ESPN's 2017 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Championship coverage begins March 24 with 12 games in 53 hours as the tournament's 16-team field is reduced to the four teams that will advance to Chicago for the Frozen Four.
The complete bracket can be found here and more analysis here.
ESPN NCAA Men's Hockey Championship Commentators
ESPN's lead hockey play-by-play commentator John Buccigross teams up with lead hockey analyst Barry Melrose to call the action in the East Regional (Providence, RI) and, for the fifth consecutive year, the Frozen Four. Quint Kessenich will once again be the reporter with Buccigross and Melrose at both the East and Frozen Four.
Buccigross, the popular SPORTSCENTER anchor, has developed a passionate following on Twitter (@Buccigross) through consistent cawlidge hawkey dialogue with fans. Melrose, who has been with ESPN for 20 years and has been an analyst for several Frozen Fours, played 11 seasons in the NHL before leading the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals as head coach.
Additional ESPN broadcast tandems: Kevin Brown and Colby Cohen for the Midwest (Cincinnati), Clay Matvick and Sean Ritchlin in the West (Fargo, ND) and Allen Bestwick and Billy Jaffe for the Northeast (Manchester, NH). Analyst Dave Starman will be in studio with host Brendan Fitzgerald for the regional round action
Both Jaffe and Ritchlin played at Michigan and Cohen played for Boston University, where he scored the game-winning goal in the 2009 National Championship Game.
Frozen Four Live from Chicago
For the 38th consecutive year, ESPN will televise college hockey's final game and for the 23rd time, the entire Frozen Four. The semifinals will air Thursday, April 6, on ESPN2 (6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) and the national championship game Saturday April 8, on ESPN (8 p.m.). ESPN's complete coverage details will be announced after the regional action.
2017 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship Schedule
East, Midwest, Northeast and West Regionals
Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
Friday, March 24 | 3 p.m. | West Regional Semifinal: No. 3 North Dakota vs. No. 2 Boston University Clay Matvick, Sean Ritchlin |
ESPN2 |
4 p.m. | East Regional Semifinal: No. 4 Providence vs. No. 1 Harvard John Buccigross, Barry Melrose, Quint Kessenich |
ESPNU | |
6:30 p.m. | West Regional Semifinal: No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Minnesota Duluth Clay Matvick, Sean Ritchlin |
ESPNU | |
7:30 p.m. | East Regional Semifinal: No. 3 Air Force vs. No. 2 Western Michigan John Buccigross, Barry Melrose, Quint Kessenich |
ESPN3 | |
Saturday, March 25 | Noon | Northeast Regional Semifinal: No. 3 Cornell vs. No. 2 UMass-Lowell Allen Bestwick, Billy Jaffe |
ESPN3 |
1 p.m. | Midwest Regional Semifinal: No. 4 Michigan Tech vs. No. 1 Denver Kevin Brown, Colby Cohen |
ESPNEWS | |
3:30 p.m. | Northeast Regional Semifinal: No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Minnesota Allen Bestwick, Billy Jaffe |
ESPNU | |
4:30 p.m. | Midwest Regional Semifinal: No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 2 Union Kevin Brown, Colby Cohen |
ESPN3 | |
6 p.m. | West Regional Final Clay Matvick, Sean Ritchlin |
ESPNU | |
8:30 p.m. | East Regional Final John Buccigross, Barry Melrose, Quint Kessenich |
ESPNU | |
Sunday, March 26 | 3:30 p.m. | Northeast Regional Final Allen Bestwick, Billy Jaffe |
ESPNU |
6 p.m. | Midwest Regional Final Kevin Brown, Colby Cohen |
ESPNU |
Frozen Four
Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
Thursday, April 6 | 6 p.m. | Frozen Four Semifinal | ESPN2 |
9:30 p.m. | Frozen Four Semifinal | ESPN2 | |
Saturday, April 8 | 8 p.m. | Frozen Four Championship | ESPN |
Please note: Seeds in table are regional seeds
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