Another week, another bracketology as there’s been a lot of movement in both the polls and the National Collegiate Percentage (NPI) Index.

Just to be clear, the methodology used here is close to how the NCAA will determined the field this year’s tournament to determine the national champion, but it’s not exact — at least not yet. Normally the winners of each conference tournament gets an automatic bid, with the rests of the 16-team field filled out and seeded (with some tweaking) with NPI.

But we have no idea who those league champions may be yet, and the NPI is still doesn’t have enough data to reflect what’s happening on the ice. For example, Ivy League teams are only a couple of weeks into their season, and last week it had Union at No. 2.

No offense to the Garnet Chargers, but no one was thinking that they were the second-best team in the nation.

It’s like making a dish with rice that has to boil and then simmer. We’re still on the part with the temperature rising. But we still throw the same ingredients into the pot.

For now, the teams that finished atop their preseason conference polls are our automatic qualifiers, and remaining field is filled out with the top NPI teams, and then we’re using the rankings for the seeding. For the initial bracketologies we were also giving the Ivy League an automatic spot as well, but we stopped doing that on the women’s side two weeks ago and so it’s time to do the same here (the women’s season began two weeks before the men).

Step one, our automatic qualifiers: Sacred Heart (AHA); Michigan (Big Ten); Michigan Tech (CCHA); Quinnipiac (ECAC); Providence (Hockey East); and Denver (NCHC).

Filling out the field, the other top 10 NPI teams:  Wisconsin, Dartmouth, Augustana, Michigan State, Colorado College, Minnesota Duluth, Harvard, Army, Union and Northeastern.

Note: Boston University and Vermont were both in that group until the Terriers lost to Harvard on Tuesday night. The stunner, though, remains the same — no Western Michigan (No. 13 NPI, No. 6 polls). No North Dakota either (No. 24 NPI, No.8 polls).

For the seedings, it’s back to the rankings — which again, the selection committee will not do — except for unranked teams, then it’s by NPI:  Wisconsin, Michigan, Denver, Michigan State, Quinnipiac, Minnesota Duluth, Augustana, Providence, Dartmouth, Colorado College, Michigan Tech, Army, Northeastern, Harvard, Union and Sacred Heart.

Reminder, the regional locations, from East to West, are Springfield, Mass., Hartford, Conn., Fargo, N.D., and Loveland, Colo. The 2027 Men's Frozen Four will be held at Capital One Arena, Washington D.C. Sacred Heart is the host at Hartford, so it must be placed there. Similarly, Denver is hosting at Loveland. If North Dakota gets back into the projected field it will host in Fargo.

Our initial bracket was as follow, with Fargo and Hartford next to each other to set up a potential 1 vs. 4 matchup in the semifinals:

Fargo: 1 Wisconsin vs. 4 Sacred Heart; 2 Providence vs. 3 Dartmouth
Hartford: 1 Michigan State vs. 4 Northeastern; 2 Quinnipiac vs. 3 Army

Springfield: 1 Michigan vs. Harvard; 2 Augustana vs. 3 Colorado College
Loveland: 1 Dever vs. Union; 2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Michigan Tech

The whole thing works minus one problem, Sacred Heart, which has to host. One option is to shuffle the 4-seeds, but the Pioneers would have to move more at least two spots up the bracket, which is not ideal. So we’re going to flip the venues instead since  

Hartford: 1 Wisconsin vs. 4 Sacred Heart; 2 Providence vs. 3 Dartmouth
Fargo: 1 Michigan State vs. 4 Northeastern; 2 Quinnipiac vs. 3 Army

Springfield: 1 Michigan vs. Harvard; 2 Augustana vs. 3 Colorado College
Loveland: 1 Dever vs. Union; 2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Michigan Tech

What are chances of the final bracket looking like this? Our guess is that they're not good because Western Michigan and North Dakota have too much going for them to not contend. But it’s still fun to do the what-if scenario.

Here was last week’s bracketology outcome:

Fargo: 1 Wisconsin vs. 4 Princeton; 2 Augustana vs. 3 Providence
Loveland: 1 Dever vs. 4 Union; 2 Western Michigan vs. 3 Michigan Tech

Springfield: 1 Michigan vs. 4 Army; 2 Quinnipiac vs. 3 Colorado College
Hartford: 1 Michigan State vs. 4 Sacred Heart; 2 Minnesota Duluth vs. 3 Dartmouth

Women’s Bracketology

Now for the women, where there wasn’t as much movement as a lot of teams weren’t playing due to the Worl Championship in Denmark.

The NPI has two extra weeks of data in general, but we’re still going with having the automatic bids determined by the preseason conference polls: Penn State (AHA), Quinnipiac (ECAC), Northeastern (Hockey East), Assumption (NEWPA), Ohio State (WCHA).

The next six per NPI make up the 11-team field: Princeton, Minnesota, Wisconsin Colgate, Connecticut and St. Cloud State. The only change there is with the Huskies, replacing Yale.

With all that, here would be the seedings, again per rankings, with the Frozen Four set for Duluth, Minn., March 21-23. Top-ranked team not in the field, No. 6 Princeton.

8 vs. 9:  Colgate vs. St. Cloud State
No. 1 Bye: Ohio State

4 vs. 5: Princeton vs. Northeastern

7 vs. 10: Penn State vs. Connecticut
No. 2 Bye: Minnesota

6 vs. 11: Quinnipiac vs. Assumption
No. 3 Bye: Wisconsin

The top team out per the rankings is again Clarkson, No. 10 in the polls, and No. 11 in NPI.

One-timer: Harvard Tops BU

No. 13 Boston University and Harvard provided a hot Beanpot preview by combining to score six goals in the third period, with the Crimson coming out on top 6-5 on senior Cameron Johnson’s goal. Sophomore Aiden Lane had two goals while junior center Will Hughes and  both had three points at Agganis Arena.

Women’s USA Hockey Poll

This men's polls and the USCHO.com women's poll were released Monday.

Others receiving votes: Mercyhurst 9, Minnesota State 8, Vermont 4, Brown 3, St. Thomas 3.

Puck Drop: Wednesday, November 11, 2026

• It’s Veterans’ Day. For those who served, thank you.

• Recruiting update: Defenseman Max Beemsterboer from Northwood School in Lake Placid committed to St. Lawrence.

• With the Jets hosting the Devils, Connor Hellebuyck (Lowell) met with Winnipeg reporters for the first time since being traded. “There’s no one singular moment that wasn’t important in all of this decision-making and this is over a span of time. I will say with all the uncertainty I was experiencing, there was some moments and some things that happened to my family that for me crossed the line. And as a husband and a father, I felt made that decision very certain, that I needed to be a good husband and a good father and do what’s best for my family and my career.”

• Forward Dawson Mercer and goalie Nico Daws, who were both part of the Hellebuyck trade, led Winnipeg’s 4-2 victory against New Jersey. Mercer scored two goals, including the game-winner, and Daws made 19 saves for his first win with the Jets. Kyle Connor (Michigan) scored two goals.

• Despite having an off day Tuesday, the U.S. National Team clinched Group A of the 2026 Women’s World Championship. Unless Japan can upset Sweden, the U.S will face Denmark in the quarterbacks. But first it will take on Czechia in its final preliminary-round game Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET (NHL Network). U.S. defender Caroline Harvey leads the tournament in scoring with nine points in her first three games.

• Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin told NHL.com that the team could keep defenseman Quinn Hughes (Michigan) past the NHL Trade Deadline on March 1 if he doesn’t sign a contract extension. “Honestly, we’re a better team with Quinn Hughes, so I mean, I want to keep him as long as I possibly can,” Guerin said. “Whether it’s three months, three years, seven years, whatever, we’re a better team with Quinn Hughes.”

• Top potential candidates for the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2027 include Joe Pavekski (Wisconsin), Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College) and Zach Parise (North Dakota), who will all be eligible for the first time. The returning contenders include Rod Brind'Amour (Michigan State).

• The PWHL announced the new nicknames and logos for its four expansion teams: Detroit Clutch, Hamilton Havoc, Vegas Vanguards, and San Jose Sea Lions.

Officially official!

Introducing the Detroit Clutch, Hamilton Havoc, San Jose Sea Lions, and the Vegas Vanguards. pic.twitter.com/0drA6TpzpF

— PWHL (@thepwhlofficial) November 10, 2026

The Crimson had themselves a night! 👏#NCAAMHockey x 🎥 ESPN+ / @HarvardMHockey pic.twitter.com/Theg6rB2q2

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) November 11, 2026

Hockey Quote of the Day

“He tries to needle me in the games; he says things like, 'You're lucky. You're lucky,' but he's the best centerman there ever was. He'll score on anybody."

Tony Esposito (Michigan Tech) on brother

We'll Leave You With This ...

Connor Hellebuyck hits the ice in Winnipeg for the first time since the trade

🎥: @CBrooksie84 pic.twitter.com/sVCxuslqEH

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) November 11, 2026

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