The Wolverines received all 50 first-place votes in the uscho.com poll and all 34 first-place votes in the USA Hockey NCAA Division 1 men’s hockey poll.
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Further: Michigan will play Ohio State for the Big Ten hockey title; how to get tickets
The Wolverines will face Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament final at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Michigan (28-7-1) advanced with a 5-2 victory over Penn State in Yost on Saturday. Ohio State defeated Michigan State, 3-2, in overtime at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.
Canton’s Cotter scores overtime winner
Paul Cotter (Canton) scored with seven seconds left in overtime to give the New Jersey Devils a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Monday in Newark, New Jersey.
Three seconds before Cotter’s tally, Boston’s Charlie McAvoy fired a shot that deflected off both goalie Jacob Markstrom and the post. The Devils quickly moved the puck back up the ice after a near miss, resulting in a breakaway for Cotter and the first overtime winner of his career.
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Cotter scored another goal in regulation, while Jack Hughes had three assists for New Jersey and surpassed the 400 career point mark. Connor Brown had a goal and an assist, and Jesper Bratt also scored for the Devils.
Markstrom stopped 19 of 22 shots to earn his 20th win in 38 games this season.
The Devils are 6-2-0 in their last eight games, but are still 11 points behind the Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot.
Boston is 5-3-4 in its last 12 games, with no consecutive wins in that inconsistent stretch.
David Pastrnak scored two goals and Pavel Zacha also scored for the Bruins. Goalkeeper Joonas Korpisalo stopped 30 of 34 shots. Boston will be in Detroit on Saturday night (8 p.m., ABC).
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Sabres’ success on the road will be questioned
Holding a four-point lead in the Atlantic Division with just 15 games left, the Buffalo Sabers are in good shape to break a well-documented 14-year playoff drought.
But a challenging four-game trip West that begins Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights has the potential to be a stumbling block.
The Sabers will also visit Anaheim, which held a one-point lead over Las Vegas in a tight Pacific Division race that begins Monday, as well as San Jose and Los Angeles, two teams in a playoff fight.
“It’s a tough trip because you’re going to play four games in six nights,” Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said before a long flight to Las Vegas after practice Monday. “You have to be prepared, because this time of year every team is looking to stay where they are or move up the standings. And every team we play is right there in the middle of that, so it’s going to be a great road trip.”
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The good news is that Buffalo has excelled on the road since a 4-3 overtime win at Edmonton on Dec. 9, going 17-2-1 in its last 20 road games. Goaltender Alex Lyon has won nine consecutive road starts, two shy of the NHL record held by Devan Dubnyk (2014-15) and Evgeni Nabokov (2009-10).
“We’re obviously a lot more confident,” Ruff said. “We’ve played well away from home. We’ve been able to endure close games and find ways to win. We’ve been able to keep going when the game was tied in the third, we’ve been able to come back (after) a bad first half or a bad start to the game. I think the group believes that even if things haven’t gone the way we wanted from the beginning, we can still fight.”
Buffalo is 9-1-0 in its last 10 games after a 4-1-0 stretch at home, with the only loss coming 2-1 to Washington on Thursday. The Sabers rallied for a 3-2 win over Toronto on Saturday to improve to 4-0 on shootouts.
“I think sometimes when you’ve played five games in a row at home, and you’ve had success and a couple of very emotional games, and everyone’s trying to tell you how good you are, it’s time to go on the road for a couple,” Ruff joked.
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The Hockey World Cup will return in 2028
The 2028 Hockey World Cup will be held in the Canadian province of Alberta, with games in Calgary and Edmonton, as well as in Prague, in the Czech Republic, the National Hockey League (NHL) reported on Monday.
The tournament will feature eight teams and 17 games over 13 days in February 2028, with Calgary and Prague each hosting six round-robin games and one elimination match, while Edmonton will host the semifinals and championship game.
“We think all three cities are going to do great things for this event,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at a news conference.
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“We think this will be a huge success… highlighting the best of the best that we believe is the best of any sport with the best athletes in the world.”
Calgary’s Scotia Place, a new state-of-the-art arena expected to open for the 2027-28 NHL season, will be among the venues alongside Prague’s O2 Arena and Edmonton’s Rogers Place.
The event will mark the fourth edition of the international tournament hosted by the NHL and the first since 2016, when Canada defeated Team Europe in the final in Toronto.
The World Cup of Hockey is organized by the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association and features national teams made up primarily of NHL players, although non-league players will also be eligible to participate.
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The NHL schedule during the 2027-28 season will be paused for 17 days to accommodate the competition and allow participating players time to return to their clubs afterwards.
The tournament is part of the league’s renewed push for regular international competition among the best, which has also included the return of NHL players to the Olympic stage at the Milano Cortina Games after a 12-year absence.
“It’s a great day for hockey,” said NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh.
“When you look at what’s been accomplished over the last two years; the 4 Nations tournament, the NHL players returning to the Olympics in Milan in February and now the World Cup of Hockey… it’s fantastic for our players, our fans and the growth of the game.”
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NTDP Military Appreciation Weekend
USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program will host the 15th annual Military and Veterans Appreciation Weekend on Friday and Saturday at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth.
Team USA will take on the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks to celebrate local veterans, active duty military members, first responders, law enforcement and their families.
Players will wear special military-inspired jerseys that will be auctioned online. Proceeds from the T-shirt auction will benefit Folds of Honor Motor City, an organization dedicated to providing educational scholarships to families of fallen or disabled service members.
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Friday night’s game will include a special appearance by Michigan Flight Museum’s Tribute Rosies and a recognition of American Legion honorees.
On Saturday night, several World War II veterans will be honored. Guests of honor include original Rosie the Riveters Fran Masters (104), Delphine Klaput (101), and Virginia Rusch (101), along with World War II veterans Ray Hiatt (101), William Neu (101), George Leland (101), and Elmer Knox (101).
Local times
Monday
▶ Red wings 5, Flames 2
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Thursday
▶ Montreal at Red Wings, 7
Friday
▶Grand Rapids at Rockford, 8
▶ Waterloo in NTDP U18, 7
▶ NTDP U17 in Omaha, 7
Saturday
▶ Boston at Red Wings, 8
▶ Grand Rapids in Milwaukee, 7
▶ Ohio State in Michigan, 8
▶ Waterloo in NTDP U18, 7
▶ NTDP U17 in Omaha, 7
Sunday
▶Grand Rapids in Rockford, 5
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This article originally appeared in The Detroit News: Hockey Roundup: Michigan tops both national polls; Canton’s Cotter scores in overtime