The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) announced its 2026-27 Preseason Coaches Poll and All-WCHA Team selections, with Ohio State topping the prediction poll.
Ohio State received six first-place votes and totaled 48 points in the preseason poll, while defending National Champion Wisconsin earned two first place votes for 44 points. Minnesota received 35 points for a predicted third-place finish, narrowly trailed by Minnesota Duluth at fourth in the poll with 31 points. Minnesota State placed fifth with 23, followed by St. Cloud State (20), St. Thomas (15), and Bemidji State (7). In the preseason coaches poll, the eight WCHA head coaches could not vote for their own team.
The poll results showed an expected tight race as the WCHA has won 23 national championships, heading into its 28th season of competition. The top four teams all advanced to compete in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, where Wisconsin and Ohio State met in the National Championship for the fourth straight season.
Ohio State’s Joy Dunne was tabbed WCHA Preseason Player of the Year, earning seven of eight possible coaches votes. Last season, Dunne led the Buckeyes in scoring with 27 goals and 51 total points in 31 games. A 2026 Olympic Gold Medalist, Dunne has been a Top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award the last two seasons (2025, 2026).
Minnesota's Adrianna Milani was the choice of coaches as WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year. A native of Oakville, Ontario, the forward most recently skated for the Etobicoke Dolphins where she posted 68 points by 34 goals and 34 assists in the 2025-26 season. Holding international playing experience, Milani helped Team Canada to a silver medal at the U18 Women’s World Championships, where she earned a spot on the All-Star Team with 10 goals and three assists.
The Preseason All-WCHA Team features six top returners from last season. Dunne is joined by fellow Buckeye Jocelyn Amos and Minnesota Duluth’s Caitlin Kraemer, along with Mira Jungåker (Ohio State) and Chloe Primerano (Minnesota) on the blue line. Rounding out the team in net is Minnesota Duluth’s Ève Gascon, posting her second straight season with the preseason goaltending honor.
Coming off of 2026 All-WCHA Second Team honors, Amos tallied 48 points in 37 games played, while posting a career-high 539 faceoff wins, a stat that ranked second nationally. Behind a team-leading 30 points last season, including seven multi-point games, Kraemer was named a 2026 All-WCHA Third Team selection.
Also a 2026 All-WCHA Third Team selection, defender Jungåker recorded a point in 21 of 29 games played for the Buckeyes, while earning a bronze medal with Sweden in the 2026 Winter Olympics. She’s joined in preseason honors with Minnesota’s Primerano, who posted a career-high 30 points, good for fourth in the WCHA. Primerano ranked third of all WCHA defenders with 10 goals.
The 2026 WCHA Goaltender of the Year, Gascon enters the 2026-27 season with 21 career shutouts, just two shy of the Minnesota Duluth record. Gascon was most recently a 2026 All-WCHA First Team selection, where she recorded the third most saves in a single UMD season with 993.
The battle for the regular season title and Julianne Bye Cup begins on Saturday, Sept. 19 as St. Thomas, Bemidji State, and St. Cloud State drop the puck in exhibition matchups, while the first full weekend with the league’s eight teams in action occurs on Friday, Oct. 2.
2026-27 WCHA Preseason Coaches Poll
Place School (First Place Votes) - Points
1. Ohio State (6) - 48
2. Wisconsin (2) - 44
3. Minnesota - 35
4. Minnesota Duluth - 32
5. Minnesota State - 23
6. St. Cloud State - 20
7. St. Thomas - 15
8. Bemidji State - 7
First-place votes in parentheses, while coaches could not vote for their own team
WCHA Preseason Player of the Year: Joy Dunne, Sr., F, Ohio State
Others Receiving Votes: Caitlin Kraemer, Jr., F, Minnesota Duluth
WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year: Adrianna Milani, F, Minnesota
Others Receiving Votes: Edit Danielsson, F, Minnesota Duluth; Payton Finnie, F, Minnesota State; Nela Lopusanova, F, Wisconsin; and Rosalie Tremblay, F, Wisconsin.
2026-27 Preseason All-WCHA
Pos. - Name, Cl., School
F - Joy Dunne, Sr., Ohio State
F - Caitlin Kraemer, Jr., Minnesota Duluth
F - Jocelyn Amos, Sr., Ohio State
D - Mira Jungåker, Jr., Ohio State
D - Chloe Primerano, Jr., Minnesota
G - Ève Gascon, Sr., Minnesota Duluth
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically by position):
Forwards: Kelly Gorbatenko, Sr., Wisconsin; Cassie Hall, Sr., Wisconsin; and Hilda Svensson, So., Ohio State.
Defenders: Laney Potter, Sr., Wisconsin; and Lauren Zawoyski, Sr., Minnesota State.
Goaltenders: Hailey Hansen, Sr., Minnesota State; and Ava McNaughton, Sr., Wisconsin.
For more information on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, follow the league online at WCHA.com and follow @WCHA_WHockey on X, Instagram, and Facebook.