The 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 2, 2021, and concluded with the NCAA championship on April 9, 2022. This was the 74th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and was US college hockey's 128th year overall.
Conference realignment and program suspensions Seven schools that had been members of the men's WCHA made a joint decision to leave and reestablish the CCHA, whose original version had last played in the 2012–13 season. They were joined by St. Thomas, who were raising their athletic programs from Division III. Of the remaining three WCHA men's teams, Alaska would continue as an independent program, Alaska Anchorage would suspend operations until fundraising efforts could determine the future of the team and Alabama–Huntsville would suspend operations until they could secure placement within a conference.
On May 26, Robert Morris University announced the termination of both their men's and women's ice hockey teams. The news came as a shock to most, both within and outside the program, and immediately led to fundraising efforts to secure the return of both teams. Despite collecting more than $1 million in donations in under 3 months, the university declared in early August that the team would not be able to participate in the 2021–22 season and would look to return in 2022–23. RMU would announce on December 17, 2021, that both men's and women's teams would resume play in 2023–24.
On August 31, Alaska Anchorage announced that the $3 million fundraising goal had been reached and the team would return for the 2022–23 season.
Membership changes SchoolFormer ConferenceNew Conference Alabama–Huntsville Chargers WCHA Suspended Program Alaska Nanooks WCHA Independent Alaska–Anchorage Seawolves WCHA Suspended Program Bemidji State Beavers WCHA CCHA Bowling Green Falcons WCHA CCHA Ferris State Bulldogs WCHA CCHA Lake Superior State Lakers WCHA CCHA Michigan Tech Huskies WCHA CCHA Minnesota State Mavericks WCHA CCHA Northern Michigan Wildcats WCHA CCHA Robert Morris Colonials Atlantic Hockey Suspended Program St. Thomas Tommies MIAC (DIII) CCHA
Polls
Regular season
Season tournaments Tournament Dates Teams Champion Ice Breaker Tournament October 8–9 4 Boston College October 15–16 4 Michigan Holiday Face–Off December 28–29 4 Wisconsin Great Lakes Invitational December 29–30 4 not awarded Ledyard Bank Classic December 30–31 4 Boston College Connecticut Ice January 29–30 4 Quinnipiac Beanpot February 7, 14 4 Boston University
Standings
PairWise Rankings The PairWise Rankings (PWR) are a statistical tool designed to approximate the process by which the NCAA selection committee decides which teams get at-large bids to the 16-team NCAA tournament. Although the NCAA selection committee does not use the PWR as presented by USCHO, the PWR has been accurate in predicting which teams will make the tournament field.
For Division I men, all teams are included in comparisons starting in the 2013–14 season (formerly, only teams with a Ratings Percentage Index of .500 or above, or teams under consideration, were included). The PWR method compares each team with every other such team, with the winner of each “comparison” earning one PWR point. After all comparisons are made, the points are totaled up and rankings listed accordingly.
With 59 Division I men's teams, the greatest number of PWR points any team could earn is 58, winning the comparison with every other team. Meanwhile, a team that lost all of its comparisons would have no PWR points.
Teams are then ranked by PWR point total, with ties broken by the teams’ RPI ratings, which starting in 2013-14 is weighted for home and road games and includes a quality wins bonus (QWB) for beating teams in the top 20 of the RPI (it also is weighted for home and road).
When it comes to comparing teams, the PWR uses three criteria which are combined to make a comparison: RPI, record against common opponents and head-to-head competition. Starting in 2013–14, the comparison of record against teams under consideration was dropped because all teams are now under comparison.
+ NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Final PairWise Rankings Rank Team PWR RPI Conference 1 57 .6087 Big Ten 1 57 .6080* CCHA 3 55 .5789 NCHC 4 54 .5846 NCHC 4 54 .5690 NCHC 6 53 .5773 Big Ten 7 52 .5720 NCHC 8 51 .5648* ECAC Hockey 8 51 .5607 Big Ten 10 49 .5602 NCHC 11 48 .5584 Hockey East 12 47 .5482 CCHA 13 46 .5433 Hockey East 14 45 .5431 Hockey East 15 44 .5391 Big Ten 16 42 .5341 ECAC Hockey 17 41 .5333 Hockey East 17 41 .5326 ECAC Hockey 17 41 .5309 Hockey East 20 38 .5294 Atlantic Hockey 20 38 .5294 Hockey East 22 37 .5270 Hockey East 23 36 .5250 NCHC 23 36 .5140 ECAC Hockey 25 34 .5095 Big Ten 25 34 .5061 CCHA 27 31 .5061 Independent 27 31 .5044 Hockey East 29 30 .5020 CCHA 29 30 .5008 Independent 31 28 .4924 ECAC Hockey 32 27 .4914 CCHA 33 26 .4845 Hockey East 34 24 .4818 CCHA 35 23 .4831 Atlantic Hockey 35 23 .4808 Big Ten 37 22 .4803 Big Ten 38 21 .4753 Atlantic Hockey 39 20 .4778 Atlantic Hockey 39 20 .4723 Atlantic Hockey 41 18 .4703 ECAC Hockey 42 17 .4669 Atlantic Hockey 43 15 .4638 Atlantic Hockey 43 15 .4618 Atlantic Hockey 45 14 .4638 NCHC 46 13 .4616 NCHC 46 13 .4572 ECAC Hockey 48 11 .4514 ECAC Hockey 49 10 .4498 CCHA 50 9 .4494 Atlantic Hockey 51 7 .4435 Hockey East 51 7 .4398 Atlantic Hockey 53 6 .4363 Independent 54 5 .4362 ECAC Hockey 55 4 .4356 Hockey East 56 3 .4350 ECAC Hockey 57 2 .4322 ECAC Hockey 58 1 .4279 ECAC Hockey 59 0 .4132 CCHA *A team's RPI has been adjusted to remove negative effect from defeating a weak opponent Note: A team's record is based only on games against other Division I hockey schools which are eligible for the NCAA tournament
Player stats
Scoring leaders Player Class Team GP G A Pts PIM Junior Denver 41 14 43 57 44 Junior Minnesota State 38 19 31 50 43 Senior Massachusetts 37 20 29 49 28 Senior Minnesota State 38 18 31 49 10 Senior Bemidji State 39 17 30 47 41 Sophomore Denver 39 23 22 45 37 Senior Denver 41 19 26 45 26 Senior Western Michigan 39 9 36 45 20 Senior Michigan Tech 37 21 23 44 49 Junior Lake Superior State 36 15 29 44 31 Senior Northern Michigan 32 13 31 44 22
Leading goaltenders The following goaltenders lead the NCAA in goals against average, minimum 1/3 of team's minutes played.
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Player Class Team GP Min W L T GA SO SV% GAA Freshman Quinnipiac 31 1,841:43 22 5 2 36 11 .939 1.17 Senior Minnesota State 43 2,559:38 38 5 0 56 10 .931 1.31 Sophomore Northeastern 32 1,875:30 21 10 1 48 10 .952 1.54 Freshman Cornell 17 979:27 7 6 3 28 3 .933 1.72 Junior Minnesota 20 1,114:24 14 4 0 34 3 .929 1.83 Junior Minnesota Duluth 37 2,201:23 20 12 4 67 7 .929 1.83 Graduate Notre Dame 26 1,481:29 18 8 0 47 2 .933 1.90 Junior Michigan Tech 37 2,194:53 21 13 2 70 7 .918 1.91 Senior Massachusetts Lowell 29 1,738:34 20 7 2 56 5 .926 1.93 Junior Notre Dame 16 921:52 10 4 0 32 2 .924 2.08
Tournament bracket
* denotes overtime period
Awards
NCAA Award RecipientHobey Baker Award Dryden McKay, Minnesota StateSpencer Penrose Award Mike Hastings, Minnesota StateTim Taylor Award Devon Levi, NortheasternMike Richter Award Devon Levi, NortheasternDerek Hines Unsung Hero Award Jordan Seyfert, MerrimackSenior CLASS Award Zach Driscoll, North DakotaTournament Most Outstanding Player Michael Benning, Denver East First Team Position West First TeamDevon Levi, Northeastern GDryden McKay, Minnesota StateZach Metsa, Quinnipiac DRonnie Attard, Western MichiganScott Morrow, Massachusetts DJake Sanderson, North DakotaNick Abruzzese, Harvard FMatty Beniers, MichiganAidan McDonough, Northeastern FBobby Brink, DenverBobby Trivigno, Massachusetts FNathan Smith, Minnesota State East Second Team Position West Second TeamYaniv Perets, Quinnipiac GRyan Fanti, Minnesota DuluthJordan Harris, Northeastern DLuke Hughes, MichiganHenry Thrun, Harvard DOwen Power, MichiganColin Bilek, Army FEthen Frank, Western MichiganJack McBain, Boston College FBrian Halonen, Michigan TechRyan Tverberg, Connecticut FBen Meyers, Minnesota
Atlantic Hockey Award RecipientPlayer of the Year Chris Theodore, American InternationalRookie of the Year Carter Wilkie, RITBest Defensive Forward Jake Stella, American InternationalBest Defenseman Zak Galambos, American InternationalIndividual Sportsmanship Award Daniel Haider, ArmyRegular Season Scoring Trophy Colin Bilek, Army Neil Shea, Sacred HeartRegular Season Goaltending Award Jake Kucharski, American InternationalCoach of the Year Eric Lang, American InternationalTournament MVP Blake Bennett, American International First Team Position Second TeamJacob Barczewski, Canisius GGavin Abric, ArmyZak Galambos, American International DAnthony Firriolo, ArmyDrew Bavaro, Bentley DLogan Britt, Sacred HeartChris Theodore, American International FKeaton Mastrodonato, CanisiusColin Bilek, Army FNeil Shea, Sacred HeartWill Calverley, RIT FJake Stella, American International Third Team Position Rookie TeamJake Kucharski, American International GTommy Scarfone, RITBrandon Koch, Air Force DLuis Lindner, American InternationalDavid Melaragni, Canisius DMitchell Digby, Air ForceBraeden Tuck, Sacred Heart FCarter Wilkie, RITCarson Brière, Mercyhurst FClayton Cosentino, Air ForceRyan Leibold, Holy Cross FShane Ott, Niagara
Big Ten Award Recipient Player of the Year Ben Meyers, MinnesotaDefensive Player of the Year Brock Faber, MinnesotaGoaltender of the Year Jakub Dobeš, Ohio StateFreshman of the Year Jakub Dobeš, Ohio State Luke Hughes, MichiganScoring Champion Matty Beniers, MichiganCoach of the Year Bob Motzko, MinnesotaTournament Most Outstanding Player Erik Portillo, Michigan First Team Position Second TeamJakub Dobeš, Ohio State GErik Portillo, MichiganOwen Power, Michigan DLuke Hughes, MichiganBrock Faber, Minnesota DJackson LaCombe, MinnesotaMatty Beniers, Michigan FBrendan Brisson, MichiganBen Meyers, Minnesota FMatthew Knies, MinnesotaGeorgii Merkulov, Ohio State FMax Ellis, Notre Dame Freshman Team Position Jakub Dobeš, Ohio State GLuke Hughes, Michigan DMason Lohrei, Ohio State DMatthew Knies, Minnesota FGeorgii Merkulov, Ohio State FMackie Samoskevich, Michigan F
CCHA Award Recipient Player of the Year Dryden McKay, Minnesota StateForward of the Year Nathan Smith, Minnesota StateDefenseman of the Year Jake Livingstone, Minnesota StateGoaltender of the Year Dryden McKay, Minnesota StateRookie of the Year Bradley Marek, Ferris StateCoach of the Year Mike Hastings, Minnesota State First Team Position Second TeamDryden McKay, Minnesota State GBlake Pietila, Michigan TechJake Livingstone, Minnesota State DColin Swoyer, Michigan TechElias Rosén, Bemidji State DJacob Bengtsson, Lake Superior StateNathan Smith, Minnesota State FOwen Sillinger, Bemidji StateBrian Halonen, Michigan Tech FLouis Boudon, Lake Superior StateJulian Napravnik, Minnesota State FTrenton Bliss, Michigan Tech FAJ Vanderbeck, Northern Michigan Rookie Team Position Mattias Sholl, Bemidji State GCharlie Glockner, Northern Michigan GEric Parker, Bowling Green DBennett Zmolek, Minnesota State DBradley Marek, Ferris State FAusten Swankler, Bowling Green FJosh Nixon, Lake Superior State F
ECAC Hockey