2026 Frozen Four from Las Vegas

[BearLover]

Pop the champagne.

[stereax]

"The hotel told us, if we don't get back by 10:45, we don't get to eat, so we need to get the hell out of here."

Am I being... endeared by Carle?

[stereax]

Pop the champagne.

And if Denver wins it all, we can say we lost to the champs.

[RichH]

"The hotel told us, if we don't get back by 10:45, we don't get to eat, so we need to get the hell out of here."

Am I being... endeared by Carle?

He's clearly the best coach in the West. Runs complete teams, not just a collection of blue chippers and throwing them out there.

[BearLover]

"The hotel told us, if we don't get back by 10:45, we don't get to eat, so we need to get the hell out of here."

Am I being... endeared by Carle?

He's clearly the best coach in the West. Runs complete teams, not just a collection of blue chippers and throwing them out there.

Notably, though, he also gets plenty of blue chippers.

[stereax]

"The hotel told us, if we don't get back by 10:45, we don't get to eat, so we need to get the hell out of here."

Am I being... endeared by Carle?

He's clearly the best coach in the West. Runs complete teams, not just a collection of blue chippers and throwing them out there.

Absolutely. Gets crazy value out of his guys. Could stand to take a page out of his book.

[stereax]

"The hotel told us, if we don't get back by 10:45, we don't get to eat, so we need to get the hell out of here."

Am I being... endeared by Carle?

He's clearly the best coach in the West. Runs complete teams, not just a collection of blue chippers and throwing them out there.

Notably, though, he also gets plenty of blue chippers.

Besides Zeev Buium, does he have any veritable bluechippers to his name? Like, I guess Pohlkamp?

[BearLover]

"The hotel told us, if we don't get back by 10:45, we don't get to eat, so we need to get the hell out of here."

Am I being... endeared by Carle?

He's clearly the best coach in the West. Runs complete teams, not just a collection of blue chippers and throwing them out there.

Notably, though, he also gets plenty of blue chippers.

Besides Zeev Buium, does he have any veritable bluechippers to his name? Like, I guess Pohlkamp?

If you limit "blue chippers" to just first round picks, then Denver hasn't had many. But they are regularly loaded with early and mid round picks. This year, BU is the only program in the country with more drafted players.

[stereax]

"The hotel told us, if we don't get back by 10:45, we don't get to eat, so we need to get the hell out of here."

Am I being... endeared by Carle?

He's clearly the best coach in the West. Runs complete teams, not just a collection of blue chippers and throwing them out there.

Notably, though, he also gets plenty of blue chippers.

Besides Zeev Buium, does he have any veritable bluechippers to his name? Like, I guess Pohlkamp?

If you limit "blue chippers" to just first round picks, then Denver hasn't had many. But they are regularly loaded with early and mid round picks. This year, BU is the only program in the country with more drafted players.

I usually think bluechippers are first and second round guys. Occasionally later round guys too if they've got something special about 'em that looks NHL translatable generally to a top six/top four role (especially if they fell in the draft because of things like height). Like Cole Hutson is a bluechipper (2nd round), Max Plante (2nd round).

[Trotsky]

This was the final I wanted.

Blue chippah is top 50 to me.

[billhoward]

1. On Wisconsin!
2. Go Pio!
3. Fuck Bristol!

Horrible place to listen to warm-ups.  Hitting a high as 89dB according to my phone.
I like the arena but haven't much to compare it to.

1. On Wisconsin!
2. Go Pio!
3. Fuck Bristol!

Bristol Palin?

[billhoward]

1. On Wisconsin!
2. Go Pio!
3. Fuck Bristol!

The best scenario for own emotional wellness is Denver wins it all. The worst is that Michigan wins its second NCAA big-time title in the week and the Big Ten gets an even more inflated ego. Wisconsin winning is okay because they have incredible fans and they don't win that much outside basketball. And hockey. They sent something like 25 buses of students to Boston Garden for the 1973 NCAAs (doesn't matter to most but it's a vivid memory to me, as was feeling the press box sway after each Badger goal; it is suspended out over the front of the balcony and there is some flex in the metal beams). This was the semifinal game we were up 4-0 on on the Badgers, 5-2 at the start of the third, 5-4 with 5 seconds to play, and lost in OT. Also they're not Ohio State or Michigan. Or soon to be: Penn State. They are pouring money into sports.

It would be nice to say as we recall 2025-26 a decade down the road, that in the NCAAs were lost only to the eventual champion. So, go Pios.

[BearLover]

We also lost to eventual national champion Denver in 2024.

[Dafatone]

Wisconsin is having a very good year. They also had very good years in 2020-21 and 2023-24.

In 2019-20, 21-22, 22-23, and 24-25, they were complete ass.

Pick a lane, Wisconsin.

[scoop85]

"The hotel told us, if we don't get back by 10:45, we don't get to eat, so we need to get the hell out of here."

Am I being... endeared by Carle?

He's clearly the best coach in the West. Runs complete teams, not just a collection of blue chippers and throwing them out there.

Absolutely. Gets crazy value out of his guys. Could stand to take a page out of his book.

Pohlkamp, for example, was a 5th rounder who is now a 1st round talent.