Rutger McGroarty, Winnipeg Jets 2022 first-round pick (14th overall), will play in the 2023 Men’s Division I Frozen Four when it gets underway on Thursday, April 6, 2023, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
The first game of the 2023 Frozen Four will see Boston University play Minnesota at 5 pm ET.
McGroarty, a 6’1”, 205 lb forward, is in his freshman season with the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan will play Quinnipiac in the second game in Tampa on April 6th at 8:30 pm ET, with the winner playing Boston University or Minnesota in the final on April 8, 2023, at 8:00 pm ET.
In 38 games with Michigan in 2022-23 McGroarty averaged a point a game scoring 18 goals and adding 20 assists for 38 points.
Michigan (26-11-3), who already holds the record for most Frozen Four appearances in NCAA Men’s Division I hockey history, will appear in their 27th Frozen Four, and they will look to win their tenth national championship, which would also be the most in NCAA Men’s Division I hockey history.
McGroarty, a Lincoln, Nebraska native, helped the USA win a bronze medal at the 2023 World Junior Championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He played in seven games and had seven points (1G, 6A).
What is the Frozen Four?
The Frozen Four tournament is considered the equivalent of March Madness for hockey fans.
The Frozen Four only refers to the semifinals and finals of the college DI men’s ice hockey tournament, consisting of four rounds. The field consists of 16 teams. This setup requires the national champion to win four tournament games to win the national championship.
The final two rounds of that tournament take place one weekend in April after the field has been played down from 16 to four.
