Monday, November 23, 2020

Leagues Pick Preseason Favorites

Defending champions favored in four conferences.


Leagues Pick Preseason Favorites
Minnesota State is the WCHA preseason favorite in the media and coaches’ polls.

Five of the six Division I men’s conferences have released preseason polls in advance of the 2020-21 season. ECAC Hockey, which has seen eight of its 12 schools opt out of the season due to the pandemic, is the lone exception. It plans to play conference games between the remaining teams – Colgate, Clarkson, Quinnipiac and St. Lawrence – in the new year.

Defending champions are favored in four of the five conferences that have released polls: American International in Atlantic Hockey, Boston College in Hockey East, North Dakota in the NCHC and Minnesota State in the WCHA. The exception is the Big Ten, where Minnesota is the preseason favorite and defending champion Penn State is pegged for seventh in the poll.

Last season’s preseason polls correctly predicted five of the regular-season champions in the six Division I men’s conferences.


Atlantic Hockey Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. American International (7) 96 points
2. Sacred Heart (2) 76
3. Bentley 75
4. Niagara (1) 69
5. Army West Point 60
6. Air Force 49
  Robert Morris 49
8. Holy Cross 27
9. Canisius 18
  Mercyhurst 18

Big Ten Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Minnesota
2. Michigan
3. Notre Dame
  Ohio State
5. Wisconsin
6. Michigan State
7. Penn State

Hockey East Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Boston College (8) 95 points
2. Massachusetts (2) 87
3. Providence 77
4. UMass Lowell (1) 71
5. Northeastern 68
6. Boston University 55
7. UConn 48
8. New Hampshire 44
9. Maine 27
10. Merrimack 23
11. Vermont 10

NCHC Preseason Media Poll
1. North Dakota (27) 223 points
2. Denver (1) 185
3. Minnesota Duluth 173
4. St. Cloud State 126
5. Western Michigan 116
6. Omaha 96
7. Colorado College 45
8. Miami 44

WCHA Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Minnesota State (6) 86
2. Bemidji State (1) 79
3. Bowling Green (3) 78
4. Michigan Tech 64
5. Northern Michigan 63
6. Lake Superior State 49
7. Alaska 40
8 Ferris State 35
9. Alaska Anchorage 28
10. Alabama Huntsville 18

WCHA Preseason Media Poll
1. Minnesota State (10) 100 points
2. Bemidji State 89
3. Bowling Green 76
4. Northern Michigan 68
5. Michigan Tech 67
6. Lake Superior State 44
7. Alaska 40
8. Ferris State 33
9. Alaska Anchorage 21
10. Alabama Huntsville 12