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Who will Penn State hockey face during non-conference play in 2025-2026?

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel07/17/25GregPickel
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Penn State forward JJ Wiebusch celebrates a postseason goal. (Photo by Kylie Barton/Courtesy of Penn State Athletics)

The 2025-2026 Penn State hockey non-conference schedule is set. The Nittany Lions will open their latest season under head coach Guy Gadowsky with a two-game series at Arizona State Oct. 3-4. That was already known. Who else will the team face when it’s not skating against a Big Ten opponent? Here’s the full list (all games are at home unless otherwise noted):

at Arizona State: Oct. 3-4

Clarkson: Oct. 9-10

LIU: Oct. 17-18

Stonehill: Oct. 24-25

RIT: Jan. 2

at RIT: Jan. 3

This is the third consecutive season that Penn State will start away from the Pegula Ice Arena. As for why the Nittany Lions are traveling to the Sun Devils, the hockey program explained it in a news release.

“This series is a return trip as Penn State makes good on its part of the Big Ten Hockey agreement that saw Arizona State play a Big Ten regular-season schedule for the shortened 2020-21 season during the COVID-19 pandemic, it reads. “The Nittany Lions are 8-2-0 all-time against Arizona State with the last meetings coming during that 2020-21 campaign, a pair of thrilling overtime victories for the Blue & White at Pegula Ice Arena.”

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Penn State hockey will be a hot ticket this winter

The Big Ten has not yet announced its hockey schedule for the 2025-2026 season. However, regardless of whether Penn State is playing a league game or not, and whether it is taking the ice at Pegula Ice Arena or on the road, we know the Lions will be a top ticket. That’s because the 2024-2025 Frozen Four participants enter the new season as the betting favorites to win it all, thanks, in part, to the addition of superstar forward and projected No. 1 2026 NHL Draft pick Gavin McKenna. Gadowsky’s side also has a 2025 first round pick in defensemen Jackson Smith in addition to numerous other newcomers. Plenty of production returns, as well, from last year’s team. Put it all together, and expectations are higher than they’ve ever been for the Lions since they moved to the Division I ranks.

“This is Penn State,” Gadowsky said Tuesday. “Penn State has very high expectations for all of its athletic programs and puts a lot of resources into that. This is not a new thing. Penn State has these kind of expectations. We did not have these expectations when you start as a club program, and I can tell you it’s better to have the expectations than not. This is where everybody wants to go.”

More coverage of the Nittany Lions hockey team

Penn State hockey notes: Injury updates on Cade Christenson and others, roster news, and more summer takeaways

Everything Guy Gadowsky said about landing Gavin McKenna: The Penn State pitch, recruiting timeline, and more

What are they saying about Gavin McKenna’s commitment to Penn State?

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