The 2026-27 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) regular season begins this Thursday, Sept. 24. The opening weekend sees six teams competing in regular season non-conference action to begin the 28th season of competition in the WCHA.
The WCHA Weekly notes packet, presented by OS Hockey, will be updated every week (PDF Archives).
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Thursday, Sept. 24
Ohio State at Penn State - 5 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 25
RPI at Minnesota State - 11 a.m.
New Hampshire at St. Thomas - 2 p.m.
Ohio State at Penn State - 3 p.m.
St. Lawrence at Wisconsin - 5 p.m.
Mercyhurst at Minnesota Duluth - 6 p.m.
UConn at St. Cloud State - 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 26
New Hampshire at St. Thomas - 1 p.m.
RPI at Minnesota State - 2 p.m.
UConn at St. Cloud State - 2 p.m.
St. Lawrence at Wisconsin - 2 p.m.
Mercyhurst at Minnesota Duluth - 3 p.m.
* All times Central
WCHA NEWSLETTER
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WHERE TO WATCH
Back on B1G+: Fans can stream all WCHA home games on B1G+. To subscribe, download the B1G+ app or visit bigtenplus.com. A B1G+ subscription, which provides access to WCHA hockey games as well as the entire library of events and programming on B1G+, is available in both annual ($89.99) and monthly ($12.99) options.
FOX9+: The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced that it will have a minimum of 21 games featured on FOX9+ during the 2026-27 season. Fans can watch all eight WCHA teams compete in 18 regular-season matchups and three games at the 2027 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff. Click HERE for the full FOX9+ broadcast schedule.
GET YOUR GEAR TODAY
WCHA Merch Alert: The WCHA and Game One teamed up to launch a brand-new online store, giving fans across the league access to a wide selection of official WCHA apparel. Get your gear today by visiting the Game One online store at the link HERE.
WCHA Tops USCHO Preseason Poll: In the USCHO Preseason Poll, six of the league’s eight teams were recognized as Wisconsin took the number one spot, followed by No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Minnesota, No. 9 Minnesota Duluth and No. 14 Minnesota State. St. Cloud State received votes in the poll.
23-Time National Champions: Wisconsin defeated Ohio State 3-2 to secure the league’s 23rd national championship title in 2026, while the Badgers secured their ninth NCAA title in program history.
Opening Weekend: The opening weekend of the season sees six non-conference series on the slate as No. 2 Ohio State, No. 14/13 Minnesota State, No. 9 Minnesota Duluth, RV St. Cloud State, St. Thomas, and No. 1 Wisconsin each begin their 2026-27 campaigns.
WCHA Preseason Poll: Ohio State, the 2026 WCHA Final Faceoff champion and National Runner Up, topped the WCHA Preseason Coaches Poll. Last year’s NCAA Champion in Wisconsin was predicted to finish second, trailed by Minnesota in third. Minnesota Duluth was selected to finish fourth after its NCAA Tournament appearance, followed by Minnesota State, St. Cloud State, St. Thomas, and Bemidji State.
WCHA Preseason Honors: Superlative honors went to Ohio State’s Joy Dunne, who earned seven of eight votes for Preseason Player of the Year, while Minnesota’s Adrianna Milani earned the WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year nod. Dunne was a Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top-10 Finalist last season.
Netminders to Watch: Four WCHA goaltenders named to the 2026 Women’s Goalie of the Year award watch list are set to return to the ice this season in Minnesota’s Hannah Clark, Minnesota Duluth’s Ève Gascon, St. Cloud State’s Emilia Kyrkkö, and Wisconsin’s Ava McNaughton. Gascon was also one of the three finalists for the honor last year and was voted to Preseason All-WCHA Team honors for the second straight season.
Return of the Julie Chu Rookie of the Year: Amongst other top returners to watch this season is Ohio State’s Hilda Svensson, 2026’s Julie Chu Rookie of the Year.
New Gopher in Charge: The Gophers have a new leader at the helm this season as Greg “Boom” May was hired as the third coach in the program’s history. May previously served as the Associate Head Coach for Minnesota since 2023.
Frozen Tundra Faceoff: The WCHA & TEG Sport announced that college hockey will return to Green Bay, Wis. for the first time since 2006, as Wisconsin and Ohio State face on Saturday, Feb. 20, in the The Frozen Tundra Faceoff at historic Lambeau Field.
For more information on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, follow the league on X and Instagram @WCHA_WHockey, and online at wcha.com.