USHL

When the 2021 NCAA Frozen Four kicks off Thursday afternoon, the USHL will feature heavily in the on-ice action with 77 former players hitting the ice for the four NCAA teams in action. 

All 16 current USHL Member Clubs are represented by multiple players in the Frozen Four with the Green Bay Gamblers (11) leading the way with alumni skaters. The Gamblers are followed by the Fargo Force (9), Tri-City Storm (8), Waterloo Black Hawks (8), Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (7), Chicago Steel (7), Madison Capitols (7), Muskegon Lumberjacks (7), Sioux Falls Stampede (7), Des Moines Buccaneers (6), Bloomington Thunder/Central Illinois Flying Aces (6), Omaha Lancers (5), Sioux City Musketeers (5), Dubuque Fighting Saints (4), Lincoln Stars (4), Youngstown Phantoms (4) and USA Hockey National Team Development Program (2). 

Of the 17 current and former Member Clubs with alumni in the Frozen Four, five teams (RoughRIders, Buccaneers, Force, Lancers, Storm) are guaranteed to have an alumnus win the NCAA Championship as they have a former skater on all four Frozen Four rosters. 

The Frozen Four rosters also feature Spencer Penrose Award winner (NCAA Coach of the Year) Mike Hastings, head coach of Minnesota State, former Omaha Lancers General Manager and Head Coach, as well as Minnesota State goaltender Dryden McKay who was recently named one of the final three players in the running for the 2021 Hobey Baker Award, which is awarded annually to the best collegiate player. The former Gamblers and Capitols netminder is also one of the seven finalists for the Mike Richter Award, which is given annually to the nation's top collegiate goaltender. 

On the initial Hobey Baker watch list, which featured 37 USHL alumni, Frozen Four players included McKay as well as Cade Borchardt (Forward, Minnesota State), Noah Cates (Forward, Minnesota Duluth), Cole Koepke (Forward, Minnesota Duluth), Nick Perbix (Defenseman, St. Cloud State), Nathan Smith (Forward, Minnesota State), and Nick Swaney (Forward, Minnesota Duluth). 

The initial Mike Richter watch list, which featured a total of 22 former USHL netminders, goalies in the Frozen Four included McKay, as well as David Hrenak (St. Cloud State) and Matt Murray (Massachusetts).

• Three of the four Frozen Four rosters feature 20-or-more USHL alumni (Minnesota State - 21; Massachusetts - 20; Minnesota Duluth - 20).
• University of Massachusetts leads the way in USHL alumni behind the bench with Jared DeMichiel (Associate Head Coach) as well as a Ryan Bliss and Nolan Gluchowski serving as Volunteer Assistant Coaches.
• University of Minnesota Duluth is trying for their third-straight National Championship. USHL alumni Matt Anderson, Louie Roehl, Kobe Roth and Nick Swaney have been on all three rosters. Jackson Cates, Noah Cates, Jesse Jacques and Cole Koepke were on the previous National Championship team but not the first of back-to-back wins.