The 2014 NCAA men’s hockey tournament field was unveiled on Sunday afternoon, and in two weeks, four of the 16 remaining teams will meet in Philadelphia for this year’s Frozen Four. Here’s the full bracket.
Some highlights:
- Union College, led by Flyers prospect defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, is a No. 1 seed. They’ll do battle in the East Region, facing the Vermont Catamounts in a first-round game in Bridgeport on Friday. Should they beat Vermont, they’ll have a tough matchup in the regional final against either Providence College, who’s come on strong in front of Flames prospect goaltender Jon Gillies in recent weeks, or ECAC rival Quinnipiac, last year’s national runner-up.
- Another Flyers prospect, North Dakota’s Michael Parks, has a chance to play on the Wells Fargo Center ice in a few weeks. UND, the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region, will face Wisconsin in the first round. Parks was selected by the Flyers in the fifth round of the 2010 Draft. He’s currently a junior at North Dakota and is second on the team in scoring.
- Minnesota’s the top seed and the overall favorite. They’ve been the top seed in the nation for four weeks entering the tournament, and they’ll be on friendly ice in St. Paul for the West Regional.
- Johnny Gaudreau of Boston College is probably going to win the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in the nation. He’s a local kid who grew up playing at Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, and he has a decent shot to both win the Hobey and a national title in his backyard. He’s likely going pro once BC’s season comes to end, be it in Worcester or Philadelphia.
