The Big Ten Conference announced Thursday the first half of the schedule for the 2020-21 hockey season, which is slated to start the weekend of Nov. 13, although Penn State men’s hockey will begin its season on Nov. 19.
As is the case for all fall and winter sports, student-athletes will continue to undergo daily COVID-19 testing.
In its entirety, the conference schedule will include 24 games among Big Ten teams as well as four additional contests against Arizona State which has effectively joined the league for the 2020-21 season. Arizona State is an independent in college hockey and despite playing a schedule entirely of Big Ten teams, will not be eligible for the regular season title or conference tournament.
All games against Arizona State will be played at Pegula Ice Arena.
The regular season will conclude March 18-20, 2021, with the Big Ten Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament. Game times and television designations, as well as the remainder of the 2020-21 schedule and further details regarding the 2021 Big Ten Hockey Tournament, will be announced at a later date. As previously announced the Big Ten Tournament will return to its single-elimination and one-weekend format for this postseason only.
As for Penn State, the NIttany Lions will pick up where they left off, facing Minnesota for a Thursday/Friday series against the Gophers. Penn State took on Minnesota to close out the regular season in a game that would eventually clinch the Nittany Lions their first-ever regular season Big Ten title.
From there Penn State will face Wisconsin in Madison before returning home to face Michigan and Arizona State in the final two series of the first phase of the schedule.
As noted below, this season will include games scheduled throughout the week.
- 11/19-20: at Minnesota (Thurs/Fri)
- 11/23-24: at Wisconsin (Mon/Tues)
- 12/2-3: vs. Michigan (Wed/Thurs)
- 12/11-13: vs Arizona State (Fri/Sun)
