2022-23 Men's NCAA Hockey Power Rankings

Welcome to FloHockey's weekly power rankings for men's NCAA hockey. Find out which teams across the country rise, fall or stay put as the weekly series unfold in the 2022-2023 season.

1. Minnesota | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 2-0-0

Currently No. 2 in both major college hockey polls, the Gophers started their season with a sweep of first-year program Lindenwood. Minnesota had several key players to replace from last season, but have one of the nation's best recruiting classes and a veteran blue line that is among the best in the NCAA.

2. Denver | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 0-0-0

The defending national champion Pioneers are the top team in both major polls, but they have so much scoring to replace from last season. What they do have, however, is almost its entire defensive corps returning from last year's team and starting goalie Magnus Chrona. If their young forwards can have a positive enough impact offensively, they'll remain a title contender.

3. Minnesota Duluth | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 2-0-0

The Bulldogs passed a tough Week 1 test against a solid Arizona State squad, earning the sweep with an OT win and more convincing 4-1 victory on Saturday. Freshmen forwards Ben Steeves and Isaac Howard look like they're going to make an impact for a team that had to replace some veteran talent, but UMD's strength will continue to be its solid team defense and ability to dictate the pace of play.

Congrats to @ben_steeves on being named the NCHC Rookie of the Week!#BulldogCountry pic.twitter.com/5MPTLdAhv1

— UMD Athletics (@UMDBulldogs) October 3, 2022

4. Quinnipiac | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 0-0-0

The Bobcats opened their season with two wins in exhibition games, including one against Providence, but the expectations for this team were already high. With Hobey Top 10 goalie Yaniv Perets returning and fifth-year senior defenseman Zach Metsa anchoring the blue line,  QU will continue to be very difficult to score against. The only question they have to answer over the course of this season is if they have enough scoring to hang with other top teams.

5. Michigan | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 0-0-0

The Wolverines lost a ton of talent off of last year's team, but they still have one of the nation's top defensemen in Luke Hughes, a strong goaltender in Erik Portillo and one of the best freshman classes in the country to supplement some of the offensive losses they sustained with NHL departures. An 8-2 exhibition win over Windsor Saturday with a shorthanded roster may help build some confidence as the young Wolverines welcome Lindenwood this week.

6. North Dakota | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 0-0-0

The Fighting Hawks lost some key players off of last year's roster, but they hit the transfer portal to help rebuild their defense corps and have a forward group that has some solid NCAA experience. This UND roster is not star-studded, but they have a number of quality players that know how to win. I still have a lot of big questions about how they end up looking when the games go live this week, but UND is betting big on experience, which is never a bad thing.

7. Minnesota State | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 0-0-0

Exhibition games don't count, but we can still see the scores and a 7-2 loss to Omaha on the road doesn't inspire confidence in a team that typically is the stingiest in the country. The big question for the Mavericks heading into this season is who will replace Hobey Baker winner Dryden McKay in net? We may not be much closer to an answer as all three goalies on the roster got a look at Omaha. Despite that result, MSU might need an adjustment period, but I still expect them to be a top team throughout the season.

As we get ready for another season of Maverick Hockey - this week we’ll be looking at some NCAA leaders from the last 5 seasons #HornsUp😈 pic.twitter.com/ylsEsyigFE

— Minnesota State Hockey (@MinnStMHockey) October 3, 2022

8. Harvard | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 0-0-0

The Crimson will not play for a few more weeks as Ivy League teams always start late, but they have a team that should expect to be among the class of the ECAC this year. Harvard has a high-end offensive attack led by Matt Coronato and Sean Farrell, a veteran D corps anchored by Henry Thrun and depth at the goaltending position.

9. Northeastern | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 1-0-0

Having the best goaltender in the country is going to go a long way for the Huskies. With Devon Levi between the pipes, they have a chance in every game they play. They did, however, need overtime to beat Long Island University in their season opener and allowed quite a few shots against in that particular game. I still believe Northeastern has a chance to do some real damage in Hockey East this year.

10. St. Cloud State | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 2-0-0

The Huskies got the season started right with a pair of wins over St. Thomas and it was veterans leading the way with senior defenseman Dylan Anhorn producing five points over the weekend. Finnish forwards Veeti Miettinen and Jami Krannila were also big factors in the weekend series. The biggest factor, however, was St. Cloud stifling shots against with a superior possession game, which could alleviate any questions about goaltending after having to replace longtime starter David Hrenak.

11. Boston University | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 1-0-0

If BU is going to be better this year, and I think they will be, it's going to be because their freshmen are making an impact. In their 8-2 win over Bentley last weekend, it was freshmen leading the way with three of them registering three points. Meanwhile, the Terriers have one of the nation's best goalies in Drew Commesso, who i think can be the X-factor that keeps BU competitive all season.

12. Notre Dame | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 0-0-0

The Irish lost their exhibition to the U.S. U18s, but that doesn't deter my belief that Notre Dame will be one of the tougher teams in the country this season. They've got a style that makes them so difficult to play against and a veteran goalie in Ryan Bischel as a quality last line of defense. Experience is on their side as well as there are key veterans at every position. You can catch the Irish on FloHockey Saturday as they take on Air Force at the 2022 College Hockey IceBreaker.

Racing towards the weekend and our trip out west 😎#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/MfX0L8o5Mn

— Notre Dame Hockey (@NDHockey) October 5, 2022

13. Clarkson | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 0-0-0

Clarkson has all the pieces to be more even more competitive in ECAC this season. Their D corps boasts impressive size and quality. Combine that with highly-skilled forwards and a goaltending group with a ton of potential, the Golden Knights have every reason to believe they can break up the party of the same old teams at the top of the rankings this season.

14. Providence | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 0-0-0

The Friars have to adequately replace Jaxson Stauber in net, but I think they've got a roster that allows them to play a successful brand of hockey. Providence boasts a lot of experience in their lineup with returnees like Parker Ford, Nick Poisson and Brett Berard, that all had massively positive impacts on the team last season. If they get the goaltending, they could really push in Hockey East.

15. UMass | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 0-0-0

The Minutemen are going to be in a bit of a transitional year after a couple of seasons of being among the top teams in the country. I'm not sure what they'll get out of their goalies, but they've got a good defensive group and picked up some key transfers that should help them maintain some level of competitiveness. It's amazing how things have turned around for UMass where they've earned the benefit of the doubt that they're going to figure it out and be competitive this season. The Minutemen will be on FloHockey Saturday night as they travel to take on AIC.

16. Ohio State | Last Ranking: N/A

Record: 2-0-0

A pair of wins at Mercyhurst showed that the Buckeyes are going to still have an awful lot of older contributors that keep them in the hunt this year. They've got a strong senior and fifth-year senior class that will lead the way, but the biggest reason I think Ohio State will compete this year is the guy between the pipes. Jakub Dobes is back and looked sharp in his first weekend of his sophomore season.

In The Mix: Arizona State, Western Michigan, UConn, Michigan Tech