How to watch 2026 Frozen Four: Wisconsin vs. Denver in men's hockey national championship

Wisconsin surprised No. 2 North Dakota in the semis and now pursues its first national title since 2006. Ethan Miller / Getty Images Share full articleThe Frozen Four finale is primed to entertain. From one end skates Wisconsin, racking up upsets and scoring in flurries. The Badgers have six national championships but just one in the 21st century. From the other end skates Denver, bearer of a record 10 titles, going for its third trophy lift in the last five years. The Pioneers arrive fresh off a double-overtime classic versus No. 1 Michigan. The puck drops Saturday in Las Vegas. ESPN programs are also available with an ESPN Unlimited subscription. Wisconsin keeps on gliding. It reached the Frozen Four with a wild upset of No. 3 Michigan State. The Badgers erased a two-goal deficit with less than five minutes in regulation, then took overtime right away on Ben Dexheimer’s game winner. In Thursday’s semifinal, Wisconsin toppled yet another giant in No. 2 North Dakota. Prior to this Frozen Four breakthrough, the Badgers were 0-5-1 versus North Dakota across their last six matchups. Freshman goalie Daniel Hauser was brilliant in the 2-1 victory — he was 52 seconds short of a clean sheet — while Simon Tassy and Ryan Botterill netted tone-setting goals in the opening period. Head coach Mike Hastings saw his defense kill all five penalty chances, even a 5-on-3 disadvantage for nearly two minutes during the second period. Yes, the Wisconsin faithful heard “Jump Around” all the way out in Vegas. The Badgers are amid a drastic, spirited turnaround under Hastings. They went 13-21-3 (.392) last season, and finished below .400 in 2021-22 and 2022-23. This is their first championship game appearance since 2010. Their last title came in 2006, when Wisconsin became the first school to win both the men’s and women’s ice hockey national championships in the same season. The Badgers can do it again this year, following the women’s Frozen Four triumph in March. In contrast, Denver has become a juggernaut, equipped with even-year magic. The Pioneers beat Minnesota State in the 2022 title tilt, and they shut out Boston College for the 2024 crown. David Carle is the youngest coach with multiple championships in NCAA history. The Pioneers made the Frozen Four by dethroning Western Michigan, a 6-2 blitz set off by four first-period goals. Their semifinal test was much, much closer. The Jon Bois playoff hockey tweet found a home in Denver-Michigan. From the verge of elimination, Clarke Caswell’s late strike forced a 3-3 tie. Rieger Lorenz hit the crossbar in OT1 … and then senior captain Kent Anderson pierced the veil in OT2. What a rush. Like its opponent, Denver rolls with an intrepid freshman goalie. Johnny Hicks is now 15-0-1 between the pipes after taking over as the starter in January. He had a career-high 49 saves in Thursday’s thriller. Saturday’s action is called by John Buccigross on play-by-play. Colby Cohen, the overtime hero of Boston’s 2009 championship, weaves in color commentary. Quint Kessenich is the booth’s rinkside correspondent. This trio also did Thursday’s Frozen Four matchups. A half-hour before the main telecast, ESPN airs its studio pregame show with host Zubin Mehenti. The analysts are retired NHL goalie Andrew Raycroft and Ohio State alumnus Paul Caponigri. Denver ranks No. 1 in Division I championships (1958, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1969, 2004, 2005, 2017, 2022, 2024). The Pioneers stand alone now due to their recent success under Carle — they tied Michigan with the 2022 title, then passed the Wolverines two years later. The Badgers sit at No. 4 all-time in titles (1973, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1990, 2006). Should they win on Saturday, they’ll still need one more to tie North Dakota at No. 3. Streaming and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Steven Louis Goldstein is a Staff Writer for The Athletic. He lives in Los Angeles and graduated from Northwestern University.