The 2018 Frozen Four will be held Thursday with a pair of games at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Big Ten will be represented well with three of the four teams remaining in the tournament hailing from the conference.
Ohio State faces Minnesota-Duluth in the early game after the Buckeyes knocked out Denver in the regional finals. That victory effectively ended Blackhawks prospect Blake Hillman’s college career as he signed an NHL contract not long after the Pioneers’ elimination.
Minnesota-Duluth, the lone non-Big Ten team left in the field, is trying to reach the national championship for the second straight year. The Bulldogs lost to Denver in last year’s title game but brought back a talented team led by Riley Tufte (Stars), Joey Anderson (Devils), Dylan Samberg (Jets) and Scott Perunovich, a top prospect in the 2018 NHL Draft.
The other game will see Big Ten champion Notre Dame and Blackhawks defenseman prospect Dennis Gilbert take on Michigan. The Fighting Irish are the top remaining seed in the tournament after beating Michigan Tech and Providence in their first two contests.
Notre Dame doesn’t have the same kind of NHL-caliber talent as some other teams in the tournament, but goaltender Cale Morris and an experienced defense led by Gilbert, sophomore Andrew Peeke (Blue Jackets), junior Bobby Nardella and senior Jordan Gross have made the team a tough out.
How to watch the 2018 Frozen Four
Ohio State vs. Minnesota-Duluth
Time: 5 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN2
Live stream: WatchESPN
Notre Dame vs. Michigan
Time: 8:30 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN2
Live stream: WatchESPN
