LAS VEGAS — Denver and Wisconsin will play for the NCAA title on Saturday.
Not too long ago, neither team could win much of anything.
Flashback to January 2026: Wisconsin closed out the month on a six-game losing streak, in which it was outscored 30-15. Denver had just one win in its first seven games of the calendar year.
What followed wasn’t a complete rewrite — both teams had the pieces to contend. But it was a remarkable turnaround, which will culminate in one of the teams hoisting the NCAA championship trophy at T-Mobile Arena.
Denver seeks NCAA championship No. 11 and its third in five years under eighth-year coach David Carle. The Pioneers won titles in 2022 and 2024.
“We start every year with the intent of trying to get to this game,” Carle said. “Every moment of adversity that we have, it’s to try and build their mindset and build their habits and details to what is required to get through this event and this tournament.”
Wisconsin returns to the national championship game after a 16-year absence, when it lost 5-0 to Boston College in 2010. The Badgers last national championship was in 2006, its sixth all time.
“There’s a lot of teachable moments along the way,” said Wisconsin sophomore alternate captain Gavin Morrissey, referring to the ups and downs the Badgers have experienced this season. “I think as we’ve gone along, we’ve learned how to handle success better, failures as well. It’s always nice to have some more time to spend with your teammates. We’re enjoying every moment we have together.”
Both teams will bring considerable star power to Saturday. Denver has Hobey Baker (finalist/winner) Eric Pohlkamp who had 18 goals and 21 assists going into the Frozen Four.
Behind him and the Pioneers defense in net is freshman goalie Johnny Hicks, who has yet to lose since taking over in net in a 6-0 win over St. Cloud State on Jan. 24. Hicks was sensational in net during Denver’s semifinal vs. Michigan, stopping 49 shots en route to a 4-3 overtime win.
“I’m looking at the same thing you’re looking — he doesn’t lose a lot of hockey games,” said Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings, referring to Hicks. “(You) can’t argue with the numbers. I haven’t seen numbers like that in a while.”
Wisconsin is led by top-line forwards Morrissey, Christian Fitzgerald, Quinn Finley, who lead the Badgers in scoring with a collective 42 goals and 58 assists. In net is freshman Daniel Hauser, who sports a .900 save percentage, 2.50 goals-against average and a 21-7-2 record.
Throughout the tournament, Wisconsin has proven it can score in bunches. A pair of goals 34 seconds apart in the final minutes of the third period vs. Michigan state in the Worcester Regional final pushed the game to overtime, which the Badgers eventually won on Ben Dexheimer’s overtime goal just 24 seconds into the extra frame. On Thursday in the Frozen Four semifinal vs. North Dakota, Wisconsin scored twice in 27 seconds of the first period, the Badgers’ only goals in a 2-1 win.
“To get one and then add one elevates us, puts a little pressure on them,” Hastings said. “Getting off to a good start I think is really important for momentum. Then how long can you hold onto it?”
The programs share a rich history vs. one another, with Wisconsin leading the all-time series 76-66-13. The vast majority of those meetings came when both were members of the old WCHA, which ended in 2013 when the conference split up and the teams joined newly formed conferences — the NCHC for Denver and B1G for Wisconsin.
The postseason history between Denver and Wisconsin is a little thinner — the teams haven’t gone head-to-head in a tournament since 2012, when Denver won a best-of-three series 2-1 in the WCHA quarterfinals.
In the NCAA tournament, Wisconsin was a 6-2 winner over Denver in the opening round in 2008. The only NCAA championship meeting between the two was in 1973, won by Wisconsin 4-2.
Most recently, the teams met in a two-game set in October 2024 in Denver, which the Pioneers swept, 4-2 and 6-1. Although the teams’ rosters obviously have changed since then, the series gave each team a small taste of what might be in store for them Saturday night.
“They’re a hard team,” said Denver junior defenseman Cale Ashcroft. “They’re playing their best hockey right now. They’ve had a lot of success in the tournament so far. So we know it’s going to be a battle. They’ve earned their right to be here.”