UND Hockey Reaches First Frozen Four Since 2016

Head coach Dane Jackson and his staff assembled a talented roster and instilled a winning culture to lead the Fighting Hawks back to the national semifinals.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 3:54am

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting the energy and excitement of a UND hockey celebration, with sharp geometric shapes in the team's colors conveying the team's hard-fought journey back to the national semifinals.UND's return to the Frozen Four after years of disappointment is a triumph of the program's renewed focus on team culture and coaching continuity.Grand Forks Today

In his first season as head coach of the University of North Dakota hockey team, Dane Jackson led the Fighting Hawks to their first Frozen Four appearance since 2016. Jackson quickly assembled a strong coaching staff, secured commitments from key returning players, and added impact transfers to build a roster capable of competing for a national championship. Despite facing some early roster turnover, Jackson's staff instilled a winning culture and the team responded by winning the NCHC's Penrose Cup and earning a top regional seed in the NCAA Tournament. After a dominant 5-0 victory over Quinnipiac in the regional final, the Fighting Hawks are headed to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas.

Why it matters

UND hockey is one of the most storied programs in college hockey, but the team had not reached the Frozen Four since 2016. Jackson's quick turnaround in his first season as head coach has the Fighting Hawks back among the nation's elite, reigniting excitement and pride in the Grand Forks community. The program's return to the national semifinals also highlights the strength of the NCHC conference and the quality of coaching talent in the region.

The details

After being hired less than a year ago, Jackson assembled an experienced coaching staff featuring former UND players Bryn Chyzyk, Matt Smaby, and Dillon Simpson. The staff was able to secure commitments from key returning players like Dylan James and Jake Livanavage, while also adding impact transfers to round out the roster. Despite some early roster turnover, the staff instilled a winning culture and the team responded by capturing the NCHC's regular season title and earning a top regional seed in the NCAA Tournament. In the regional final, the Fighting Hawks dominated Quinnipiac 5-0 to punch their ticket to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas.

  • Dane Jackson was hired as UND's head coach 364 days before the team's NCAA regional final win.
  • The Fighting Hawks won the NCHC's Penrose Cup during the regular season.
  • UND earned one of the top four regional seeds in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

The players

Dane Jackson

The head coach of the University of North Dakota hockey team, hired less than a year ago to lead the program back to the Frozen Four.

Bryn Chyzyk

A former UND player who serves as the team's general manager after previously holding the same role with the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL.

Matt Smaby

A former UND player who was the head coach of the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL before joining Jackson's staff in Grand Forks.

Dillon Simpson

A former UND player who remained on staff after being hired prior to the 2023-24 season.

Dylan James

A key returning player for UND who has scored twice in the NCAA Tournament and leads the team with 21 goals this season.

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What they’re saying

“We've got four coaches that just care for us so much. You look back in the summer, with Dane and Dillon and (Smaby), I think they're just people that care more about us as hockey players, they care more about us as human beings. And they push us every single day to get better, not only on the ice, but off the ice. And they've done just a tremendous job of bringing this group and bringing us together and leading the way.”

— Abram Wiebe, Junior Defenseman

“It's amazing. The whole year, we've been working toward it. Obviously, we went through some adversity last year. It's so nice to be able to come back and do something so special like this.”

— E.J. Emery, Player

What’s next

The Fighting Hawks will face off against the winner of the other Frozen Four semifinal in Las Vegas, with the national championship game scheduled for April 12th.

The takeaway

Dane Jackson's quick assembly of a talented coaching staff, commitment to roster continuity, and ability to instill a winning culture have propelled UND hockey back to the Frozen Four just one year after the program's previous disappointing season. The Fighting Hawks' return to the national semifinals is a testament to the strength of college hockey in the Upper Midwest and the quality of coaching talent in the NCHC conference.