Returning the majority of last season’s national championship team, Denver was unanimously selected by the media as the favorite to capture the 2017-18 Julie and Spencer Penrose Memorial Cup, awarded to the NCHC regular-season champion, for a second straight year as DU topped the 2017-18 NCHC preseason poll, which was released Tuesday.
| School | Points (First-place votes) |
|---|---|
| 1. Denver | 240 (30) |
| 2. St. Cloud State | 187 |
| 3. North Dakota | 172 |
| 4. Minnesota Duluth | 160 |
| 5. Miami | 104 |
| 6. Western Michigan | 102 |
| 7. Omaha | 83 |
| 8. Colorado College | 32 |
