Boston College is top seed in 2025 Men’s Division I ice hockey championship as tournament field is unveiled

Boston College enters the 2025 NCAA Division I ice hockey championship as the top seed and will face Bentley in Manchester, N.H., on Friday (File photo: Boston College athletics)

The field for the 2025 NCAA Division I men’s national championship is set with very few surprises. Boston College, Michigan State, Maine and Western Michigan are the four regional top seeds, while Bentley and Connecticut and both making the first appearances in their program’s history.

Complete Men’s NCAA D-I Tournament Bracket with ESPN channels

Top-seed Boston College will face Bentley in the opening game in Manchester, N.H., on Friday at 2:00 p.m. ET. Providence and defending national champion Denver will meet in the other semifinal at 5:30 p.m. ET, setting up a potential rematch of last year’s national title game between BC and Denver.

The tournament will begin in Toledo, Ohio, which is hosting its second NCAA regional. Boston University and Ohio State will square off on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. ET. Big Ten champion Michigan State will take on ECAC tournament champ Cornell at 5:30 p.m.

The other Thursday/Saturday region in Fargo, N.D., features NCHC champion Western Michigan as its top seed. They will face CCHA champion Minnesota State at 5:00 p.m. ET while Minnesota and Massachusetts square off in the nightcap at 8:30 p.m.

The final region to get underway will play Friday-Sunday in Allentown, Pa. Connecticut and Quinnipiac play in the early semifinal at 5:00 p.m. ET, while Maine and region host Penn State will battle at 8:30 p.m.

The four regional champions will advance to the Frozen Four in St. Louis on April 10 and 12. Game times for the Frozen Four will be announced at a later date.