Big Ten Announces Start Date for Hockey Season

East Lansing, Mich. -- The Big Ten Conference announced today (Tuesday, October 6) that the 2020-21 season is slated to begin as early as November 13, 2020 and will consist of 24 games against Conference competition and an additional four contests per school against Arizona State, hosted at Big Ten venues. The schedule will conclude with the Big Ten Hockey Tournament scheduled for March 18-20, 2021.

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 2020-21 hockey season builds on the traditions of Big Ten hockey and brings new competitive opportunities to the Conference with the Arizona State University scheduling agreement," notes Commissioner Kevin Warren. "As our tams return to competition, we will continue to keep the health and safety of our student-athletes at the forefront of our decisions."

"We are very excited to have the opportunity to get on the ice and represent Michigan State once again," said head coach Danton Cole. "It has been a test for everyone dealing with this and we are grateful that we can be a part of the next step in moving forward."

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.

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