Men’s Ice Hockey: B1G Announces Season Plans, Start Date

The Big Ten announced this afternoon that the conference hockey season for 2020-2021 will begin as early as Nov. 13 and include a 24-game conference only schedule. The season will conclude with the Big Ten Hockey Tournament March 18-20, 2021. Additionally, each of the conference’s seven hockey teams will play four games against Arizona State, making it a total of 28 games for the regular season. The Sun Devils are an independent in hockey, and have agreed to follow all Big Ten protocols for the season.

Per the release from the Michigan State Athletic Department:

Big Ten hockey teams will follow the same medical protocols that were developed by the Big Ten Return to Competition Task Force, which were announced on September 16. These protocols include daily antigen testing, enhanced cardiac screening, and an enhanced data-driven approach when making decisions about practice/competition. Arizona State has agreed to adhere to the same testing protocols as the institutions in the Big Ten Conference.

The 2021 Big Ten Hockey Tournament returns to the one-weekend, single-elimination format utilized during the first four seasons and will feature all seven Big Ten teams, and will consist of six total games: three on Thursday, two on Friday, and the Championship tilt on Saturday.

Each Big Ten team will have a 28-game slate, which includes four games against each of the other six Big Ten institutions as well as another four against ASU. The schedule, along with game times and television designations, will be announced at a later date.

Cole and his staff bring back 16 veterans (including seven seniors) and welcome 10 newcomers for the upcoming season.

We will be sure to provide you the updates on the schedule when it is released. Go Green!