Stakes are raised in Gold Pan rivalry as Denver and Colorado College meet in another Top 10 matchup

The Gold Pan has gotten weightier.

The annual showdown between Denver and Colorado College, which dates back to 1950 and is one of college hockey’s most storied rivalries, has long been a local on-ice highlight since the trophy’s inception in 1993-94.

But with the Tigers’ competitive reemergence, the rivalry is more than just a trophy series these days. The showdown’s next chapter, set for this weekend, will feature two Top 10 teams with eyes on making deep postseason runs next March.

“Is there more on the line? Yeah, because both teams are competing for points in the PairWise, which is the computer system to pick the national tournament,” DU head coach David Carle explained. “We’re fighting for home ice, we’re fighting for the Penrose Cup (won by the regular-season NCHC champion). All those things make the points so much more valuable for both teams. So there’s a lot on the line for this weekend.

“And when this rivalry is good, it’s good for Colorado hockey.”

While Colorado College won the first nine bouts against DU — including a 16-0 victory in the very first game on Jan. 6, 1950 — the Battle for the Gold Pan has been decidedly one-sided in favor of the Pioneers lately. DU’s won the last five Gold Pans and is 14-2-0 in the last 16 meetings. The Pioneers, who lead the all-time series 197-123-21, retained the trophy last season by winning three of four.

But 10th-ranked Colorado College (9-4-1) is back among the nation’s elite under fourth-year coach Kris Mayotte. Last year, the Tigers went 21-13-3, their most wins in a season since 2010-11, the last time Colorado College made the NCAA Tournament.

With this weekend marking the second straight Top 10 matchup between the rivals — the Pioneers were No. 4 and the Tigers No. 10 last March, marking the first Top 10 meeting between the teams since 2009 — the juice is back in the Gold Pan.

“Quite honestly when I got here it wasn’t much of a rivalry,” Mayotte said. “But what makes this series great is playing against each other in high-leverage situations and big moments. … That’s what this rivalry is supposed to be. That’s when it’s at its best.”

While fourth-ranked DU (13-3-0) has remained a powerhouse under Carle in his seventh season, the Tigers are back in contention thanks to Mayotte’s organic roster-building, a handful of talented transfers and the opening of Ed Robson Arena four years ago. Mayotte called the 3,400-seat on-campus arena “an absolute game-changer.”

“To have a facility that’s on campus and have our guys be able to invest the amount of time that it takes to become the best players they can be has been crucial,” Mayotte said. “It’s been easy to recruit to because players see the arena, believe in our program and they believe in what they can do here.”

Adding more fuel to the rivalry is how both teams’ seasons ended last year.

While the Pioneers won their record 10th national title, Colorado College was the first team out of the 14-team NCAA Tournament field by a mere .004 points. It was the second season in a row the Tigers fell one win short of the tourney, with a loss in the Frozen Faceoff championship costing them an automatic bid in 2022-23.

“Coming up short, it stung,” Mayotte said. “I think our guys understand the urgency of a college season and how delicate it can be at times. That remains with us.”

Entering this weekend’s matchup, DU can retain the trophy by winning Friday’s game in Colorado Springs and Saturday’s game at Magness Arena. Both games are at 7 p.m. The teams meet again in the regular season finale on March 7 and 8. Because the Pioneers already hold the trophy, Colorado College needs to win three of the four to get the Gold Pan back for the first time since 2018-19.

The Pioneers ripped off 12 straight wins to start the season, a program record and the most victories to start a campaign by a defending national champion since 2000. But Denver’s since come back down to earth, losing twice to Arizona State at home on Nov. 22 and 23, and then falling on the road to Western Michigan on Dec. 6.

DU got back in the win column the next day, beating the Broncos 3-2 in overtime, but senior forward Jack Devine knows this weekend’s series is critical for the Pioneers to end their first half on a high note.

“It was good to get a win last Saturday night, playing in a hostile environment up there, and it puts us in a good situation heading into another emotional series against a rival,” Devine said. “We need to get these two big wins heading into the break and set us up for the rest of the season.”

The Tigers also started red hot at 9-0, but have lost four of their last six. CC is headlined by Kaidan Mbereko, last year’s NCHC Goaltender of the Year, as well as a balanced offense paced by Boston University transfer Ty Gallagher.

“We’re playing well, we’re just doing it in spurts, and lengthy spurts at a time,” Mayotte said. “But when we’re not playing well, our breakdowns are too big and we’re finding ways to dig ourselves a hole. … We just have to tighten up some things and find a way to get results here, and find ways to increase our goal scoring.”

Should DU win the Gold Pan again this weekend, don’t expect to see it on display around Magness Arena.

The 20-pound bronze sculpture, which features a gold pan resting against hockey sticks, mounted on a wood base, is actually the second version of the prize after the original one went missing in 2004. The current trophy was created in 2007, and during Carle’s tenure, has resided in either the DU locker room or in the coaches’ office.

Why isn’t it in the trophy case just outside the Pioneers’ locker room, where DU’s 10 national titles reside?

“We care about the bigger trophies more,” Carle said.