The last time that Boston College and the University of Denver met in a hockey game was six months ago.

It was a nonconference game on Oct. 21 at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Junior center Carter King scored a power-play goal with 2:02 left to give the Pioneers a 4-3 win over the Eagles. Both teams have pretty vivid memories of the game.

The rematch will have a lot more at stake.

Top-ranked Boston College (34-5-1) plays No. 3 Denver (31-9-3) for the NCAA Division I men’s hockey title at 5 p.m. Saturday at Xcel Energy Center. Boston College is looking for its sixth national title and first since 2012. The Eagles have been runners-up six times. Denver is looking for an NCAA record 10th championship and first since 2022. The Pioneers have been runners-up three times.

In that nonconference meeting between the two traditional powers earlier this season, Boston College led 2-1 going into the third period and Denver ended up winning a back-and-forth game that was played before a crowd of 7,884.

“I think that game back in October was probably the most exciting game that we’ve been a part of,” Denver coach David Carle said Friday. “It was good defense, good offense.”

BC coach Greg Brown has similar memories of the first meeting.

“The game in October was an exciting, great hockey game,” Brown said Friday. “Dave (Carle) and I talked this morning about how we said, ‘Well, if we can both have good seasons, maybe we’ll see each other again.’ So it’s kind of exciting that that happened.”

If you look at the numbers for both teams, there are a lot of similarities.

Boston College is second in the nation in offense (4.6 goals-per-game), 16th in shots (31.8), second on the power play (29.3%), second in shooting percentage (14.4), first on the penalty kill (88.9%) and 23rd in fewest shots allowed (28.7).

Denver leads the nation in offense (4.7 gpg), is 14th in shots (32.0), 18th on the power play (22.4%), first in shooting percentage (14.5%), 46th on the penalty kill (77.6%) and 15th in fewest shots allowed (27.9).

The Eagles have 12 NHL draft picks, including first-rounders Gabe Perrault (New York Rangers, freshman, forward, 19-41-60), Cutter Gauthier (Philadelphia Flyers, So., F, 38-27-65), Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals, Fr., F, 31-29-60) and Will Smith (San Jose Sharks, Fr., F, 25-46-71). Smith leads the nation in assists and points. Gauthier, a top three Hobey Baker Award finalist, is the nation’s leading goal scorer and is second in points. Leonard is third in goals and tied for fourth in points. Perrault is second in assists and tied for fourth in points.

The Pioneers have 12 NHL draft picks, including second-rounders Tristan Broz (Pittsburgh Penguins, Jr., F, 16-24-40), Rieger Lorenz (Minnesota Wild, So., F, 15-13-28), Shai Buium (Detroit Red Wings, Jr., D, 7-28-35) and Sean Behrens (Colorado Avalanche, Jr., D, 4-26-30). Denver also has top 10 Hobey Baker Award finalist Jack Devine (Florida Panthers, Jr., F, 27-29-56), a seventh-round draft pick who is fourth in the nation in goals and seventh in points. Zeev Buium is expected to be a first-round pick in this summer’s NHL draft and is tied for the national lead for assists by a defenseman (38) and points by a defenseman (49).

Related Articles

Gophers’ Cam Christie to explore NBA while keeping college eligibility

Will Gophers get a second chance with former top in-state recruit Jaxon Howard?

Denver scores in overtime to beat Boston in Frozen Four semifinal

Gophers add tall Ohio tight end Cross Nimmo to 2025 recruiting class

St. Paul and Xcel Energy Center roll out Frozen Four red carpet again