5 things to know about the 2025-26 UMD men’s hockey schedule – Duluth News Tribune

DULUTH — The 2025-26 Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey schedule was released Monday in conjunction with

the unveiling of the entire league schedule

by the NCHC for next season.

The Bulldogs will host Augustana, Bemidji State and Lindenwood (St. Louis, Mo.) in nonconference play at Amsoil Arena while St. Cloud State, North Dakota, Omaha, Arizona State, Colorado College and defending national champion Western Michigan visit for NCHC play.

If you missed the trip in 2024-25 to Arizona State,

you’ll have to wait a bit longer to see the Bulldogs play a warm winter series in Tempe. But UMD does travel to Alaska in the fall … if that’s your kind of thing.

Below is the schedule and five things to know about the Bulldogs 2025-26 schedule:

Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group

Times TBD
Home games in CAPS
* — denotes NCHC series
Oct. 3-4 — at Alaska (Fairbanks)
Oct. 10-11 — AUGUSTANA
Oct. 17 — at Bemidji State
Oct. 18 — BEMIDJI STATE
Oct. 24-25 — at Minnesota
Oct. 31-Nov. 1 — at North Dakota*
Nov. 7-8 — ST. CLOUD STATE*
Nov. 14-15 — OMAHA*
Nov. 21-22 — at Colorado College*
Nov. 28-29 — BYE
Dec. 5-6 — at Western Michigan*
Dec. 12-13 — ARIZONA STATE*
Dec. 19-Jan. 3 — Holiday break

Jan. 9-10 — LINDENWOOD
Jan. 16-17 — at St. Cloud State*
Jan. 23-24 — WESTERN MICHIGAN*
Jan. 30-31 — at Denver*
Feb. 6-7 — NORTH DAKOTA*
Feb. 13-14 — BYE
Feb. 20-21 — at Miami*
Feb. 27-28 — COLORADO COLLEGE*
March 6-8 — NCHC best-of-three quarterfinals
March 14 — NCHC semifinals
March 20 or 21 — NCHC Championship
March 26-29 — NCAA Regionals (Albany, Loveland, Sioux Falls, Worcester)
April 9-11 — NCAA Frozen Four at Las Vegas

Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group

The last time the Bulldogs visited the 49th state was almost 14 years ago during the program’s final season in the WCHA, sweeping at Alaska Anchorage on Dec. 14-15, 2011.

The return trip to Alaska will take the Bulldogs over 350 miles north of the Seawolves to Fairbanks to face off against the Alaska Nanooks. It’s UMD’s first trip to Fairbanks after playing in Anchorage as a member of the WCHA.

The Bulldogs and Nanooks have played four series against each other — all in Duluth — dating back to 1984-85, with UMD holding a 6-1-1 record against Alaska

following a tie and overtime loss Jan. 3-4, 2025,

at Amsoil Arena.

Temperatures in Fairbanks in early October historically range between the mid-20s to mid-40s while Duluth is between the mid-40s and 60.

Clint Austin / File / Duluth News Tribune

In 2024-25,

the Gophers played two games back-to-back at Amsoil Arena

for the first time since October 2011. Now UMD will return the favor, playing two games back-to-back at Mariucci Arena on Oct. 24-25 in Minneapolis.

The last time UMD played back-to-back games against the Gophers in the Twin Cities was Nov. 22-24, 2013. It was a Friday-Sunday series because of football on Saturday.

The Bulldogs were swept by the Gophers last season

at Amsoil Arena. The two wins were the Gophers’ first in Duluth since Oct. 14-15, 2011, when both teams were still members of the WCHA. UMD is 12-6-2 vs. Minnesota since realignment.

Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group

The

transfer portal

in college has been compared to

free agency in professional sports,

so just like in the pros, we now get a lot more reunions in college.

The Bulldogs will see at least two of their former players in NCHC play this season. UMD will face off against

Anthony Menghini

in two series against North Dakota Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in Grand Forks and Feb. 6-7 in Duluth.

Cole Spicer

will return to Duluth with Arizona State on Dec. 12-13.

Menghini transferred to the Fighting Hawks

this spring after two seasons in Duluth, while Spicer is attempting a comeback to college hockey after sitting out the 2024-25 season and playing in the USHL. Both forwards will be juniors.

Three new Bulldogs transfers will get to play their former teams in 2025-26.

Senior forward Kyle Gaffney

returns to Alaska to open the season,

junior defenseman Brady Cleveland

sees Colorado College twice in November and February, while

sophomore goaltender Ethan Dahlmeir

is back in Oxford, Ohio, to take on Miami in late February.

File / Courtesy of USA Hockey

The Bulldogs were without defenseman Adam Kleber and winger Max Plante for three games around the holidays in 2024-25 while the two dynamic freshmen

helped the United States win gold at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship

in Ottawa.

Both are eligible to return to play for the U.S. National Junior Team again at the 2026 World Juniors in St. Paul and Minneapolis. Should Plante and Kleber return to Team USA, they won’t miss a single regular season game chasing a second consecutive gold medal.

The Bulldogs currently have no games scheduled between Dec. 14-Jan. 8, though Scott Sandelin said he may add an exhibition game to break up the 26-day layoff.

Duluth is in line to host pre-tournament practices and games in December 2025 prior to the 2026 World Juniors,

so Amsoil Arena won’t be getting a break. It’s possible Kleber and Plante will literally get to start their second World Juniors experience at home should the United States place itself in Duluth prior to the start of the World Juniors.

Matt Wellens / File / Duluth Media Group

The NCHC Frozen Faceoff is no more.

A new postseason format will debut in 2025-26, and then be tweaked again in 2026-27 when the league goes from nine members to 10 with the addition of St. Thomas.

The quarterfinal round will remain the same, played as best-of-three series at the homes of the top four seeds. The last-place team in the nine-team league will not make the playoffs again.

The semifinals and championship will remain single playoff games, however, they will be spread out over two weeks instead of two days, and be played at the home of the highest remaining seeds.

To accommodate a three-week playoff format instead of a two-week tournament, the regular season will end Feb. 27-28 and the postseason will begin March 6-8.

All 10 teams will make the playoffs starting in 2026-27.