We’re entering the heart of the schedule for one of the most hyped seasons of college hockey in recent memory.
Spurred by the inclusion of top-tier Canadian talent, who can now compete at American colleges thanks to newly changed NCAA rules, there are more eyeballs on this season of college hockey than at any other time in recent memory.
One of the biggest beneficiaries of this newfound attention is 17-year-old forward Gavin McKenna, who’s the projected first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. A big sign that we were in a new era of college hockey came when McKenna announced his commitment to Penn State live on ESPN.
Another major Canadian prospect, Tynan Lawrence, just left the USHL to join Boston University in an effort to try to unseat McKenna as the consensus number-one-pick. Top-tier talent from the Great North coming to college to try to help their draft stock is another major sea change in the sport.
McKenna’s Nittany Lions were a heavy preseason favorite, but the odds have shaken up a lot since then.
With that said, here’s a look at the up-to-date odds for who’s favored to win the 2025-26 National Championship with odds as of January 8.
NCAA Hockey National Championship Odds
| Rank | Team | Odds |
| 1 | Penn State | 375 |
| 2 | Boston University | 600 |
| 3 | Michigan State | 600 |
| 4 | Maine | 900 |
| 5 | Michigan | 1000 |
| 6 | Boston College | 1300 |
| 7 | Denver | 1300 |
| 8 | Minnesota | 1300 |
| 9 | North Dakota | 1600 |
| 10 | Western Michigan | 2000 |
| 11 | Arizona State | 3500 |
| 12 | Quinnipiac | 3500 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 3500 |
| 14 | Nebraska-Omaha | 3500 |
| 15 | Cornell | 5000 |
| 16 | Providence | 5000 |
| 17 | St. Cloud State | 5000 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 5000 |
| 19 | Colorado College | 5000 |
| 20 | Minnesota-Duluth | 5000 |
| 21 | Notre Dame | 5000 |
| 22 | Ohio State | 5000 |
| 23 | UConn | 5000 |
| 24 | Minnesota State | 8000 |
| 25 | Northeastern | 8000 |
Who’s Favored to Win the NCAA Hockey Championship?
Michigan has beaten out two conference rivals to become the odds-favorite to win the 2025-26 National Championship.
The Wolverines have a 16-4-0 record and stand atop the USCHO ranking, which is college hockey’s equivalent of an AP Poll. Beyond that, Michigan is second in the competitive Big Ten conference, behind Wisconsin.
Their insane offense leads college hockey in scoring, with 96 goals this season. The next-highest-scoring offenses are Maine and Denver, both with 80 goals.
They’ve also allowed the seventh-fewest goals in college hockey.
The Wolverines have 12 NHL draft picks on their roster. Their pro-talent is headlined by Montreal prospect Michael Hage, who has 10 goals and 18 assists in 20 games played this season. He also led the World Juniors in scoring at the 2026 event, earning a bronze medal with Team Canada.
Michigan will face tough competition assuming it makes the NCAA Tournament, which is almost a certainty at this point.
They’ve already proved they can beat the top teams after splitting a series against Michigan State and splitting a series against Penn State.
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