College Hockey Insider by Mike McMahon

College Hockey Insider by Mike McMahon

Weekend Preview: Matchups with NPI implications in the Big Ten, NCHC, and Hockey East

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Mike McMahon
Jan 16, 2026
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Photo by: Ella Stufft/UW Athletics

The college hockey schedule doesn’t get much heavier than this weekend, with three series that will ripple through both the national picture and the league races.

In this weekend’s preview (Issue #630) we look at Michigan State and Wisconsin are trading punches near the top of the Big Ten, Denver heads to Grand Forks trying to stop the bleeding against a rolling North Dakota club, and Hockey East gets its marquee matchup as a surging Boston College hosts a Providence team that’s been quietly building momentum, despite a new look between the pipes.

If you have ideas for a future newsletter, tips to pass along, or questions for a mailbag, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me anytime at mike@collegehockeyinsider.com. Sponsorship inquiries are also welcome.

You can also find me on X at @MikeMcMahonCHN.

And a sincere thank you to our premium subscribers — your support makes independent, in-depth college hockey coverage possible.

Now, let’s get into today’s newsletter.


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