The Biggest Movers, Plus Most Overrated, Underrated Teams in College Hockey Rankings: Puck Drop

It was an exhibition game, but either someone forgot to tell Wisconsin, or the Badgers didn't care. Either way, it did make an impact.

Playing in its first game since Oct. 10, then-No. 6 Wisconsin didn't just win at No. 5 Western Michigan on Saturday, but blew the home team out 4-0. The Broncos may have still been reeling on the .1 second-loss to Michigan the night before, and when the Badgers got a short-handed goal from freshman Chase Jette things seemed to go from bad to worse.

On Monday, the other circumstantial part of the UW win was reflected in the national polls, when Wisconsin was a big mover in the rankings despite not having played an official game last week. With Michigan State losing at UNH, North Dakota swept at Minnesota, and Quinnipiac losing to Army, the Badgers (4-0) were voted second in the top 20 behind only Big Ten rival Michigan (7-0).

Some could argue that they could have been there all along after reaching the national championship game last season, but Wisconsin was voted sixth in both national preseason polls, and third in the Big Ten Hockey Coaches Preseason Poll. The guess here is that it gave the Badgers some extra motivation to take advantage of their situation (although we had UW at No. 2 in this week's Power Rankings)

Moved up the most: Wisconsin is in the spotlight because it moved up to No. 2, but Merrimack also jumped up four spots over the weekend No. 16. The Warriors swept Notre Dame in South Bend to improve to 4-1-1, the only loss at Quinnipiac.

Moved down the most: North Dakota dropped five spots to No. 8 after getting swept at Minnesota, which was unranked at the time. Even though they were the Gophers' first two wins of the young season, they're at No. 18 this week.

Most underrated per NPI: If the rankings included 25 teams instead of 20, Union would be the team receiving the most votes among unranked teams. However, in the National Collegiate Percentage (NPI) Index, which will be used to determine the at-large field and seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Thanks to their No. 15 strength of schedule the Garnet Chargers are No. 3 in NPI despite a 3-2 record, and both setbacks were in overtime. Union won at Army and against Alaska to open the season. It split against Niagara and lost at home to Providence.

Most overrated per NPI: It's actually a tie between Denver and Connecticut, which are both 20 spots lower in NPI than their rankings. It won't last as both have played extremely challenging schedules that aren't adequately reflected in the SOS rating yet (NPI starts with every team having the same baseline). At 3-2-1, both of the Pioneers' losses were to No. 1 Michigan, and the tie was to Boston College. UConn (3-3) split games in the Icebreaker Tournament, and then against No. 9 Colorado College and No. 14 Boston University.

USCHO.com Men's Rankings

Others receiving votes: Northeastern 87, Miami 84, Boston College 59, New Hampshire 36, Army 32, Union 24, RPI 18, Arizona State 9, Bowling Green 9, St. Cloud State 8, Sacred Heart 3, Brown 1, Holy Cross 1, Minnesota State 1

USA Hockey Men's Rankings

Others Receiving Votes: Maine 35; Miami 35; Northeastern 34; New Hampshire, 12; Harvard 11; Bowling Green 9; Minnesota State 9; Arizona State 4; Union 3; Army 1; Holy Cross 1.

USCHO.com Women's Rankings

Others receiving votes: Vermont 19, Mercyhurst 6, Syracuse 5, Minnesota State 2, St. Thomas 1

Puck Drop: Tuesday, October 27, 2026

• Former Ohio State and Maine goaltender Sean Romeo died on Sunday. He was 31. Romeo had suffered a stroke on Oct. 15. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2018 NCAA Midwest Regional after helping lead Ohio State to the Frozen Four, where he won the NCAA Elite 90 Award. Romeo was also the first player in Oshio State history to be named a Mike Richter Award semifinalist.

• Former Massachusetts team captain Jeffrey George died in Saginaw, Mich. He was 50.

• NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list was released and to the surprise of no one had Michigan defenseman Landon DuPont with an A rating. "He's on another level," Central Scouting director Karl Stewart said about the 17-year-old per NHL media. "You watch guys in past drafts like Quinn Hughes, and say to yourself, 'How is this guy not going to do that in the NHL?' It's the same thing with DuPont. There's no projection there because you just know he's going to step in and do exactly what he's doing now in the NHL."

• Also with an A rating, which indicates a first-round draft candidate were Notre Dame center Sammy Nelson, along with eight other players who are college commitments for next season:

Noah Davidson, C, Boston College (Medicine Hat, WHL)
Ryerson Edgar, C, Michigan (Niagara, OHL)
Jamie Glance, RW, Boston University (Saint John, QMJHL)
Levi Harper, D, Michigan (Saginaw, OHL)
Timothy Kazda, RW, Boston College (Guelph, OHL)
Carter Meyer, C, Boston University (Quebec, QMJHL)
Kayden Stroeder, C, Notre Dame (Edmonton, WHL)
Dimian Zhilkin, LW, Michigan (Saginaw, OHL)

• Zoe Lopez scored in overtime as Minnesota State defeated No. 15 Boston College 2-1. The Eagles had a 41-24 edge in shots, but Jaya Schippel made 40 saves, including 19 in the second period. The Mavericks won 56.7 percent of their faceoffs and blocked 22 shots.

• Recruiting update: RW Max Arnson committed to Cornell (Minnetonka, Minn., High School) in 2028; F Jackson Smith will head to Miami (Tri-City USHL).

• New Hampshire has added Service Credit Union logo to its hockey helmets, making it the first corporate partner featured on a Hockey East team's helmets.

• Boston University forward Kamil Bednarik was suspended one game by Hockey East for a spearing incident in the third period against Connecticut on Saturday. He’ll sit Friday night against Maine.

• From Minnesota sports information: freshmen to score a hat trick against North Dakota:

John Mayasich (four goals, Feb. 15, 1952)
Tim Harrer (March 5, 1977)
Cory Laylin (Feb. 11, 1989)
Darby Hendrickson (Nov. 30, 1991)
Wyatt Cullen (Oct. 23, 2026)

Hockey Quote of the Day

You see a hockey player, you'd never know he's a professional athlete. But you put the skates on him, and he becomes a beast.

Junior Seau

We'll Leave You With This ...

— The views expressed in Christopher Walsh’s opinion part of Puck Drop are his own and do not necessarily reflect ON SI, Sports Illustrated or digital partner Minute.  

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