Toronto Marlies Claim 2026 Calder Cup

The Toronto Marlies are American Hockey League champions for the second time in seven seasons. The Marlies defeated the visiting Chicago Wolves, 4-3, on Friday in Game Five of the 2026 Calder Cup Final to claim the best-of-seven series, four games to one. Vinny Lettieri (Minnesota) notched what turned out to be the Cup-clinching goal late in the second period, after Jacob Quillan (Quinnipiac) had given Toronto a 3-2 lead just over a minute before.

Other former NCAA players in the Marlies lineup for the final game of the 2026-27 campaign included: Matt Benning (Northeastern), Luke Haymes (Dartmouth) Marc Johnstone (Sacred Heart), Dakota Mermis (Denver), Marshall Rifai (Harvard), Henry Thrun (Harvard) and Ryan Tverberg (UConn). 

Chicago, which was seeking its fourth Calder Cup since joining the AHL in 2001, got a goal from Josiah Slavin (Colorado College), plus 19 saves in defeat from goaltender Cayden Primeau (Northeastern).

NCAA Regionals Conclude, 2024 Frozen Four Set

The 2024 NCAA Division I men's hockey regionals are in the books, and the last two tickets to this year's Frozen Four have been punched.

In Providence, Boston College overcame several one-goal deficits to edge defending NCAA champion Quinnipiac, 5-4, in overtime. Cornell transfer Jack Malone pushed home a loose puck just over three minutes into the extra session to give BC (33-5-1 overall) its only lead of the afternoon, after fellow New Jersey native Aram Minnetian had tied the contest with just under five minutes remaining in regulation. Ryan Leonard tallied two power-play goals for the Eagles, who also got 26 saves from Jacob Fowler. Jacob Quillan, last year's national championship game hero for the Bobcats (27-10-2), scored twice, while Vinny Duplessis had 27 stops for Quinnipiac.

In Maryland Heights. Mo., Michigan (23-14-3) used four third-period goals to break a two-all tie and overcome Big Ten rival Michigan State, 5-2. The Wolverines, who won their third consecutive regional final, got three points from Dylan Duke, including two third-period goals and the game-winner, while Ethan Edwards notched a goal and two assists, and Jake Barczewski made 38 saves. Trey Augustine had 30 stops for the Spartans (25-10-3), who won their first-ever Big Ten regular season championship this year, and then added the Big Ten tournament title eight days ago with an overtime win against Michigan.

Top-ranked BC will now face Michigan in the second Frozen Four semifinal in St. Paul, Minn. on April 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The first semifinal will pit Sioux Falls regional winner Boston University against Springfield, Mass. regional winner Denver at 5 p.m. ET. Both contests will be televised live on ESPN2. The semifinal winners will meet two days later for the national championship, which will also be held at the Xcel Energy Center.

Quinnipiac Wins 2023 NCAA Men's Hockey Title

Quinnipiac University had waited 10 years to win a national title. So what was another 10 seconds?

Jacob Quillan scored just 10 seconds into overtime before 19,444 spectators on Saturday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa to lift second-ranked Quinnipiac to a 3-2 win over the top-ranked University of Minnesota in the 2023 NCAA Division I men's hockey national championship game. It was the first-ever NCAA title for the Bobcats, in their third try, while Minnesota (29-10-1 overall) was seeking its first national championship since 2003, and sixth all-time.

After Quinnipiac (34-4-3) won the opening face-off in the extra session, Zach Metsa passed the puck ahead to Sam Lipkin, who carried it down the right wing boards in the Minnesota zone. Lipkin backhanded a pass through the slot to Quillan, who took the feed, cut to his backhand, and slipped a shot past Golden Gophers netminder Justin Close to close out the game, the tournament, and the season for the victorious Bobcats, who began play as a Division I school in 1999-2000. They have since made nine NCAA tournaments at that level, and were previously the national runner-up in both 2013 and 2016.

The Bobcats had to battle back from a two-goal deficit Saturday to get the job done. John Mittelstadt shoveled home a loose puck in front of Quinnipiac's net for the only goal of the first period, and then Jaxon Nelson chipped in a rebound off the backboards early in the second stanza to put the Golden Gophers up, 2-0. Cristophe Tellier would then get Quinnipiac back within a goal before the end of the middle period, off an assist by Metsa. 

With less than three minutes remaining in regulation, and goaltender Yaniv Perets pulled for a sixth attacker, Union College transfer Collin Graf pulled Quinnipiac into a tie with his shot from the left circle that glanced off of Close and found the back of the Minnesota net, just after a Bobcats power play had expired, off assists from Metsa and Lipkin. That set the stage for Quillan's overtime heroics, and the biggest victory in the history of Quinnipiac's program. 

Quinnipiac outshot Minnesota on the night, 30-15, with Perets making 13 saves for the Bobcats, and Close finishing with 27 stops for the Golden Gophers. Quinnipiac also became the first ECAC Hockey team to win a men's national title since Union in 2014, and went 3-0 versus Big Ten schools in this year's championship, defeating Ohio State, Michigan and Minnesota in consecutive contests on the way to the crown. The win was also the 615th overall in the career of Bobcats head coach Rand Pecknold, all of them at Quinnipiac, since he first took the helm in 1994-95. 

Next year's NCAA Frozen Four will be held in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Four Games, Four Routs on 2nd Day of NCAA Regionals

Four teams won in the NCAA Division I men's ice hockey regionals on Friday—and none of the games were even close on the scoreboard.

In Manchester, Ohio State annihilated Harvard by an 8-1 score, as Cam Thiesing notched two goals and an assist, and Jake Wise set up four goals for the Buckeyes. In the nightcap in New Hampshire, Quinnipiac blanked Merrimack, 5-0, as Jacob Quillan scored twice, Sam Lipkin had three points, and Yaniv Perets stopped all 15 shots he faced for the shutout. Ohio State will face Quinnipiac in the regional final on Sunday afternoon.

In Allentown, host Penn State cruised to an 8-0 victory over Michigan Tech, as Liam Souliere earned the shutout on 24 stops. A total of seven Nittany Lion skaters registered two points each, including leading goal scorer Kevin Wall. In the late game in Pennsylvania, Michigan used seven second-period scores to rout Colgate, 11-1. Luke Hughes led the way for the Wolverines with two goals and three assists for five points, while T.J. Hughes and Seamus Casey set up three goals apiece. Michigan meets Big Ten rival Penn State Sunday night for the right to go to the NCAA Frozen Four in Tampa next month.