The Frozen Four is back in Boston this week for the first time since 2015, when Providence beat Boston University in a thrilling national title game that featured an unfortunate goaltending blunder and ruined the storybook ending to Jack Eichel’s lone season on Comm Ave.
If you haven’t sensed as much local buzz this year, there’s a reason for that. For the first time in eight Frozen Fours that have been played in Boston, there is no Massachusetts team in it. There’s no one from another New England state either. All five Massachusetts teams that were in the 16-team NCAA Tournament got knocked out in the first round, and Quinnipiac bowed out a round later.
There are still plenty of reasons to watch, though. For starters, these four teams -- Michigan, Denver, Minnesota and Minnesota State -- are really good. They’re the top four offenses in the country and all four have been near the top of the national rankings most of the season. There are future NHLers all over these rosters, particularly Michigan’s. The Wolverines made history last summer by having four players taken in the top five picks of the NHL Draft. No other college team had ever had four players taken in a single first round.
Plus, as outlined in this excellent history lesson from College Hockey News, Boston Frozen Fours have tended to produce some crazy games and finishes. Before that Providence-BU classic in 2015, the 2004 version featured Denver surviving a chaotic 6-on-3 (yes, 6-on-3) in the final minutes of the national title game against Maine.
This year’s Frozen Four begins on Thursday with Michigan facing Denver at 5 p.m. on ESPN2, followed by Minnesota vs. Minnesota State at 8:30 on ESPNU. The winners meet in the national championship Saturday at 8 on ESPN.
Here are 10 players worth watching:
Matty Beniers, C, Michigan
There may not be any New England teams in the Frozen Four, but there is a native New Englander. Beniers grew up in Hingham and played for Milton Academy and the Cape Cod Whalers before heading out to Michigan to join the U.S. National Team Development Program. A terrific skater and two-way center, Beniers was originally committed to Harvard. But when COVID canceled all Ivy League athletics for the 2020-21 season, he decommitted and decided to play for the Wolverines instead. A point-per game freshman season helped make him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft -- and the first-ever draft pick of the Seattle Kraken. As a 19-year-old sophomore this year, Beniers leads No. 1 Michigan in scoring and ranks 11th nationally in points per game with 43 (20 goals, 23 assists) in 36 games. He was also a member of the U.S. Olympic team in February, registering a goal and an assist in four games.
Johnny Beecher, C, Michigan
Beecher is the lone Bruins prospect in the Frozen Four field. Selected in the first round (30th overall) in 2019, the 21-year-old center has not really produced like a future top-six NHLer during his three years at Michigan. He has 15 points (6 goals, 9 assists) in 33 games this season, which is basically right in line with his career half-a-point-per-game pace. That said, he still plays an important role for the Wolverines as the third-line center and one of their top penalty-killers, with coach Mel Pearson crediting his return from injury earlier in the season as a key factor in the team finding more offensive depth as the season went along. His size (6-foot-3, 209 pounds), speed and two-way play could still earn him a spot in the Bruins’ bottom six at some point. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bruins sign Beecher after the Frozen Four.
Luke Hughes, D, Michigan
Hughes is a sort-of-New Englander. He was born in Manchester, New Hampshire while his dad, Jim, was an assistant coach for the Manchester Monarchs, but spent most of his childhood in Toronto and then Michigan. His older brothers are budding NHL stars Quinn and Jack Hughes, and Luke -- the No. 4 overall pick for the Devils last summer -- is looking like a star himself. As a freshman this year, he led all NCAA defensemen in goals (17) and points (39). Hughes is a blast to watch with the puck on his stick, as he’s a great skater and dynamic offensive playmaker.
Owen Power, D, Michigan
Bruins fans will be seeing plenty of Power in the Atlantic Division beginning as early as this month. The Sabres made the 6-foot-5 blue-liner the No. 1 overall pick last summer, and he is expected to sign with them shortly after Michigan’s season ends. Power could have signed right after getting drafted, but elected to return to the Wolverines for his sophomore season. He’s the kind of minutes-eating, two-way defenseman every team is looking for, and he could be that for Buffalo right off the bat. Power also increased his offensive production this season, posting 32 points (3 goals, 29 assists) in 32 games.
Nick Blankenburg, D, Michigan
I swear, this list isn’t going to be all Michigan. I mean, it probably could be -- we haven’t even gotten to Vegas first-rounder Brendan Brisson or Columbus first-rounder Kent Johnson. But we’ll cut it off at five and finish with Blankenburg, the Wolverines’ senior captain who will be a sought-after free agent as soon as the season ends. Blankenburg is just 5-foot-9, but his increased offensive production this season -- 14 goals and 15 assists in 37 games -- has caught the eye of NHL teams. The Bruins haven’t really been linked to Blankenburg, but they certainly have a history of signing smaller, undrafted D (see: Torey Krug and Jack Ahcan).
Ben Meyers, C, Minnesota
Speaking of undrafted free agents, Meyers has been considered the biggest fish on the market for months. While others have signed as their NCAA seasons have come to an end, Meyers has helped the Gophers reach their first Frozen Four since 2014 as they chase their first national title since 2003. And Meyers does have a connection to the Bruins: He attended their development camp last August and was one of the more impressive players on the ice. He has only impressed even more this season, recording a team-high 17 goals and 41 points in 33 games en route to being named a Hobey Baker finalist. Meyers, a stellar two-way center, was also one of the better players on the U.S. Olympic team, registering two goals and two assists in four games. The development camp connection might get the Bruins in the conversation, but Meyers will have interest from pretty much every NHL team and will be able to go wherever he wants.
Matthew Knies, LW, Minnesota
Knies is another player the Bruins could be seeing a lot of very soon, as it looks like the Maple Leafs may have found a second-round gem last summer. It’s clear he would go a lot higher than that if the 2021 draft were redone now. Knies, who is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, averaged a point per game as a freshman this year, notching 14 goals and 18 assists in 32 games while playing on a line with Meyers. It’s possible he could turn pro now, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he stays at Minnesota for a second season either.
Jake Livingstone, D, Minnesota State
Like Meyers and Blankenburg, Livingstone is another undrafted free agent who will have plenty of NHL offers on the table as soon as the Mavericks’ season ends. He’s a 6-foot-3, 200-pound right shot who has helped lead the country’s No. 1 defense while also contributing 30 points (9 goals, 21 assists) in 42 games. Livingstone is only a sophomore, but one who’s already 22 (turning 23 next week).
Dryden McKay, G, Minnesota State
McKay is the lone goalie among the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, which will be handed out Friday night at Encore Boston Harbor. While there is a strong argument (one I would make) that Northeastern’s Devon Levi would’ve been more deserving, there’s no denying that McKay has had an impressive season and impressive four-year college career. He enters the Frozen Four with a 37-4-0 record, .934 save percentage and 1.28 goals-against average.
Bobby Brink, RW, Denver
Don’t mistake me only putting one Denver player on this list for them being boring or uninteresting. The Pioneers are anything but. They actually have the No. 1 offense in the country, not star-studded Michigan. They embrace opening things up and their coach, David Carle, joked (we think) on Wednesday that he’s expecting a 9-8 game against the Wolverines. Cole Guttman, Carter Savoie and Carter Mazur could all easily be included here, but we’ll highlight Brink, who leads the country with 56 points (14 goals, 42 assists) in 39 games and is the third Hobey Baker finalist. The 20-year-old, 5-foot-9 winger was a second-round pick of the Flyers in 2019, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he signs once Denver’s season ends.
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