The dynasty was not supposed to survive.
The nouveau chic conversation surrounding college hockey has taught us how powerful traditions are becoming extinct. The past decade has produced five different first-time national champions, with realignment and new conferences that are said to have consolidated around stronger programs, as well as Boston College, Michigan, Denver, and Boston College. , the University of North Dakota, and the University of Minnesota programs, leading to further appearances in the national tournament. – Loses to Union, Providence, University of Massachusetts and Quinnipiac – teams that always stayed relevant. Teams like Minnesota vs. Duluth won back-to-back championships after winning their first crown in 2011, and parity went from a hopeful term to a more recognized norm.
The “other” teams found their way to the championship podium, with teams like Merrimack, Minnesota State, Northeastern, and Massachusetts Lowell all having their own shot at passing the traditional powerhouses. Although they arose in relative obscurity, their emergence meant that even traditional gatherings in places like the Beanpot became less relevant as the powerful lost more and more of their vaunted territory.
Their success has been limited to individual years, and the drought has expanded beyond historical barriers as facility improvements and the advent of transfer portals continue the trend toward new programs. For the first time in history, the dynasty is slowly put on life support for the equivalent of a full decade with minimal involvement from the program that ranks high on the all-time Frozen list. has passed.
Their heart rates were slow and thin. Their time is over…and 2024 happened.
In one year, four of the six teams with the biggest success stories in college hockey advanced through their respective regions and reached the Frozen Four hosted by Minnesota Hockey State. A total of 96 national semi-final appearances qualified them for the championship weekend, while a total of 28 national championship appearances ensured that the next crown would go back to a team with a history of success dating back to the early days of the sport. It's here.
Was the dynasty dying? perhaps. But as for this year, they still seem very much alive and thriving.
“I'm excited to have this opportunity,” Boston College's head coach said. greg brown. “The players put in a lot this year and worked hard. And the great thing about the coaching staff is that when we started winning, they never got complacent. They were always looking for the next win. They put a lot of effort into us because we were focused and we played as well as we could. [making it to the Frozen Four]. We're excited to be here. ”
That brand of energy is very real for a BC team that hasn't competed at this level in eight years, but the electricity is very real for a BC team that hasn't competed at this level in eight years. It's covered up. It's also a problem that they haven't been to the summit since 2016, but even in the transfer portal era, it doesn't reflect the success that is typically built into the program's DNA.Only one player skated on the field in the national semifinals, but Boston University transferred jamie armstrong's His assist against Minnesota last year was not recorded in the 6-2 loss.
No other athlete had ever skated so close to the sun, but Armstrong's trip had ironic consequences. jack malone's It was expensive while the transfer forward skated at Cornell University, but outside of a limited senior class that began their careers during the coronavirus-impacted 2020-2021 season, they were not eligible for national championships. None of the players played — and still, none of them won the game The opening round game against Notre Dame was canceled due to a positive COVID-19 case for the Fighting Irish. Despite making it to the regional finals.Lake Superior Transfer Jacob Bengtsson The Lakers were in that tournament after winning the last WCHA championship, but the team lost its only game to UMass.
So no matter how the cake is sliced, there really isn't much to go on.
“I'm going to talk now. [the experience of playing in a Frozen Four]“Everything is different, so you have to be comfortable there,” Brown admitted. The media has increased and the practice schedule has become very strict. You have to be able to adapt and be comfortable with getting everything organized and ready so you can focus on hockey. Worrying about or being distracted by things like family or the media can make it difficult to give your best on the ice.
“We've been through it as a staff, so we talk about it and make sure everyone's on the same page and ready,” he explained.
Ignorance is a blessing in disguise in this regard, but Brown's perspective on the national championship he gained as an assistant coach under Jerry York makes the intersection of B.C.'s distant and recent history even more vivid. They don't have the recent history to match a team like, say, Michigan, which has been to Frozen 4 for three years in a row, but with trips to Boston and Tampa coming off, it was a token appearance in the semifinal round. The Wolverines are well aware of the disappointment that comes with that. Before the weekend finals. In 2021, the team that lost to Denver was highly favored as they acquired three of the top five teams in the NHL Draft, but they are still sleeping with a heavy heart over the missed opportunity.
“This junior and senior class has played in three straight Frozen Fours and won multiple Big Ten championships,” head coach Brandon Nowrat said. ”[The success] Back to COVID and the changes to geocaching. This year dates back to Steven Holtz being admitted to the ICU and four other players being hospitalized. [after] Players like Ethan Edwards had surgery earlier this year.It's always been the next man mentality and Michigan's depth [is about] They show their worth and step up. It's not one thing. There were a lot of little things, but the turning point was the playoffs. ”
Big Blue hasn't won a national championship since 1998, but this year marks at least the ninth time the team has competed in Frozen 4 since the beginning of the 21st century. Even Denver can't surpass that number, and the Pioneers have won four titles in the past 20 years, tying Michigan for the most national championships. Their most recent title came in 2022 over Michigan State and another twist of the proverbial knife in Boston.
But while these two programs represent the continued success of traditional powerhouses, the Terriers appeared in last year's Frozen 4 and lost to Minnesota, canceling out B.C.'s loss in 2016. Despite the current situation, returning the University of BC and Boston University to national status has a completely different feel. Quinnipiac. Exactly one year ago, the Terriers were in the National Championship Game at TD Garden, losing to Providence in the infamous game in which Matt O'Connors dropped the puck, but the two-year span between both teams ended in four games. He went on to win consecutive U.S. championships, including -Of 5 titles from 2008 to 2012.
“You have to learn from [the experiences]BU head coach Jay Pandolfo said. “I think the biggest thing for us is that we've lost some of these one-shot games this year.” [games]. We lost in the Beanpot and Hockey East finals. I know the season isn't over in either game, but even if you want to win a championship, you can't win it if you don't win that game. The most important thing for us is not to let ourselves be defeated, but I thought we could learn a little from both losses. ”
BC won three of those championships around the turn of the decade, but it's still weird to think it's been 12 years since BC or BU won a championship. Even BU, which won the championship 15 years ago, had only appeared in the Frozen Four three times in the 21st century, before winning the regional championship this year in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and was the first national championship in college hockey. were more likely to write about Quinnipiac or Yale University. Championship game in recent years.
B.C.'s victory over Ferris State and Notre Dame, just under different names, marked a continuing trend of first-time championships being hoisted in five-year spans in the 2010s. The University of North Dakota defeated Quinnipiac for its eighth championship in 2016 after the Bobcats beat Boston College, but it was the Fighting Hawks' first since winning a double in four years in the late 1990s. It was the only victory. Massachusetts State has appeared in the national championship game twice, losing to Minnesota and Duluth before defeating St. Cloud State. Minnesota State University (currently WCHA, CCHA), located in Mankato, a town in southern Minnesota, faced Denver in the 2022 championship tournament. In state hockey, the Golden Gophers haven't won a championship since 2003, but last year's team lost to Quinnipiac.
Naturally, B.C. hasn't been in the conversation for years, but the Frozen Four's descent into Minnesota gives the Eagles a chance to revive a dynasty in front of the province's great hockey culture. Two Minnesota teams advanced to the Frozen Four at TD Garden in 2022, and two Boston teams returned the favor this year. While other programs are on the rise, this year could see some of the greatest programs emerge, and some are looking to complete their stories and revive the traditions they've continued.
