Michigan hockey skittered through 40 minutes of a too-close Big Ten Tournament final at Yost Ice Arena before pouring on the offense in the third, with four goals to make it a 7-3 final on Saturday, March 21.
U-M bounced back from 1-0 and 3-2 deficits as seven Wolverines accounted for the seven goals. Captain T.J. Hughes had the big night, with a goal and two assists, including the eventual game-winner. Jayden Perron assisted on that goal, then scored the back-breaker minutes later.
The win gives the Wolverines (29-7-1) their fourth Big Ten tourney title (and their first since 2023) in 12 seasons of the conference’s existence in hockey, as well as the auto-bid for the NCAA Tournament. The Big Ten misses out on making history, as an Ohio State win would have given the conference five teams in the field; it’ll have to settle for four, instead: Michigan and Michigan State as 1-seeds, with Penn State and Wisconsin likely slotting in as 3-seeds.
The 16-team field for that tourney will be announced Sunday afternoon (3 p.m., ESPNU). The Wolverines know they’ll be a 1-seed, and can be pretty sure they’ll be the No. 1 overall seed. But where are they headed? This year’s regionals are located in Albany, New York; Loveland, Colorado; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Worcester, Massachusetts. That’s ahead of the Frozen Four, set to drop the puck in – yes, really – Las Vegas.
Here’s how Saturday’s Big Ten Tournament final went down:
Michigan hockey vs. Ohio State live updates
Wolverines beat Buckeyes
3P, 2:03 left: Michigan 7, Ohio State 3
U-M goalie Jack Ivankovic finishes with three goals allowed on 28 shots faced.
NOW, it’s last call for the Buckeyes.
3P, 2:03 left: Michigan 7, Ohio State 3
OK, this one was onside, as Nick Moldenhauer pokes the puck away from OSU defenseman Max Montes and slides it into the empty net for the four-goal lead. OSU is done pulling the goalie, it looks like.
Scratch that, no goal
3P, 3:04 left: Michigan 6, Ohio State 3
Yep, it’s ruled offsides. OSU gets to keep its challenge, is only down by three goals, and even gets 3 seconds back on the clock. The Buckeyes then pull Kristoffer Eberly for the extra attacker again.
Last call for the Buckeyes?
3P, 3:01 left: Michigan 7, Ohio State 3
OSU needs some offense, and so they pull goalie Kristoffer Eberly for the extra attacker. It goes about how you’d expect, with Michigan picking up goal No. 7 – this one by Adam Valentini – just 35 seconds later.
OR DID IT?
There’s a lengthy review to see if there was a Wolverine offsides. The evidence isn’t great, either way, since the puck isn’t quite in the camera.
Wolverines stocking up on goals
3P, 7:17 left: Michigan 6, Ohio State 3
Yeah, this one might be getting out of hand. Luca Fantilli makes it a three-goal game as he collects a long rebound in the left circle and wrists it past Kristoffer Eberly. He then rubs a little musical salt in the wound, skating away with his celly, playing a mock violin.
Perron puts U-M up by 2
3P, 10:16 left: Michigan 5, Ohio State 3
It’s the Jayden Perron show in this third period, as the forward who assisted on the go-ahead goal now goes ahead and does it himself, weaving through the OSU defense to put the puck between goalie Kristoffer Eberly’s pads.
U-M on the power play
3P, 10:22 left: Michigan 4, Ohio State 3
The Wolverines get a chance to stretch their lead, as OSU’s Nathan Lewis trips Garrett Schifsky and is sent off for 2 minutes.
Wolverines grab the lead
3P, 11:41 left: Michigan 4, Ohio State 3
Or not. Just like that, T.J. Hughes – no relation to THAT Hughes family, this one is Canadian – gives the Wolverines a 4-3 lead. After Jayden Perron battled to get a shot off from the right circle, goalie Kristoffer Eberly stopped it, but allowed the rebound to come off to his left, where Hughes was waiting to put it in with a quick wrister.
Building for the Buckeyes?
3P, 12:52 left: Michigan 3, Ohio State 3
We’ve hit the media timeout around the 13-minute mark, and the Buckeyes are starting to press the attack, even as the Wolverines continue to win the faceoffs.
Wolverines kill off the penalty
3P, 17:24 left: Michigan 3, Ohio State 3
U-M kills off the power play, though it was hardly pretty, with OSU managing five shots, including a couple from off angles off the post.
OSU with the man advantage
3P, 19:46 left: Michigan 3, Ohio State 3
And the Buckeyes will have another power play, as Luca Fantilli is sent off for interference after he dumped Jake Karabela into the goalposts.
Around the country
2nd intermission: Michigan 3, Ohio State 3
Bad news for the Augustana stans still hanging out here – go Vikings – Merrimack knocked off UConn in the Hockey East final, likely stealing a bid. … And now, UConn fans should be a bit nervous – an OSU win at Yost knocks the Huskies out, too.
At the break
2nd intermission: Michigan 3, Ohio State 3
Again, a pretty even period, with plenty of end-to-end action. Both teams had 10 shots on goal, but the Wolverines are starting to dominate the faceoff circle, with a 17-7 edge in the period.
Wolverines get some power-play love, too
2P, 42.1 seconds left: Michigan 3, Ohio State 2
They’re coming fast and furious at Yost, as the Wolverines tie it up on a one-timer blast from Malcolm Spence from about 7 feet out, following a penalty call on Davis Burnside for hooking. There were just 13 seconds left on the power play, but Michigan heads into the second intermission all tied up.
Buckeyes jump into the lead
2P, 3:39 left: Ohio State 3 Michigan 2
OSU’s power play breaks through a little over a minute in, as Adam Eisele fires a shot from the left circle after his original shot was blocked and it zips over the left shoulder of goalie Jack Ivankovic to break the tie with 41 seconds remaining on the power play.
U-M shorthanded again
2P, 4:48 left: Michigan 2, Ohio State 2
OSU is back on the power play as Nick Moldenhauer heads off for interference.
Hage skates off
2P, 6:13 left: Michigan 2, Ohio State 2
More bad news for U-M: Star sophomore Michael Hage skates off gingerly with an undisclosed injury. Hage, a Montreal Canadiens draft pick, has 13 goals this season.
OSU shows some fight on penalty kill
2P, 8:28 left: Michigan 2, Ohio State 2
About a second after the 4-on-4 expires, James Hong trips Luca Fantilli and is sent off. Not much goes right for the Wolverines, however; the Buckeyes actually have the best scoring chance as Jake Karabela gets a turnover and skates downhill, sweeping from right to left right in front of Jack Ivankovic. He gets the shot off, but Ivankovic makes the stop.
Fight night at Yost?
2P, 10:29 left: Michigan 2, Ohio State 2
And now we’re getting a little chippy: About 30 seconds after the tying goal, U-M’s Kason Muscott and OSU’s Sam McGinley get into a tussle and are sent off with matching minors for roughing and some 4-on-4 action.
Buckeyes tie it up
10:48 left: Michigan 2, Ohio State 2
Hahahahahaha, just kidding – barely 20 seconds out of the break, the Buckeyes tie it up on a shot from Jake Karabela from the right circle. Jack Ivankovic got a piece of it, but not enough to keep it out of the net. It’s Karabela’s 15th of the season.
Time for Wolverines to take over?
2P, 11:22 left: Michigan 2, Ohio State 0
We’ve hit the TV timeout and Michigan is beginning to control the action, peppering … well, not goalie Kristoffer Eberly, since the Wolverines still have just 10 shots (to the Buckeyes 14) … but they’re peppering other Buckeyes, as well as the boards behind the net. Will Horcoff nerly picked up his second goal on another bounce from behind the net.
Wolverines take the lead on Horcoff goal
2P, 18:10 remaining: Michigan 2, Ohio State 1
After about 90 seconds spent with OSU on the attack, U-M finally gets control of the puck and it pays off with a goal from Will Horcoff. The son of former NHL’er puts in a puck that came off the boards on a shot from Michael Hage to give the Wolverines a lead.
Around the nation
1st intermission: Michigan 1, Ohio State 1
Good news for all the Wisconsin fans keeping tabs on the game here: Their Badgers are looking good, regardless of OSU’s status to make the field, after Dartmouth beat potential bid-stealer Princeton, 2-1 in overtime, in the ECAC final. Feel free to keep reading, though …
Heading into the locker room
1st intermission: Michigan 1, Ohio State 1
And that’s the period, as the teams head into the break all tied up. Tough to argue the action wasn’t even: OSU outshot U-M, 9-7, but the Wolverines took the faceoffs, 9-8, and had eight blocked shots to the Buckeyes’ seven.
Wolverines tie it up
1P, 2:11 left: Michigan 1, Ohio State 1
And there’s the equalizer: Garrett Schifsky brings the puck all the way from his own zone and fires a wrister from deep the slot, past Eberly to tie it at 1. It’s the 11th goal of the season for the junior from Minnesota.
Close, but no goal for the Wolverines
1P, 5:30 left: Ohio State 1, Michigan 0
The crowd behind the OSU net goes crazy in Yost, as it looks like a deflected puck has gotten past Eberly in net. Past him? Yes. Into the net? Not so much: Josh Eernisse’s shot is deflected by Eberly’s knob of his stick and lands in the back of the net … on top of it, not inside. No goal.
Buckeyes go on the power play, score first
1P, 11:42 left: Ohio State 1, Michigan 0
The Wolverines commit the first penalty, as Adam Valentini heads off for tripping. U-M nearly kills off the power play, but with 5 seconds left, William Smith unloads a blast from the right circle that beats Ivankovic.
Michigan goes nearly five minutes without a shot
1P, 15:14 left: Michigan 0, Ohio State 0
It took nearly five minutes, but the Wolverines finally got a shot on goal, from Josh Eernisse. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, had five shots, while controlling the play, mostly.
Matchup in the crease
Wearing the maize in net for the Wolverines, it’s freshman Jack Ivankovic, who posted a .924 save percentage with a 2.11 goals-against average.
For the Buckeyes in monochrome red, it’s Kristoffer Eberly, at .890 and 3.24, respectively.
Who’s going dancing from the Big Ten?
While we wait for the puck drop, let’s check out the NPI rankings, which replaced the trusty ol’ Pairwise system as the preferred algorithm the NCAA selection committee uses to fill out and sort the 16-team field. There are five auto-bids being determined tonight in conference championships, including the Big Ten’s.
We’ll make it easy on the committee and send through all the favored seeds, and we get:
That gives us a field of the top 15 teams in the NPI, plus “bid-stealer” Bentley, the top seed in the Atlantic Hockey Conference.
Ohio State, by the way, would be ranked No. 18 with a win, which would knock Augustana out. (Hi there, Augustana fans! Guess we know who you’re rooting for!)
An OSU win would also give the Big Ten – which has only seven teams – five teams in the Frozen Dance: Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin and Ohio State.
Then again, if there are some upsets in other conferences, Wisconsin might slide a bit closer to the bubble.
Michigan hockey vs Ohio State, Big Ten Tournament time
Michigan hockey vs Ohio State, Big Ten Tournament channel
Saturday’s Big Ten Hockey Tournament final between Michigan and Ohio State can be watched on the Big Ten Network and streamed on Fubo.
Watch Michigan-Ohio State on Fubo
Big Ten hockey tournament bracket
The Big Ten hockey conference tournament uses a three-round, single-elimination bracket that involves all seven conference teams, with the top seed earning a first-round bye. The remaining six teams play a knockout round with the winners advancing to the semifinals.
Big Ten hockey 2026 standings
Big Ten Tournament hockey quarterfinals scores
Big Ten Tournament hockey semifinals scores
Big Ten Tournament hockey championship game
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How it happened, as Michigan hockey downs Ohio State for Big Ten title
Reporting by Ryan Ford and Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
