UMass forward Cale Makar was named Most Outstanding Player of the East Region. (Getty Images)
Just four teams remain in the quest to win the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship this weekend at the Frozen Four in Buffalo, N.Y.
While it’s often said that it takes more than just a superstar to win a team trophy, most recent champions in college hockey had a future NHL player or a slew of them to put them over the top.
Denver, Massachusetts, Minnesota Duluth and Providence all have a player or a few players who will lead their team on the ice. It’s been a common theme of recent champions.
When North Dakota won in 2016, it did so with a line of future NHL players and a deep blue line than included three defensemen who’ve made it to the show.
