this season have occurred when they haven't brought their A-game, highlighting that when they do show up, they can flat out win. A regional final between BC and Minnesota would make for excellent television.

My predictions

Providence: Minnesota

Maryland: BU

Sioux Falls: NoDak

Springfield: Denver

Before you label me a homer for choosing Minnesota, let me explain. I'm picking them because I have faith in Motzko's ability to rally this team. Players like Nelson, Brodzinski, and Close returned for moments like these, and I anticipate seeing a fire lit under the Gophers

Boston University is facing a tough challenge with a strong Colorado College team in their region. However, I have faith that the Terriers will make their way to St. Paul. I envision their path including a regional final showdown against a motivated pack of Badgers.. 

North Dakota appears to have the easiest path to St. Paul, starting with a matchup against RIT. Although the matchup may not seem ideal, it's simply how the draw unfolded. My gut feeling tells me they will defeat Quinnipiac and advance to St. Paul..

Denver has been showing strong form lately, and when the pressure is on, they should be able to navigate their region without much trouble and secure a plane ticket to St. Paul

The Frozen Four

BU vs Minnesota 

Nodak vs Denver 

Here's where things get interesting. In a rematch of last year's semi final, it seems we would see BU vs. Minnesota. The hockey gods may suggest that BU wins this game... BUT in an arena full of loud and proud Gopher fans, I believe the Gophers will rise to the occasion and secure a spot back in the national title game to erase the demons of last year. In the other semifinal, we have what's likely to be the prime-time game of NoDak vs. Denver. NoDak dominated Denver earlier in the year, but this is a hot Denver team, and I predict the Pioneers will prevail and advance to play for the title.

The Ship

If I haven't lost you by now by saying the Gophers will be playing for a title. I think that when all's said and done the Gophers will exercise their demons and hoist their 6th title.

Like i said all of these games are up for interpretation but one things for sure and that is that we are in for a great couple weeks of tournament hockey.