Denver was picked to finish second by media voters in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference ahead of defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth. Denver drew one first-place vote. First-place North Dakota took the rest.

In order, St. Cloud State, Western Michigan, Nebraska-Omaha, Colorado College and Miami filled out the rest of the list.

In addition, the league released stipulations for play Monday, just over a week before the season is set to open in a “pod” in Omaha. In order to compete, teams must have 15 healthy skaters, two goaltenders, two coaches and one athletic trainer or doctor.

If a game can’t go ahead, the NCHC will attempt to reschedule. If that proves impossible, it will be recorded as no-contest. As in many other leagues, points-per-game will be used to determine standings to avoid discrepancies should games go down as no-contests.

In order to qualify for the Penrose Cup, NCHC teams must play a minimum of 20 of 26 conference games, unless they have the highest point total of the eight teams.

To qualify for the NCHC Tournament, teams must complete at least half of their conference games. Thresholds can be revisited if needed.

Little changed in regards to the pod lead-up. Any member of each team’s Tier 1 (athletes, coaches, support staff, trainers, doctors and equipment managers) travel party of 42 people who is exhibiting symptoms, negative test or no, will not travel by charter bus to Omaha. Two buses are the expectation to allow for distancing.

Once in Omaha, everyone will test again, quarantine and wait on the results. Tier 1 will be tested 3-4 times per week. They will be tested the nights before early puck drops or day-of for afternoon and night games. One test each week will be a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test and the others antigen tests.

All three tiers will use the Nebraska-Omaha 1-Check COVID app to record daily symptoms. Those results will be available to pod medical officials.

Should someone test positive, there are isolation/quarantine rooms at team hotels. They will isolate for at least 10 days. Determined close contacts will quarantine for 14 days.

Tier 1 will be expected to keep to assigned hotels and Baxter Arena. Recreation areas will be set up away from the general public. Masks will be required at all times except for players and officials during practice and games, during meals and back in hotel rooms.

The effects of Colorado College’s positive test, which required a two-week quarantine and all but assured a disruption in the previously released schedule, have not been announced yet.