UND hockey's 2023-24 schedule is set
Apr. 18—GRAND FORKS — It won't take long for UND to know where it stacks up among college hockey's top teams next season.
The Fighting Hawks open with the Ice Breaker Tournament in Ralph Engelstad Arena against Army and Wisconsin, which will have a revamped roster under new coach Mike Hastings of Crookston.
Then, UND's next six games are against 2023 NCAA tournament teams, four of which are games against opponents who participated in the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four (Minnesota, Boston University).
It will be an immediate test for the Fighting Hawks, who will have eight new defensemen and a new starting goaltender.
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference opener will be against Minnesota Duluth in AmsOil Arena, a destination the Fighting Hawks did not visit last season.
Here are five things to know about UND's 2023-24 schedule:
UND fans will get a chance to see the team a lot early in the season.
The Fighting Hawks open with six-straight home games. They do not take a road trip until November.
Of the first 22 games of the season, UND plays 16 at home and six on the road.
Of the final 14 regular-season games, six are at home and eight are on the road.
UND's series at Boston University will mark its first regular-season matchup against a Hockey East opponent in years.
The last one was Dec. 3, 2016, when the Fighting Hawks played against Boston College in New York City's Madison Square Garden.
The last time UND played a road game against a Hockey East team was Oct. 23-24, 2015, when UND played a two-game series at Vermont.
The Fighting Hawks have played four games all-time at BU's Agganis Arena. They have yet to win in the building.
In October 2008, UND participated in the Ice Breaker Tournament there, losing to eventual national champion BU 5-1 in the first game and 3-2 to UMass in the second game.
In Nov. 2013, UND visited again and lost 3-1 and tied 3-3.
The NCHC has a 24-game schedule, which means there's always one opponent who doesn't visit Grand Forks and one league destination UND does not visit.
This season, St. Cloud State does not come to Grand Forks and UND does not go to Western Michigan.
There have been several transfers within the NCHC, setting up games for players against their old squads.
That storyline will be set right away.
UND's first NCHC series is at Minnesota Duluth, which is where former Fighting Hawks defenseman Luke Bast committed out of the transfer portal.
Its second NCHC series is against Miami, which is where Fighting Hawks goalie Ludvig Persson played the last three seasons.
UND incoming forward Cameron Berg will play against his old team, Omaha, four times. And former UND forward Matteo Costantini, now at Western Michigan, will travel back to Grand Forks in March.
UND does not host a regional this season. So if the Fighting Hawks make the NCAA tournament, their destination won't be known until Selection Sunday.
The NCAA regional sites are Sioux Falls, S.D. (hosted by Omaha), Maryland Heights, Mo. (hosted by Lindenwood), Providence, R.I. (hosted by Brown) and Springfield, Mass. (hosted by UMass).
The NCAA Frozen Four is in St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center.
Subject to change, game times TBA
Oct. 7 — MANITOBA (exhibition)
Oct. 13 — ARMY
Oct. 14 — WISCONSIN
Oct. 20 — MINNESOTA
Oct. 21 — MINNESOTA
Oct. 27 — MSU-MANKATO
Oct. 28 — MSU-MANKATO
Nov. 3 — at Boston University
Nov. 4 — at Boston University
Nov. 10 — at Minnesota Duluth
Nov. 11 — at Minnesota Duluth
Nov. 17 — MIAMI
Nov. 18 — MIAMI
Nov. 24 — BEMIDJI STATE
Nov. 25 — BEMIDJI STATE
Dec. 1 — at Denver
Dec. 2 — at Denver
Dec. 8 — COLORADO COLLEGE
Dec. 9 — COLORADO COLLEGE
Dec. 30 — U.S. UNDER-18 TEAM (exhibition)
Jan. 5 — ALASKA
Jan. 6 — ALASKA
Jan. 12 — OMAHA
Jan. 13 — OMAHA
Jan. 19 — at St. Cloud State
Jan. 20 — at St. Cloud State
Jan. 26 — DENVER
Jan. 27 — DENVER
Feb. 2 — at Miami
Feb. 3 — at Miami
Feb. 16 — at Colorado College
Feb. 17 — at Colorado College
Feb. 23 — MINNESOTA DULUTH
Feb. 24 — MINNESOTA DULUTH
March 1 — WESTERN MICHIGAN
March 2 — WESTERN MICHIGAN
March 8 — at Omaha
March 9 — at Omaha
March 15-17 — NCHC first round (site of higher seed)
March 22-23 — NCHC Frozen Faceoff (St. Paul)
March 28-31 — NCAA regionals (Sioux Falls, S.D., Maryland Heights, Mo., Providence, R.I., Springfield, Mass.)
April 11-13 — NCAA Frozen Four (St. Paul)
