The final push to the NCAA Tournament begins this weekend with conference tournament games in each of the six Division 1 leagues.
Once conference champions are crowned on March 21 and 22, the 16-team field for the NCAA Tournament will be announced March 23. Regionals will start in Toledo, Ohio, and Fargo, North Dakota, on March 27, and in Manchester, New Hampshire, and Allentown, Pennsylvania, on March 28.
The four regional winners will advance to the Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on April 10 and 12.
Teams on or close to the bubble -- approximately No. 13 through No. 16 in the PairWise, a system which attempts to mimic the method used by the NCAA Selection Committee to determine participants for the Tournament, will look to improve position by winning this weekend, and teams already all but guaranteed to make the tournament can boost their seeding.
In alphabetical order, here are 10 players who will be counted on to lead their teams this weekend.
Sacha Boisvert, North Dakota
The freshman center, selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the No. 18 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is on a hot streak with seven goals in a six-game goal streak. The 20-year-old has 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) in 34 games this season.
North Dakota, tied at No. 18 in the PairWise, most likely needs to win the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Tournament, opening at Omaha on Friday, to make the NCAA Tournament.
Jack Devine, University of Denver
The 21-year-old senior forward, taken by Florida Panthers in the seventh round (No. 221) of the 2022 NHL Draft, is second in the country in scoring with 50 points (12 goals, 38 assists) in 36 games.
Denver, the defending national champion, is ninth in the PairWise and is a lock to make this season’s national tournament. It can move up with a strong showing in the NCHC Tournament, where if faces Colorado College in the quarterfinals Friday.
Aiden Fink, Penn State
The sophomore forward, chosen by the Nashville Predators in the seventh round (No. 218) of the 2023 NHL Draft, leads the nation in scoring with 51 points (23 goals, 28 assists) in 36 games.
The 20-year-old posted four assists, including one on the overtime winner in a 6-5 victory at Michigan on Friday.
Penn State is in very good shape at No. 12 in the PairWise but looks to solidify its position in the Big 10 Tournament; it goes against Ohio State in the semifinals on Saturday.
Cole Knuble, Notre Dame
The sophomore center, selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the fourth round (No. 103) of the 2023 draft, leads his team in scoring this season with 39 points (12 goals, 27 assists) in 33 games.
The 20-year-old is the son of former NHL forward Mike Knuble, who played 1,068 games in 16 NHL seasons and won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 1998 and played more than 1,000 NHL games.
After upsetting Minnesota 4-1 in the Big 10 Tournament quarterfinals on Sunday, Notre Dame faces Michigan State in the tournament semifinals Friday. With a record of 12-24-1, Notre Dame can make the NCAA Tournament only by winning the conference tournament.
Ayrton Martino, Clarkson
The senior forward, chosen by the Dallas Stars in the third round (No. 73) of the 2021 NHL Draft, is one of the hottest scorers in the country, with 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in a nine-game point streak, including a current six-game multipoint streak (17 points; eight goals, nine assists).
The 22-year-old leads Clarkson in scoring this season with 45 points (23 goals, 22 assists) in 34 games.
Clarkson, No. 20 in the PairWise, hosts Harvard in an Eastern College Athletic Conference quarterfinal Friday and needs to win the conference tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Liam McLinskey, Holy Cross
The undrafted 24-year-old senior forward is fifth in the nation in scoring with 47 points (22 goals, 25 assists) in 37 games this season.
Holy Cross, 25th in the Pairwise, will need to win the Atlantic Hockey Conference playoff championship to earn a bid to the NCAAs. It will go against Army in the tournament semifinals, beginning Friday.
Joey Muldowney, Connecticut
The sophomore forward, taken by the San Jose Sharks in the sixth round (no. 172) of the 2022 draft, has been a major contributor this season. The 20-year-old is tied for the UConn scoring lead with 39 points (22 goals, 17 assists) in 34 games, a sizable jump from the 14 points (five goals, nine assists) he had in 35 games as a freshman last season.
UConn is No. 7 in the PairWise and will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time. It can potentially move up in the PairWise by making a run in the Hockey East Tournament, opening with Providence in the quarterfinals Friday.
Chris Pelosi, Quinnipiac
The freshman center, selected by the Boston Bruins in the third round (No. 92) of the 2023 draft, has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 33 games this season.
Quinnipiac finished first in the ECAC in the regular season and is on the bubble at No. 13 in the Pairwise. It will face Brown in the ECAC quarterfinals Friday.
Rhett Pitlick, Minnesota State
After three years at the University of Minnesota, the senior forward, chosen by the Montreal Canadiens in the fifth round (No. 131) of the 2019 NHL Draft, transferred to Minnesota State during the offseason. The 24-year-old leads his team in scoring with 37 points (13 goals, 24 assists) in 36 games.
Pitlick has strong family ties to the NHL; he's the son of former NHL defenseman Lance Pitlick and the younger brothers of veteran forwards Rem Pitlick and Tyler Pitlick.
Minnesota State, on the bubble at No. 15 in the PairWise, can clinch an automatic bid to the national tournament by winning the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament; it faces Bemidji State in the quarterfinals Saturday.
Artem Shlaine, Arizona State
The center, a graduate student taken by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round (No. 130) of the 2020 NHL Draft, played two seasons at Connecticut and two at Northern Michigan University before joining Arizona State. The 23-year-old has been a key contributor this season with 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 28 games.
After finishing second in the NCHC regular season, Arizona State is a bubble team at No. 16 in the PairWise and will host Minnesota Duluth in the NCHC quarterfinals Friday.
