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DULUTH — For the second consecutive season, Minnesota Duluth starts as the favorite to win the NCHC, topping the league’s preseason poll that was revealed Wednesday afternoon, Sept 18.

The back-to-back national champions garnered 23 of 28 first-place votes from a panel of select media who cover the league. Also receiving first-place votes were No. 2 Denver (2) and No. 3 Western Michigan (3).

North Dakota was picked fourth. The two-time defending NCHC regular season champions, St. Cloud State, were slotted fifth, followed by Colorado College, Nebraska-Omaha and Miami.

The Bulldogs finished second — 19 points back of SCSU — a year ago in the NCHC after being the preseason favorite. UMD did get the last laugh, however, defeating the Huskies in the postseason 3-2 in double overtime for the NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. It was the Bulldogs third Frozen Faceoff title in three seasons.

UMD has yet to win the NCHC’s Penrose Cup in the league’s first six seasons, though they have now been picked No. 1 on three occasions (2015, 2018, 2019). The last regular season conference title for the Bulldogs, who’ve finished second in the NCHC two of the last three years, came in 1992-93 in the WCHA under then coach Mike Sertich.

The Bulldogs are returning 16 of the 22 players who suited up last spring at Xcel for the NCHC championship win over St. Cloud, including a quartet of All-NCHC preseason selections in senior goaltender Hunter Shepard, junior defenseman Scott Perunovich and junior forwards Justin Richards and Nick Swaney, who scored the game-winning goal in double OT against St. Cloud.

Xcel Energy Center is the site Thursday of NCHC Media Day, via Twitter takeovers of (Shepard is taking questions at 10:45 a.m.) and (Shepard and Scott Sandelin are on at 12:50 p.m.).

Team (2018-19 NCHC record) — First-place votes

1. Minnesota Duluth (14-9-1) — 23

2. Denver (11-10-3) — 2

3. Western Michigan (13-10-1) — 3

4. North Dakota (12-11-1)

5. St. Cloud State (19-2-3)

6. Colorado College (9-12-3)

7. Nebraska-Omaha (5-17-2)

8. Miami (5-17-2)