Home-opening series with BC, Wrigley game highlight MSU hockey schedule

Munn Arena provided an electric atmosphere for Michigan State hockey last season.

The Spartans went 12-3-1 on home ice during the regular season and then defeated Ohio State and Michigan in front of boisterous sellout crowds to win the Big Ten tournament championship.

This season's home schedule, which was released on Wednesday, is highlighted by a high-profile series against national power Boston College the second weekend of the season, all home games in November, with the exception of a road exhibition game, and two home games with Michigan — one in mid-January and the other early in February.

The Spartans open their season with two games Oct. 4-5 at Lake Superior State one weeked before their home series against Boston College, which is likely to start the season ranked among the top 5 in the nation. Last season, MSU traveled to BC and was swept just before Big Ten play started.

MSU will have a home exhibition game against Windsor the following Friday before heading to New York for a road series at Canisius, whom the Spartans swept at home last year.

MSU's entire November will be played at home, outside of an exhibition with the US National Team Development Program in Plymouth. MSU's first two conference series will be at Munn, facing Ohio State and Notre Dame in back-to-back weekends, followed by a non-conference series with Lindenwood on the last day of November and the first day of December.

MSU is then on the road for the rest of December, including its toughest two-week stretch of the season at Wisconsin and Minnesota before Christmas break. The Spartans then play in the Great Lakes Invitational with their first game against Northern Michigan on Dec. 29. Western Michigan and Michigan Tech meet in the other game, with the winners meeting the next night.

January is a loaded month with conference matchups, highlighted in the first week when the Spartans will host Wisconsin on Jan. 2, then head to Wrigley Field in Chicago to face the Badgers in the Frozen Confines outdoor game two days later.

MSU will face Penn State on the road the following weekend before its first meeting with rival Michigan in a home-and-home series Jan. 17-18. MSU then hosts Minnesota the following weekend before a quick turnaround, ending the month in Columbus to face the Buckeyes in a Thursday-Friday series.

The Spartans open up February with the Wolverines at Munn before heading to Little Caesars Arena for the annual "Duel in the D" game. MSU then hosts Penn State the following weekend, with the latter game of the series having senior day celebrations.

MSU closes out the regular season at Notre Dame before the first round of the Big Ten tournament begins the following week.

MSU hockey 2023-24 schedule (All Times TBA)

Oct. 4 — at Lake Superior State

Oct. 5 — at Lake Superior State

Oct. 11 – Boston College

Oct. 12 – Boston College

Oct. 18 – Windsor (Exhibition)

Oct. 25 – at Canisius

Oct. 26 – at Canisius

Nov. 8 – Ohio State

Nov. 9 – Ohio State

Nov. 15 – Notre Dame

Nov. 16 – Notre Dame

Nov. 21 – at USNTDP (Exhibition)

Nov. 29 – Lindenwood

Dec. 1 – Lindenwood

Dec. 6 – at Wisconsin

Dec. 7 – at Wisconsin

Dec. 13 – at Minnesota

Dec. 14 – at Minnesota

Dec. 29 – vs. Northern Michigan (GLI)

Dec. 30 – vs. Michigan Tech/Western Michigan (GLI)

Jan. 2 – Wisconsin

Jan. 4 – vs. Wisconsin, 9pm ET (Frozen Confines at Wrigley Field)

Jan. 10 – at Penn State

Jan. 11 – at Penn State

Jan. 17 – at Michigan

Jan. 18 – Michigan

Jan. 24 – Minnesota

Jan. 25 – Minnesota

Jan. 30 – at Ohio State

Jan. 31 – at Ohio State

Feb. 7 – Michigan

Feb. 7 – vs. Michigan (Duel in the D)

Feb. 21 – Penn State

Feb. 22 – Penn State (Senior Night)

Feb. 28 – at Notre Dame

Mar. 1 – at Notre Dame

Mar. 8-10 – Big Ten tournament quarterfinals (Best of three series, campus sites)

Mar. 16 – Big Ten tournament semifinals

Mar. 23 – Big Ten tournament championship

Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Home-opening series with BC, Wrigley game highlight MSU hockey schedule