Week 9 Hockey Release

Photo courtesy of Michigan Athletics

OFFICIAL RELEASE

• It will be a busy Thanksgiving Week for Big Ten Hockey as teams travel to all parts of the country while others stay home. The nonconference action begins Wednesday with Notre Dame playing a matinee at Merrimack and No. 3/3 Michigan State entertaining Colgate in a series opener later that night. Notre Dame follows with another afternoon start on Friday at No. 15/15 Boston College. No. 1/1 Michigan is also visiting Beantown for a two-game set against rv/#18 Harvard. Out west in Tempe, Ariz., Ohio State takes on Arizona State, facing its third Big Ten opponent this year, and Minnesota meets No. 4/4 Denver at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game to be held at Ball Arena, home to the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.

• For the second time this season, the Big Ten Conference occupies the top three spots in the USCHO.com and USA Hockey polls. Michigan is the new consensus No. 1 team, knocking Michigan State from that position which it held for five weeks. The Wolverines stand atop the polls for the first time since Oct. 31, 2022. Wisconsin, which started the season at No. 20/19, has risen to No. 2/2 in the surveys. Penn State remains inside the top 10 at No. 9/9. The Big Ten has had at least one team ranked in the top five (in either poll) for 51 consecutive weeks, dating to Jan. 2, 2024.

• Wisconsin, picked fifth in the preseason coaches poll, resides a point out of first place in the Big Ten standings following a road sweep of No. 1 Michigan State. Head Coach Mike Hastings received strong goaltending from sophomore transfer Eli Pulver, who stopped 67-of-72 shots (.931 SV%) in his Badger debut. Captain Ben Dexheimer scored the overtime game winner in Saturday’s 2-1 win to earn Big Ten Second Star of the Week honors. When ranked in the top 10, Wisconsin is unbeaten in its last 12 games (10-0-2) against No. 1 ranked teams.

• Skaters from Michigan and Penn State account for the top five overall scorers in the Big Ten. Offenses for both teams have been on a tear with the Wolverines leading the nation in scoring and the Nittany Lions scoring in droves during a 9-1 start. T.J. Hughes (9-15—24) of Michigan, second nationally in total points, leads a pack of snipers which includes teammate Will Horcoff (14-7—21), Penn State’s Charlie Cerrato (5-16—21), Michigan’s Michael Hage (9-11—20) and Penn State’s JJ Wiebusch (11-8-19). With a third of the Big Ten schedule nearly completed, Hughes sports a five-point lead for the conference scoring title, having amassed six goals and nine assists for 15 points in eight contests.

• Penn State will take part in the 2026 Ice Breaker Tournament, slated for Oct. 9-10. The event marks the traditional start to the college hockey season, bringing four teams together from different conferences. Connecticut and Sacred Heart will serve as co-hosts and be joined by Bowling Green to complete the tournament field. Notre Dame participated in this year’s Ice Breaker hosted by Arizona State.