High-Stakes Conference Matchups Lead the Way for Week 4 Games to Watch: Puck Drop

A pair of in-conference contests that could have season-long repercussions for teams angling for their divisions' top spots highlights this week's college hockey schedule, along with a top-five cross-state competition begging for attention with the promise of goal-scoring galore.

It just happens to also be the first meeting of the season between one of the top three Michigan programs that have all been ranked No. 1 since the end of the 2024-25 season.

Note that one of the matchups begins on Thursday night.

3. Sacred Heart vs. Holy Cross

Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m; Saturday, Oct. 24 at 5 p.m.

This matchup could have major implications for the AHA standings. Both of these teams have finished in the conference’s top three for the past three seasons. Holy Cross peaked at first place in the regular season with 2024-25, but Sacred Heart has yet to win the regular season or the AHA tournament. The Crusaders are coming off a third-place, semifinal finish and had a big win over Maine in OT as part of a split at home to open the season. Meanwhile, the Pioneers lost the championship against Bentley last season, but they’ve already earned big wins over Penn State and Ohio State this season. Bentley was picked to win the AHA in the preseason poll, but has started off a little slowly, so there could be an opening for a new team atop the conference. Both Sacred Heart and Holy Cross are in a good position to take that role.

TV: NESN+ (Friday); FloHockey

2. No. 15 Boston University vs. No. 16 Connecticut

Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. ET

This will be another big in-conference game. Hockey East made a huge dent in the polls this week, securing seven spots, including the entire stretch from No. 15 to No. 20. Providence leads Hockey East in the rankings at No. 7, yet next up are BU and UConn, standing side by side at No. 15 and No. 16, respectively. They’ve had very different strengths of schedule to start the season. The Huskies dove in head first to the regular season with No. 17 Penn State, Bowling Green, and No. 12 Colorado College, and went 2-2. Although BU has a better record at 4-1, it has yet to face a ranked opponent and has faced Alaska, Brown, and UVM. Keep an eye on the sibling rivalry between Mike (UConn) and Jack (BU) Murtagh. Mike, a junior, has two points to start the season, and sophomore Jack has three. Both brothers averaged a point per game across these programs’ three matchups last season, with three assists for Mike and two assists and a goal for Jack.

TV: ESPN+

1. No. 5 Western Michigan at No. 1 Michigan

Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. ET

This is a fun rivalry between impressive programs. Michigan has been to four of the last five Frozen Fours, but hasn’t won a national championship since 1998. On the other side of the ice, Western Michigan won the national title just two years ago in 2025, and has appeared in the last five straight NCAA tournaments — including the one Frozen Four. Both of these teams are undefeated, but it will be the most challenging competition so far for Western Michigan, which has faced Notre Dame and Ferris State, coming away with high-scoring wins in each. Michigan has had the tougher dragon to slay, but stepped up to the task, sweeping champion Denver to slide into the No. 1 slot. Although they’ve faced different sides of college hockey to start the season, scoring has been a major asset for both programs. The two teams lead the NCAA in scoring margin, with Western Michigan out-scoring their opponents by 4.75 goals per game and Michigan right behind it at 4.00. With this, the goaltending matchup could be crucial, with notable netminders on each side. Michigan returns Richter Award semifinalist Jack Ivankovic, who was named the NCAA All-Region MVP during last season’s playoffs, and was a 2025 second-round draft selection of the Nashville Predators. However, Western Michigan picked up Denver’s Quentin Miller in the portal, who began last season as the Pioneers starter only to watch Johnny Hicks finish his freshman 2025–26 season with an undefeated 16–0–1 record that included the postseason run to the national championship.

TV: Big Ten Plus

Puck Drop: Thursday, October 22, 2026

• Cole Knuble (Notre Dame), who was just called up the team his father first played for in the NHL, the Flyers, scored the first two goals of his career to help lead a 3-1 victory for Philadelphia in Buffalo.  

• The Senators played a tribute video to Brady Tkachuk (Boston University) during his first game back to Ottawa and it went about as well as you'd expect when he took a victory lap. Here’s the clean version, and the forward scored a goal, but the Senators players like a team possessed and won in a rout, 5-1. The team also donated any Tkachuk jerseys thrown to the ice to charity.

• American Justin Bailey is leading the KHL both in goals (12) and points (21) with Barys Astana. Last season Sam Anas (Quinnipiac) of Dinamo Minsk led the league with 89 points.

• Former Minnesota captain Jaxon Nelson announced his retirement as a player. He’s been playing in the AHL and ECHL since his last season with the Gophers in 2023-24.

• The following commitments were made for 2027-28: C Olle Darth to Maine (Dubuque, USHL); C Eliot Litalien to Union (Cape Brenton, QMJHL); C Braydon McCallum to UMass Lowell (Peterborough, OHL); G Matthew Smith to Air Force (New Hampshire, NAHL).

Hockey Quote of the Day

“No way we thought about the gold medal. We figured the Soviets were gonna be the team and nobody was gonna beat them.”

Mike Eruzione (Boston University)

We'll Leave You With This ...

Speaking of the KHL, have you seen this goal?

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