2025-26 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[stoneySIOUX]

44 minutes ago, nodakgirl93 said:

3-6-11-14 is one of the four initial pods but the committee does like to adjust for attendance and to avoid flights. 

Are there schools other than CC and Air Force that wouldn't be a flight into Loveland?

[farce poobah]

Hard to imagine a scenario where we get a #1 seed and not get sent to Sioux Falls.

Playing BADgers there would be just fine by me.

[nodakgirl93]

36 minutes ago, stoneySIOUX said:

Are there schools other than CC and Air Force that wouldn't be a flight into Loveland?

I'm talking about UND bussing to Sioux falls and help with attendance vs a flight to Loveland where Denver fans probably already bought most tickets. 

[Sodbuster]

All ten Denver fans bought tickets?

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

If we remain a 1 seed they would need a compelling reason to not put us in Sioux Falls, even with Augie making it.

[nodakgirl93]

7 minutes ago, Sodbuster said:

All ten Denver fans bought tickets?

Go check? 

[Sodbuster]

My granddaughter's mite team practiced tonight at the Ralph. One of the players who skated with them was Zakreski. I asked if he was actually skating. My son said yes.

[.357]

1 hour ago, Sodbuster said:

My granddaughter's mite team practiced tonight at the Ralph. One of the players who skated with them was Zakreski. I asked if he was actually skating. My son said yes.

There are more inside scoops here than the Herald. Their interpid beat reporter hasn't said anything regarding Zakreski since an early January press conference; unless it was noted in one of his articles or podcasts. 

Will be interesting to see who if anybody gets sidelined when he returns; perhaps Klee.

[nodakgirl93]

Zakreski was playing in the sled hockey game last week going by the pictures. 

[brianvf]

16 minutes ago, .357 said:

There are more inside scoops here than the Herald. Their interpid beat reporter hasn't said anything regarding Zakreski since an early January press conference; unless it was noted in one of his articles or podcasts. 

Schloss mentioned in his podcast last week that if Zakreski is able to return, it probably wouldn’t be until playoffs. 

[Dustin]

15 hours ago, stoneySIOUX said:

Are there schools other than CC and Air Force that wouldn't be a flight into Loveland?

No.  Denver is the only school that will make the tournament that is remotely close to Loveland.  The make-up (or assumed make-up, at this point) of this year's tournament teams is not suited very well geographically for where the regional sites are.  Right now, 3 of the 4 top seeds are based in Michigan, yet the closest any of them is to a regional site is a 9 hour drive.  Not a great set up for fans or the optics of the sport.

If the NCAA is not going to allow home sites for hockey regionals, the best idea I've come up with is two 8-team super regionals set in (major) cities within the geographical footprint of college hockey, like Boston, Detroit, Chicago, and St. Paul (and maybe Denver).  They would function just like the four 4-team regionals, but essentially you take two of those and lump together in one more appealing (and accessible) site.  Then, the Frozen Four should be rotated between two or three warm-weather sites like Tampa, Nashville, and Las Vegas, sort of like a "reward" for the fans who've been in the cold all winter.

[nascar99]

36 minutes ago, Dustin said:

No.  Denver is the only school that will make the tournament that is remotely close to Loveland.  The make-up (or assumed make-up, at this point) of this year's tournament teams is not suited very well geographically for where the regional sites are.  Right now, 3 of the 4 top seeds are based in Michigan, yet the closest any of them is to a regional site is a 9 hour drive.  Not a great set up for fans or the optics of the sport.

If the NCAA is not going to allow home sites for hockey regionals, the best idea I've come up with is two 8-team super regionals set in (major) cities within the geographical footprint of college hockey, like Boston, Detroit, Chicago, and St. Paul (and maybe Denver).  They would function just like the four 4-team regionals, but essentially you take two of those and lump together in one more appealing (and accessible) site.  Then, the Frozen Four should be rotated between two or three warm-weather sites like Tampa, Nashville, and Las Vegas, sort of like a "reward" for the fans who've been in the cold all winter.

Personally, I think the Frozen Four should rotate between core hockey footprint cities/metros Boston, St Paul, & Detroit, a warm weather location (ones you've mentioned & others), and then a rotating site (Chicago, Denver, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Washington DC) that make some geographic sense

[gfhockey]

13 hours ago, Sodbuster said:

My granddaughter's mite team practiced tonight at the Ralph. One of the players who skated with them was Zakreski. I asked if he was actually skating. My son said yes.

Could he keep up

[Sodbuster]

2 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

Could he keep up

I guess I didn't really ask.

[atxsioux]

1 hour ago, Dustin said:

No.  Denver is the only school that will make the tournament that is remotely close to Loveland.  The make-up (or assumed make-up, at this point) of this year's tournament teams is not suited very well geographically for where the regional sites are.  Right now, 3 of the 4 top seeds are based in Michigan, yet the closest any of them is to a regional site is a 9 hour drive.  Not a great set up for fans or the optics of the sport.

If the NCAA is not going to allow home sites for hockey regionals, the best idea I've come up with is two 8-team super regionals set in (major) cities within the geographical footprint of college hockey, like Boston, Detroit, Chicago, and St. Paul (and maybe Denver).  They would function just like the four 4-team regionals, but essentially you take two of those and lump together in one more appealing (and accessible) site.  Then, the Frozen Four should be rotated between two or three warm-weather sites like Tampa, Nashville, and Las Vegas, sort of like a "reward" for the fans who've been in the cold all winter.

The 2 super regionals is my thought as well for the time being. (Teams 1-8 hosting would be the best but it's unfortunately not as likely currently.)

 

I don't think I've heard 2 super regionals mentioned really at all though? I don't understand it. It would 100% be an improvement over the current system for attendance. The one difficulty possibly would be having those NHL teams give up their arena near the end of the season during crunch time games. Maybe that's where they are running into issues behind the scenes...

[Vegas_Sioux]

On 1/27/2026 at 2:45 PM, petey23 said:

My 3 seat section was stolen from my garage. 

That's terrible ours are around the fire pit at the lake, down the block from Gino who has his on his deck.

[Vegas_Sioux]

3 hours ago, atxsioux said:

The 2 super regionals is my thought as well for the time being. (Teams 1-8 hosting would be the best but it's unfortunately not as likely currently.)

 

I don't think I've heard 2 super regionals mentioned really at all though? I don't understand it. It would 100% be an improvement over the current system for attendance. The one difficulty possibly would be having those NHL teams give up their arena near the end of the season during crunch time games. Maybe that's where they are running into issues behind the scenes...

So similar to '92-02 with an east and west regional with 12 teams.

[sioux rube]

 

[.357]

Not only is Zakreski skating again, he's also practicing with the team. According to Taylor Budge in her reporting of this week's press conference. Having him back in the lineup (at some point) will be invaluable to the team's already significant depth.

[cberkas]

I almost rather have Zakreski take a red shirt

[nodakgirl93]

This week's bracketology again has UND in Sioux Falls and the reasoning - rewarding the higher seed. 

[brianvf]

 

[brianvf]

Both Zakreski and Klee back in practice with no-contact jerseys.
Klee is still questionable for this weekend against UMD:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/und-forward-josh-zakreski-returns-to-practice

Quote

"It sounds like, structurally, all of his injuries are healed up," UND head coach Dane Jackson said. "He's just got to get back in shape and get feeling good. The doctors and (athletic trainer) Mark Poolman think he's structurally back to a good, safe level to play. He's just got to find his game."

Quote

Klee, a seventh-round San Jose Sharks draft pick, has returned to practice with a non-contact jersey. He is questionable for this weekend's series.

"It looks like he's getting fairly close," Jackson said. "He's had a good recovery. He's working hard and it looks like he's not too far away."

 

[.357]

According to doctors & Poolman, Zakreski appears to be completely structurally healed from his injury; only things, according to Jackson, are for him to regain his timing & build up his endurance. He & Klee in non-contact jerseys at practice.