Big Ten releases schedule for first half of Gophers men’s hockey 2020-21 season

The return of Minnesota Gophers men’s hockey is right around the corner.

The Big Ten conference announced schedules for the first half of the 2020-21 hockey season Thursday. Minnesota will begin the 2020-21 campaign with a pair of clashes against Penn State on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20 before hosting Ohio State on Nov. 23 and Nov. 24.

The Gophers hit the road for the first time in early December, taking on Michigan State and Michigan for two games apiece.

“We had to be patient, but we know we are playing hockey this month and that’s great news for our program,” Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said in a statement. “I’d again like to thank the Big Ten and our leaders here at Minnesota for their diligence in getting us to this point. We’re going to be smart and safe in how we proceed, but we are very excited for the puck to drop, and we can’t wait to see the rest of the schedule as it gets finalized.”

The 2020-21 campaign will mark the 100th season of Gophers hockey.

“It’s great to finally have a date to circle on the calendar after waiting so long to hear about the season,” Minnesota junior forward Sammy Walker said. “I don’t think any of us have ever had so much anticipation going into a season as we have for this one. We’re ready to go.”

There won’t be any fans in attendance for home games at the 3M Arena at Mariucci, at least for the first half of the year. The program will follow medical protocols provided by the Big Ten to limit the chances of a COVID-19 outbreak.

The second-half schedule for the 2020-21 season, as well as details on the Big Ten hockey tournament, will be announced at a later date.

Gophers men’s hockey 2020-21 first half schedule