Big Ten announces inaugural hockey schedule for 2013-14 season

 

By Michael Caples –

B1G hockey is almost here.

The Big Ten Hockey Conference announced their schedule for their inaugural season today, which features 20-game arrangements for each of the six NCAA schools.

The B1G schedule also features four ‘flex’ games that allow for a ‘Thursday-Friday’ series, rather than the traditional ‘Friday-Saturday’ weekend series structure.

The league has also structured some unique scheduling for the Michigan vs. Ohio State series – the two rivals will play on Monday, Dec. 2, and either Sunday, March 2, or Saturday, March 3. Both of those contests will be home games for the Buckeyes, but locations are not listed for any of the games.

Michigan and Ohio State will also play on the first-ever night of B1G hockey, squaring off in a Wolverines home game on Friday, Nov. 29. Wisconsin and Minnesota also play that night.

Michigan State will make their B1G debut on Friday, Dec. 6, when the Spartans welcome the Penn State Nittany Lions to East Lansing for a weekend series.

After opening on Nov. 29, the league will go through a stretch from Dec. 7 to Jan. 10 with no B1G games played.

Michigan plays at Michigan State on Friday, Jan. 24, the night before the two rivals take part in a “College Hockey in the D” game at Joe Louis Arena the next day (Saturday, Jan. 25).

The two Michigan schools will play a home-and-home series on Friday, March 7, and Saturday, March 8.

The inaugural Big Ten Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament – taking place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn. – will be held Thursday, March 20, through Saturday, March 22.

The B1G schedule does not include any non-conference game information.

Here is the complete schedule:

DAY                                        DATE                                       MATCHUP                            

Friday                                     Nov. 29                                  Ohio State at Michigan

Friday                                     Nov. 29                                  Wisconsin at Minnesota

 

Saturday                                Nov. 30                                  Wisconsin at Minnesota

 

Monday                                 Dec. 2                                     Michigan at Ohio State

 

Friday                                     Dec. 6                                     Minnesota at Michigan State

Friday                                     Dec. 6                                     Penn State at Wisconsin

 

Saturday                                Dec. 7                                     Minnesota at Michigan State

Saturday                                Dec. 7                                     Penn State at Wisconsin

 

Friday                                     Jan. 10                                    Michigan at Wisconsin

Friday                                     Jan. 10                                    Michigan State at Ohio State

Saturday                                Jan.  11                                   Michigan at Wisconsin

Saturday                                Jan.  11                                   Michigan State at Ohio State

 

Sunday                                   Jan. 12                                    Minnesota at Penn State

Monday                                 Jan. 13                                    Minnesota at Penn State

 

Friday                                     Jan. 17                                    Ohio State at Minnesota

Friday                                     Jan. 17                                    Penn State at Michigan State

 

Saturday                                Jan. 18                                    Ohio State at Minnesota

Saturday                                Jan. 18                                    Penn State at Michigan State

 

Friday                                     Jan. 24                                    Michigan at Michigan State

Friday                                     Jan. 24                                    Ohio State at Wisconsin

 

Saturday                                Jan. 25                                    Michigan vs. Michigan State (Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich.)

Saturday                                Jan. 25                                    Ohio State at Wisconsin

 

Thursday or Saturday          Jan. 30 or Feb. 1                   Michigan State at Minnesota*

 

Friday                                     Jan. 31                                    Michigan State at Minnesota

Friday                                     Jan. 31                                    Penn State at Ohio State

Friday                                     Jan. 31                                    Wisconsin at Michigan

 

Saturday                                Feb. 1                                     Penn State at Ohio State

Saturday                                Feb. 1                                     Wisconsin at Michigan

 

Thursday or Saturday          Feb. 6 or 8                             Minnesota at Wisconsin*

 

Friday                                     Feb. 7                                     Minnesota at Wisconsin

Friday                                     Feb. 7                                     Michigan at Penn State

Friday                                     Feb. 7                                     Ohio State at Michigan State

 

Saturday                                Feb. 8                                     Michigan at Penn State

Saturday                                Feb. 8                                     Ohio State at Michigan State

 

Thursday or Saturday          Feb. 13 or 15                        Michigan at Minnesota*

 

Friday                                     Feb. 14                                   Michigan at Minnesota

Friday                                     Feb. 14                                   Michigan State at Penn State

Friday                                     Feb. 14                                   Wisconsin at Ohio State

 

Saturday                                Feb. 15                                   Michigan State at Penn State

Saturday                                Feb. 15                                   Wisconsin at Ohio State

 

Friday                                     Feb. 21                                   Michigan State at Wisconsin

Friday                                     Feb. 21                                   Penn State at Michigan

 

Saturday                                Feb. 22                                   Michigan State at Wisconsin

Saturday                                Feb. 22                                   Penn State at Michigan

 

Friday                                     Feb. 28                                   Ohio State at Michigan

Friday                                     Feb. 28                                   Penn State at Minnesota

 

Saturday                                March 1                                 Penn State at Minnesota

 

Sunday or Monday              March 2 or 3                         Michigan at Ohio State

 

Friday                                     March 7                                 Michigan State at Michigan

Friday                                     March 7                                 Minnesota at Ohio State

Friday                                     March 7                                 Wisconsin at Penn State

 

Saturday                                March 8                                 Michigan at Michigan State

Saturday                                March 8                                 Minnesota at Ohio State

Saturday                                March 8                                 Wisconsin at Penn State

 

Friday                                     March 14                               Minnesota at Michigan

Friday                                     March 14                               Ohio State at Penn State

Friday                                     March 14                               Wisconsin at Michigan State

 

Saturday                                March 15                               Minnesota at Michigan

Saturday                                March 15                               Ohio State at Penn State

Saturday                                March 15                               Wisconsin at Michigan State

 

Big Ten Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament (Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn.)

Thursday                                March 20                               Quarterfinals

Friday                                     March 21                               Semifinals

Saturday                                March 22                               Championship Game

 

* One of these three two-game sets will be played Thursday and Friday. The other two will be played Friday and Saturday.