The NCAA men's hockey Frozen Four isn't just about bragging rights. It's an opportunity to glimpse the future of the sport, to watch elite players on college hockey's biggest stage before their names adorn the backs of NHL jerseys.
Take the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The top seed in the 2023 Frozen Four has NHL prospects such as forward Logan Cooley (Arizona Coyotes), winger Matthew Knies (Toronto Maple Leafs), forward Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues) and defenseman Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild). Twenty years ago, when the Gophers won another national title in the 2003 Frozen Four, it was Thomas Vanek, Paul Martin and Keith Ballard leading the way -- all of whom played over 600 games in the NHL.
Today's NCAA champions, tomorrow's NHL players. But which school in the 2023 Frozen Four could put together the greatest "ultimate" lineups of alumni: Boston University, Michigan, Minnesota or Quinnipiac?
A couple of ground rules for our ranking. First, this is based on the players' NHL careers, both in overall accomplishment and for what these players were at the height of their powers. These are six-player lineups with left and right wings, a center, two defensemen and a goalie. Alas, no cheating by moving a wing to center who never played center in the NHL.
Here are the ultimate lineup rankings for the 2023 Frozen Four:
