Minnesota programs fighting to survive in Big Ten, NCHC, WCHA tournaments

Minnesota will be well-represented in the final weekend of college hockey conference tournaments. The Gophers are the top seed in the Big Ten tournament. St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth qualified for the Frozen Faceoff. And Minnesota State is playing for its third straight WCHA Final Five title.

However, St. Cloud State is the only one of this bunch in comfortable position to advance to the NCAA tournament. Here's what you need to know about the Big Ten, NCHC and WCHA conference tournaments:

Big Ten tournament
March 17-19, Xcel Energy Center

The Gophers won the Big Ten regular-season championship and are the No. 1 seed in this weekend's conference tournament. The general consensus, though, is that Michigan is the favorite to win the tournament. The Wolverines finished one point behind the Gophers in the Big Ten standings and are ranked No. 7 in the USCHO top 20. The Gophers are ranked 20th.

In or out: Michigan is the only Big Ten member in position to earn an at-large berth into the 16-team NCAA tournament. The Gophers are on the bubble and likely have to win the conference tournament for an automatic berth to extend their season.

Who is hot: Ohio State is on a seven-game unbeaten streak and has the momentum to make a run in the postseason. Getting hot this late in the season is often the secret to success and the Buckeyes have been as good as anyone in college hockey over the last month.

Player to watch: Michigan forward Kyle Connor was named the Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Year. He was the scoring champion with 43 points (22 goals, 21 assists) in Big Ten play, averaging 2.15 points per game.

Minnesota Duluth is makings its first appearance in the Frozen Faceoff this season. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 2 in the USCHO preseason poll, but fell below .500 before turning things around in the past month. They are 9-3 in the last 12 games with a pair of wins over St. Cloud State. The Huskies are also in the tournament field, adding a strong Minnesota flavor to the local event.

In or out: North Dakota, the nation's top-ranked team, St. Cloud State and Denver are all in good position to earn at-large bids into the NCAA tournament. Minnesota Duluth still has some work to do, but if the Bulldogs win one game this weekend they should secure a spot.

Who is hot: Denver has won 11 straight, North Dakota won its last eight and Minnesota Duluth its last six games. St. Cloud State isn't as hot, winning its last four games, but this tournament is stacked with teams riding a lot of momentum.

Players to watch: North Dakota senior forward Drake Caggiula, Denver sophomore forward Danton Heinen and St. Cloud State senior defenseman Ethan Prow are all finalists for NCHC Player of the Year.

WCHA Final Five
March 18-19, Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich.

In or out: No. 1 seed Michigan Tech is on the bubble, but positioned well to edge into the NCAA tournament with an at-large bid, if necessary. The rest of the field will have to win the tournament for an automatic bid. Though Minnesota State is ranked No. 15 in USCHO's top 20, its Pairwise ranking (a formula used to predict the 16-team tournament field) is well above the bubble at No. 24.

Who is hot: Michigan Tech has only lost one game since the start of the calendar year and won its last seven games. Minnesota State is 7-3-2 in its last 12 games, but was 0-1-1 in two games against Michigan Tech this season.