North Dakota was chosen as the favorite to capture the 2016-17 Julie and Spencer Penrose Memorial Cup as NCHC regular-season champions in the league’s preseason media poll.
UND, also the defending national champion, received 25 of the 30 first-place votes to total 235 points in the poll, while Denver was chosen second with 200 points and garnered three first-place votes. Minnesota Duluth, last year’s preseason favorite, landed third in the poll with 173 points and claimed the final two first-place votes.
| School (First-place votes) | Total points |
|---|---|
| 1. North Dakota (25) | 235 |
| 2. Denver (3) | 200 |
| 3. Minnesota-Duluth (2) | 173 |
| 4. St. Cloud State | 155 |
| 5. Nebraska-Omaha | 119 |
| 6. Miami | 96 |
| 7. Western Michigan | 65 |
| 8. Colorado College | 37 |
