DULUTH — The University of Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey program has not won a regular season conference championship since 1993, though it has won much bigger prizes since then.
Will this be the season the Bulldogs lift a trophy at the end of the regular season?
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According to 26 of the 33 media voters in this year’s NCHC preseason poll,
the answer is “No.” Defending national champion Denver won out in this year’s voting to claim the top spot in the 2026-27 NCHC Preseason Media Poll. The Pioneers garnered 14 first-place votes.
1. Denver, 304 points (14 first-place votes)
2. North Dakota, 302 points (12)
3. Minnesota Duluth, 273 points (7)
4. Western Michigan, 237 points
5. Miami, 175 points
6. Colorado College, 159 points
7. St. Thomas, 121 points
8. St. Cloud State, 102 points
9. Arizona State, 73 points
10. Omaha, 69 points
North Dakota, the defending NCHC Penrose Cup champions, finished second with 12 first-place votes. UMD was slotted third after getting seven, including one from the News Tribune.
Third place is the highest UMD has been picked in the NCHC’s preseason poll since being picked to finish third in 2022-23. The Bulldogs wound up tying for fifth that seas...