Everything you need to know about the 2024-–25 NCAA men’s hockey season

The GIST: Now stop, collaborate, and listen: NCAA men’s hockey is back with a brand-new edition! Some teams started their season early with low-stakes matchups last weekend, but the whole crew returns tonight to open the 2024–25 campaign.

The frontrunners: The title currently belongs to No. 1 Denver, who won their second natty in three seasons last April. However, the city of Boston runs the show these days, with 2023 Frozen Four contenders No. 2 Boston College (BC) and No. 3 Boston University looking to repeat last year’s dominant performances.

• BC should be especially lethal with a stacked roster of future pros, including the 2025 No. 1 NHL prospect, freshman forward James Hagens.

The challengers: Denver’s conference, the NCHC, is the nation’s most competitive: Out of nine members, eight are either in or hovering just below the Top 20. The road to the ’ship almost certainly runs through this group — unless the Big Ten’s resident powerhouses, No. 4 Michigan State and No. 5 Minnesota, have something to say about it.

• Michigan State has a particularly exciting opportunity to open this season with a bang: They host Boston College for a weekend series starting tonight at 6 p.m. ET on BTN. Gotta beat the best to be the best, eh?

The changes: This week, the NCAA Division I Council began opening the door for athletes who participate in the Canadian Hockey League — technically a “professional” elite junior league — to retain NCAA eligibility. As an amateur league, the NCAA currently bans players who profit from sports participation (see: tennis players turning down tournament winnings to stay eligible).

• But with the NIL era calling this “amateurism” into question, hockey players are pushing back — and if the Council approves the update in November, they could see a repeal as soon as next season.