Xcel Energy Center among finalists to host 2015-2018 Frozen Fours

Xcel Energy Center is one of 10 finalists bidding to host a Frozen Four from 2015-2018, the NCAA announced on Wednesday. A winning site will be announced on Dec. 11.

The Gophers are listed as the bid's host institution.

Fellow Big Ten hockey members Wisconsin and Ohio State are also among host institution finalists. Wisconsin is partnering with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission for their bid at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Ohio State and the Columbus Sports Commission are partnering for a bid at Nationwide Arena.

This year's Frozen Four will be played in Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center. After this year's event, seven of the 10 finalists will have hosted a Frozen Four.

Complete list of hopefuls:

TD Garden

Boston

Hockey East Assoc./Mass. Sports Marketing Assoc.

First Niagara Center

Buffalo

N.Y.

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference/Canisius/Niagara

Brooklyn

N.Y.

ECAC Hockey

Wells Fargo Center

Philadelphia

Penn State and Philadelphia Sports Congress

CONSOL Energy Center

Pittsburgh

Penn.

Robert Morris

Columbus

Ohio

Ohio State/Columbus Sports Commission

Verizon Center

Washington

Navy/Greater Washington Sports Alliance

Xcel Energy Center

St. Paul

Minn.

Minnesota

Chicago

Ill.

Notre Dame/Chicago Sports Commission

Tampa Bay Times Forum

Tampa

Wisconsin/Tampa Bay Sports Commission

• Xcel Energy Center will host this year's NCAA West Regional, March 29-30. Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. and are being sold as three-game ticket packages.

Tickets can be purchased online through NCAA, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, or through Xcel Energy Center's ticket office.

If the Gophers are selected to play in this year's tournament they will be assigned to the West Regional.

• Sam Warning is 3-for-3 in Big Ten hockey weekly honors. The Gophers junior forward was named to the conference's Three Stars for a third consecutive week after collecting three assists over the weekend against Boston College.

Last week Warning was the Big Ten's First Star, and two weeks ago he was the Second Star.