March Madness has come to an end. Luckily, there are more collegiate tournaments to enjoy before April is over. NHL playoffs are still weeks away, but the future of hockey is right here, right now. Four of NCAA hockey’s blue blood teams will face off this weekend in the Frozen Four tournament in Minnesota. Each squad is full of recent and future NHL draft picks who you might want to keep your eye on if your team is in more of a draft pick race than a playoff race.

Boston University, Boston College, Michigan and Denver have been dominant forces throughout the years, and this season told the same story. Boston University had a lot of momentum in the first half of the season, and  traded majority ownership of the nation’s No. 1 ranking back and forth with Boston College. Both Boston squads were No. 1 seeds in their brackets, with Boston College being number one overall. Denver and Michigan fell at No. 3 and No. 11 respectively. Regardless of their tournament standings, each  of these teams is filled with deep rosters that feature high former and future draft picks. Of these stars, the four most notable players include Macklin Celebrini of BU, Will Smith of BC, Rutger McGroarty of Michigan and Jack Devine of Denver.

Macklin Celebrini:

Celebrini is the only player of the four mentioned who has not yet been drafted. He is eligible this year and projected to go number one overall. While first overall pick Connor Bedard reaped immense hype in last year’s draft, Celebrini brings just as much potential despite less fanfare. His style of play is very different from Bedard’s and is more comparable to that of Sidney Crosby or John Tavares. Bedard may be a generational talent, bringing a game-changing shot release and high hockey IQ, but Celebrini excels in explosive playmaking and his ability to get into physical areas. The freshman forward is the second highest point scorer in the NCAA with 64, and is also the second highest goal scorer with 32. He’s a top-three finalist for the Hobey Baker award, which recognizes the best player in the NCAA, amongst other accolades such as Hockey East Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.

Will Smith:

At Boston College, Smith is another freshman to note. Last year, the San Jose Sharks drafted Smith fourth overall, but Smith elected to continue his college career before playing in the NHL. The center is an elite puck handler, and he has proven to be a gifted point producer. Above Celebrini, Smith led the NCAA in points and assists with 69 and 46 respectively, and was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker. In last year’s U18 World Championships, Smith led the tournament with nine goals and 20 points. Comparable to Pavel Datsyuk, Smith has mastered puck reception and turns monotonous plays into highlight reels. His hockey IQ and playmaking ability make him a remarkable player.

Rutger McGroarty:

McGroarty has been a star for Team USA in hockey tournaments for the last four years, including this year when he was elected captain at the World Juniors. The sophomore right winger was drafted 14th overall to the Winnipeg Jets in 2022. He’s consistently productive at Michigan, and his reputation will attract attention on the ice for years to come. Similar to Blake Coleman and Dawson Mercen, McGroarty displays deceptive playmaking and relentless physicality in high traffic areas. Third in the NCAA in assists and seventh in points, he produced 36 assists to add to his 52 points, while also contributing physical defense to the team as a two-way player.

Jack Devine:

Even though Devine was drafted lowest of the four players mentioned, picked in the seventh round by the Florida Panthers, he is not to be overlooked. Denver’s junior right winger was a part of the 2022 National Championship team, and he was the NCHC Rookie of the Week twice during his freshman season. Devine shows off incredible athleticism, consistently able to get inside and force a path to the net. His high hockey IQ is displayed through creative passing plays. He is a two-way player with depth comparable to that of Colin Blackwell. This season, Devine has the eighth most goals in the NCAA and the 11th most points, tallying 27 goals to his 56 points. With his speed and capability to connect with his teammates, Devine brings out the best in a roster that might not sit atop the leaderboards statistically in the same way BU, BC and Michigan do. He looks sensational on the ice and electrifies the guys on his line, which has helped bring Denver as far as they have gotten.

Hockey playoffs always bring about a certain spark of excitement and thrill, and the Frozen Four, while less acknowledged than the NHL playoffs, is no exception. The four players I’ve mentioned may be the shining stars on each team, but all four squads display deep roster depth and more players that top leaderboards and have won awards. The Frozen Four begins on Thursday, April 11, with Boston University facing Denver at 4:00 p.m. and Boston College facing Michigan at 7:30 p.m. The National Championship game will be Saturday, April 13 at 5:00 p.m.