NCAA Hockey bubble watch

Conference championships will be decided this weekend. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is this Sunday. Many teams are locked in, but a few still have a chance to play their way into the top 16, while others are holding their breath waiting for results to play out.

There’s two teams that don’t play this weekend that will be watching closely, Penn State and Michigan. They currently sit at 13 and 14 respectively.

With each conference champion getting an automatic berth, at least one team outside the top 16 will be in the tournament. The AHA winner between Holy Cross and Bentley will be outside the top 16 and in.

In the CCHA, Minnesota State currently sits at 16. They play St. Thomas tonight. The winner is in, the loser will have their season ended. Therefore, the outcome has no effect on the surrounding teams.

The good news for Penn State and Michigan was Northeastern losing to Maine last night. Northeastern was the team that could have caused the most chaos sitting at 23, and an upset win in their conference tournament could’ve been devastating for both teams.

Now, Maine will face UConn for the Hockey East Championship, and both teams are locked into the top 10. The only effect Hockey East could’ve had was if Northeastern stole the title because the three other teams in the semifinal are comfortably in the tournament.

Quinnipiac currently sits at 12 and will play in the semifinals of the ECAC tournament tonight. Even a loss in the semifinals would keep them in the tournament, but it would eliminate Michigan.

Both Big Ten teams will be rooting for Quinnipiac to win out. Penn State would still have a chance if Quinnipiac loses, but at that point, it comes down to the NCHC Tournament.

Western Michigan and Denver are both comfortably in the tournament. Arizona State and North Dakota currently sit at 15 and 17 respectively.

Even a win in the semifinal for either team would not be enough to propel them over Michigan. It will take the conference title to get in the tournament.

For both Big Ten teams, they’re rooting for no upsets in the ECAC and NCHC tournaments. Penn State has a little more cushion, but upsets in both would take the Nittany Lions out.

Michigan on the other hand can’t have either one or the Wolverines will miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019.

Jacob Rudy is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jar7371@psu.edu.