Edmonton Oilers fans will have at least a couple reasons to tune into the upcoming Frozen Four, and their names are Asher Barnett and Aidan Park.
Not only are Barnett and Park both Oilers prospects, but they’re also freshmen teammates on the Michigan Wolverines men’s hockey team, which is headed to the 2026 NCAA Division I (D1) men’s ice hockey championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
In semi-final action on Thursday (April 9), Michigan faces the Denver Pioneers while the South Dakota Fighting Hawks battle the Wisconsin Badgers. The winners will meet in the final on Saturday (April 11).
This is the first season of collegiate hockey for Barnett and Park, who each had their name called by Edmonton at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft last June. Barnett, a defenceman, was picked in Round 5 (131st overall), while Park, a forward, was selected in the seventh round (223rd overall).
Both are regulars in the Michigan lineup and have contributed to a tremendous season for the Maize and Blue. Michigan won the 2026 Big Ten men’s hockey title last month, beating the Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 7-3 in the championship final, before winning its first two games in the NCAA tournament to advance to the Frozen Four for a fourth consecutive year.
Barnett Leads NCAA Freshmen in Plus/Minus
Barnett, who doesn’t even turn 19 until mid-May, has fit right in at the collegiate level, suiting up for all 39 of Michigan’s games and averaging 17:24 of ice time. He leads all freshmen and is tied for fifth overall in NCAA D1 men’s hockey with a spectacular plus/minus rating of plus-29.
Related: 7 Things to Know About Oilers Draft Pick Asher Barnett
In his NCAA debut, Barnett recorded two assists and finished with a plus-4 rating as Michigan defeated the Mercyhurst Lakers on Oct. 3. The 6-foot-1 defenceman closed out the regular season in equally impressive fashion, scoring his first career game-winning goal and adding an assist to propel the Wolverines past the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Feb. 27.
All told, Barnett has scored five goals, most among Michigan blueliners, and added 13 assists for a total of 18 points. He’s also been credited with 34 blocked shots.
Park Has Hit Scoring Slump
Park has missed just one game, appearing in 38 contests for the Wolverines thus far, totalling eight goals and eight assists while registering a plus/minus of plus-11.
The 6-foot-1 forward also started off with a bang, with a goal against Mercyhurst in his first-ever NCAA game on Oct. 3. And after scoring twice while adding an assist to lift the Wolverines to a 7-4 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Jan. 10, he was already up to eight goals.
Park has since gone 17 consecutive games without scoring, however, and has chipped in just three assists over that span. His ice time has decreased significantly of late, as he’s played less than nine minutes in nine of the last 11 games, and had a season low of just 4:37 against Ohio State in the Big Ten final.
Michigan Favoured to Win Title
The Wolverines are widely favoured to win the Frozen Four. They haven’t reached the NCAA men’s ice hockey championship final since 2011, and last captured the national championship in 1998, when Marty Turco backstopped Michigan past the Boston College Eagles in overtime.
Michigan’s postseason run is providing Barnett and Park with valuable experience that can only help them grow as potential pros. While they’re not likely to be playing alongside Evan Bouchard or Leon Draisaitl on the Oilers in the near future, they are long-term prospects that fans will want to keep an eye on starting with the 2026 Frozen Four.
