Frozen Four 2012: Schedule, Bracket, Live Stream Info and Predictions

College hockey may not be in the public consciousness on a regular basis, but the Frozen Four has become an institution in the sport that causes even novice fans to take notice. The biggest event in college hockey will take place this week as the four best teams in the nation vie to win it all.

The remaining teams are a hodgepodge of perennial contenders and surprising upstarts.

Fresh off a national championship in 2010, Boston College is back to reclaim the crown this season as the No. 1 team in the nation. The Eagles will take on a Minnesota team that has underachieved in recent years, but is now back in the spotlight.

The other national semifinal will pit the surprising Union Dutchmen, who earned the No. 3 seed in the tournament, against the Ferris State Bulldogs. This is the first Frozen Four appearance for each team and one of them is guaranteed to play against a national power in Boston College or Minnesota for the national championship on Saturday.

Here is everything you need to know about Thursday's Frozen Four games, as well as Saturday night's title tilt.

Where: Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.

When: Thursday, April 5, and Saturday, April 7

Live Stream: ESPN3

TV Schedule

Ferris State vs. No. 3 Union - Thursday, April 5, at 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

Minnesota vs. No. 1 Boston College - Thursday, April 5, at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

National championship game - Saturday, April 7, at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

View full tournament bracket at NCAA.com.

NHL Prospects to Watch

Chris Kreider (BC)

With 23 goals and 21 assists on the season, winger Chris Kreider is not only Boston College's leading scorer, but he is their heart and soul as well.

The menacing 6'3" power forward was a first-round pick of the New York Rangers in 2009 and he already has an NHL skill set and an NHL body. Kreider isn't afraid to crash the net or get involved in the rough stuff, but he also possesses killer hands, making him a key player to watch in the Frozen Four.

Nick Bjugstad (MIN)

Ranking fifth in the nation with 25 goals on the season, Minnesota forward Nick Bjugstad is unquestionably a stud.

Bjugstad was a first-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2010 and he has shown all season why he was deserving of that lofty draft status. At just 19 years of age, he still has time to grow into his 6'5" frame, but he is already an elite collegiate player who has a very bright NHL future ahead of him.

Brian Dumoulin (BC)

Defensemen don't always get a ton of credit in college hockey as most don't jump into the play offensively as often as their NHL counterparts do, but Boston College junior rearguard Brian Dumoulin is an exception.

His 27 points in 42 games and astonishingly good positional play make Dumoulin a top candidate for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's best player. It looks like the Carolina Hurricanes may have gotten a major steal by taking him in the second round in 2009.

Prediction: Boston College

Anything can happen in the Frozen Four, but Boston College has been the best team all season by far, and there is no reason to believe that the Eagles won't win their fifth NCAA national championship and fourth since 2001.

Boston College has an elite player at every level on the ice in Kreider, Dumoulin and goaltender Parker Milner, and a fine supporting cast to boot.

Minnesota will provide a stiff challenge as the Gophers have plenty of young talent, but Boston College is too poised to lose track of its ultimate goal.

Whether the Eagles face Union or Ferris State in the final, it will be a great Cinderella story for the opposition, but the clock will ultimately strike midnight with BC having won it all.