On Sunday, March 22 the NCAA selection committee announced the 2026 NCAA men’s hockey national tournament field. The University of North Dakota earned a bid into the tournament for the 36th time in program history.
The Fighting Hawks will be the No. 2 overall seed and the top seed in the Sioux Falls regional. UND will battle Merrimack, the regions No. 4 seed at the Danny Sanford Premier Center. The game will be played on Thursday, March 26 with the puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and game coverage available on ESPN2.
North Dakota currently has a record of 27-9-1 on the season along with earning a seventh Penrose Cup as the NCHC regular season champion. UND has a all-time record of 53-29 in the NCAA tournament with 22 Frozen Four appearances and right national championships.
This will be the first NCAA tournament meeting between UND and Merrimack.
