For the first time in National Collegiate Hockey Conference postseason history, the No. 6 University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team and No. 4 University of Denver will meet in the Frozen Faceoff Championship in Denver, Colo. inside Magness Arena. The title tilt will get underway Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Central Time.
UMD WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE -- March 18, 2026 -- Head Coach Scott Sandelin, Freshman forward Luke Bibby and Sophomore forward Callum Arnott
UMD IN THE NCHC POSTSEASON: In NCHC postseason games played, the Bulldogs are 22-14 overall, and 3-2 in NCHC conference championship games. UMD returns to the Frozen Four title game for the first time since 2022 -- the last time the Bulldogs won it the whole tournament.
All-time, UMD owns three NCHC Frozen Faceoff titles -- 2022, 2019 and 2017.
MAX'S MASSIVE WEEK: Sophomore forward Max Plante had the biggest week of his collegiate career, winning two NCHC awards and landing a top-10 Hobey Baker Finalist spot all in the matter of four days.
Plante was named the been named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's Player of the Year Thursday, the second Bulldog ever to land the honor, Plante is the first honoree since defenseman Scott Perunovich won the award in 2019-20. The day before, he became the 10th Bulldog to become a Hobey Baker Finalist, and along with his dad, just the second father-son duo to earn the honor.
Plante, a native of Hermantown, Minn. and the program's first NCHC Forward of the Year -- an award he collected Monday -- has spent the entire season as one of the top-point getters in the entire nation. Currently ranked fifth with the nation with 48 total points, Plante's 23 goals rank fifth in the NCAA. He also sits seventh with eight power play goals, and ninth with a 1.30 points per game average. Plante has posted 14-multiple point games, including three games with four points and five with three points or more, and has been a crucial part of UMD's second-best NCAA-best power play. That power play currently boats a 29.3 conversion rate and has registered eight power play goals and six assists for 14 power play points.
The First Team All-NCHC selection had his first career hat against the University of Omaha on Nov. 14, and has had six games with two or more goals and five games with two assists. Plante carries a +16 plus/minus, and in conference play, Plante finished fifth with both 12 goals and 25 points, including a trio of game-winners, while adding 13 assists.
The UMD alternate captain was the NCHC's October Forward of the Month, and was also named the HCA's Forward of the Month for October, and in addition to earning a NCHC Forward of the Week nod back on Oct. 7, 2025, was also named to the NCHC Preseason All-Conference Team. He was also a member of the 2025 U.S. World Junior Team. Plante will find out Thursday if he will become the second-ever Bulldog named the NCHC Player of the Year.
HOT ZAM: There is arguably no offensively hotter player in the NCAA right now than sophomore forward Zam Plante. Plante has scored six goals and added an assist over his four games. Two of those goals were game-winning overtime goals, while three of them were game-tying goals in the final minute of all three games to send them into overtime. Two of Plante's six goals were also power play tallies.
Plante has had a team-high 15 multiple point games this season and six game with two goals.
In all, Plante has 46 points on 20 points and 25 assists.
A TRIO OF 40: Three players have crossed the 40 points threshold -- Max Plante (48) and Zam Plante (46) and Jayson Shaugabay (42).
The last time the Bulldog program had three players register 40 or more points? 2011-12, when Jack Connolly (60), Travis Olesuk (53) and J.T. Brown (47) all blew past the 40-point mark.
SPECIAL TEAM STEP-UP: The Bulldogs have spent most of the season with the nation's top power-play, which currently sits at an NCAA-second best at 29.3. 39 of UMD's 121 goals so far this season have been scored with an extra skater, and 10 goals have come from Zam Plante and eight from Max Plante. Callum Arnott has also added six power play goals this season.
The Bulldogs on the other hand are almost as equally good on the penalty kill as they are on the power play. UMD sits second nationally with a 89.2 kill rate, and has not allowed a power play goal over its last seven games, holding opponents scoreless in their last 23 attempts. In fact, the Bulldogs have allowed just two power play goals over their last 35 attempts.
WINNING IS IN: UMD's 23 wins is the most it's posted in a season since the 2018-19 NCAA title winning season. That year, the Bulldogs went 29-11-2 overall, and that included four wins in the NCHC postseason (and NCHC Tournament title) and four NCAA games, including the NCAA Frozen Four.
THAT'S THE GOAL: UMD has scored 121 goals so far this season -- the most since 2018-19 season where the Bulldogs compiled 133 in 42 games -- a 3.16 goals per game average. The Bulldogs scored 114 over the COVID-19 cancelled 34 game season for a 3.35 goals per game average. This season, far from complete, UMD has scored 116 in 36 games -- a 3.27 goals a game average.
The last team to average three or more goals a game? The 2020-21 team, who averaged 3.0. UMD's current goals a game average (3.27) ranks them in 14th in the the NCAA.
HE'S NOT EVEN MAXED OUT: Max Plante's 48 points marks the most now by a Bulldog since current NHLer Alex Iafallo had 51 (21g, 30a) over the 2016-17 season over 42 games.
Plante is also sitting at 23 goals -- Ben Steeves rang up 24 in 2023-24, and prior to Steeves, the last UMD player to score 24 or more goals? J.T. Brown, who had 24 in 2011-12.
Stat hounds will have to go back to 2010-11 NCAA title season to find a player who scored 25 or more goals -- Mike Connolly turned in 28 goals that season. Notably, Connolly was a Hobey Baker Finalist that season (he won the following year.)
GAJAN'S GOAL: Adam Gajan is having a run since he came back from making the Slovakian Olympic Team.
With four-straight wins to his stat line, Gajan has also posted a 1.68 GAA and a .935 saves percentage, having made 101 saves on 108 shots over those four games.
With total 18 wins this season, Gajan also has the most by a Bulldog netminder since Ryan Fanti recorded 20 over the 2021-22 season.
Despite only having played 30 games for UMD this season, his 18 wins ranks as the 10th most in the NCAA.
THE NCHC POSTSEASON VS DENVER: In NCHC post season play against Denver, the Bulldogs are 2-5 overall, including 2-1 in semifinal skates. The two programs have never met in the NCHC Frozen Four Championship before, but between them have made a whopping eight title tilt appearances. UMD has three titles 2022, 2019 and 2017, while Denver won in 2024, 2018, and 2014.
The Bulldogs and Pioneers are both 3-1 all-time in the conference championship game.
The two sides last met in the conference postseason on March 15-16, 2024, a Pioneer sweep in Denver by scores of 4-0 and 5-2 in the NCHC Quarterfinals. Only three current UMD players were rostered on that team -- defensemen Aaron Pionk, Joey Pierce and forward Braden Fischer.
REGULAR SEASON VS DENVER: The Bulldogs were slept by the Pioneers over the regular season in their one and only series back on Jan. 30-31 in Denver by scores of 4-3 and 1-0 in overtime.
In the series opener, UMD fell behind by four goals by the end of the second period, but the Bulldogs scored two power play goals by Kyle Gaffney and Daniel Shlaine by the 11:55 minute to cut the deficit in half. Ty Hanson added a third goal at the 14:08 mark to pull UMD within a single goal, but despite outshelling the Pioneers 35-22 and an intense 19-4 in the third period alone, Denver held on for the 4-3 win.
Saturday, Adam Gajan's last game before he went to Italy for Olympic duties, the sophomore goaltender made 30 saves for a UMD squad outshot 31-19. It took overtime for the Pioneers to steal the win 2:17 into extra time.
UMD averaged 27.0 shots a game against Denver over the series, while the Pioneers were right there with 26.5. The Bulldogs went 2-of-7 on its power play while holding the Pioneers scoress in four attempts.
Denver heavily outblocked the Bulldogs 28-17 in the series and spent 17 minutes in the penalty box compared to just 10 by the Bulldogs. Even faceoff wins were even -- UMD had the edge 74-70 for a 51.4 winning percentage.
Junior defenseman Aaron Pionk was the only player to register to points in the series -- he recorded two assists in game one.
All-time, UMD is 90-140-13 against Denver and enters the weekend on three-game winless streak against the Pioneers.
Last 10 Games, UMD vs Denver (2-8-0)
Last 10 Games vs DU (2-8-0)
Jan. 31, 2026 UMD 0, DU 1 OT
Jan. 30, 2026 UMD 3, DU 4
Jan. 25, 2025 UMD 1, DU 2
Jan. 24, 2025 UMD 4, DU 3
Mar. 16, 2024 UMD 2, DU 5*
Mar. 15, 2024 UMD 0, DU 4*
Feb. 17, 2024 UMD 2, DU 5
Feb. 16, 2024 UMD 4, DU 5 OT
Feb. 18, 2023 UMD 6, DU 5
Feb. 17, 2023 UMD 2, DU 6
*NCHC Quarterfinal
Top Scoring UMD Players vs DU
Aaron Pionk GP=6 G=2, A=2 P-4
Max Plante GP=4 G=1 1=A P=2
Joey Pierce GP=12 G=0 A=2 P=2
LAST TIME OUT: UMD offensively exploded last Saturday in Grand Forks, N.D. against top-seeded North Dakota, scoring early and often to upset the Fighting Hawks 5-1.
Five different goal scorers rang up goals, including Callum Arnott, who got it going 2:14 into the game, and followed by Max Plante, who gave the Bulldogs are 2-0 lead at 7:16 of the first period. UMD got another goal just 1:26 into the second period from Jayson Shaugabay, and additional goals from Harper Bentz and Kyle Gaffney in the middle of the third.
UND outshot UMD 34-22, but Adam Gajan was brilliant in net with 33 saves including 17 in the first period alone.
NOTES FROM THE UND SEMIFINAL: The Bulldog are now 3-2 against UND on the season after going 2-2 over the regular season, and 2-1 in Grand Forks. All-time, UMD is now 94-163-11 against the Hawks.
--UMD's five goals was the most it has scored against North Dakota since they topped the Fighting Hawks 7-4 on Jan. 24, 2020 at AMSOIL Arena.
UMD is now 5-2 in semifinal NCHC Frozen Faceoff skates.
--Zam Plante and Ty Hanson extended their current scoring streaks to four games in the win. Plante now has seven points (6g, 1a) and Hanson four assists over their last four games. Jayson Shaugabay has three-straight games with points (1g, 2a)
