The Ice Breaker Tournament, the traditional start to the college hockey season, will be held at Magness Arena on the campus of the University of Denver Oct. 7-8, 2016.

Ice Breaker Tournament History

“Magness Arena and the University of Denver will be fantastic hosts for the 2016 Ice Breaker Tournament,” said Mike Snee, Executive Director of College Hockey Inc. “We are thrilled to showcase our sport and celebrate the start of the 2016 season in such a great venue.”

Air Force, Boston College and Ohio State will join Denver for the tournament.

“We’re very excited to be hosting the Ice Breaker Tournament in partnership with College Hockey Inc. in 2016 and we’re honored that the 20th edition of this fantastic event will be staged at Magness Arena,” said Pioneers head coach Jim Montgomery. “This tournament is one of the top showcase events for college hockey in the country and we’re thrilled that our great fans will again have the opportunity to experience it firsthand. Denver won this tournament the last time it was at Magness and we’re looking forward to kicking off the 2016-17 college hockey season by taking on some of the best teams in the NCAA on our home ice.”

College Hockey Inc., which manages the Ice Breaker Tournament on behalf of the Hockey Commissioners Association, also announced the field for the 2015 tournament, which will be held Oct. 9-10 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine. That event will feature Lake Superior State, Michigan State, North Dakota and the host institution, Maine.

The 2016 Ice Breaker Tournament will mark the 20th anniversary of the event as it returns to Magness Arena for the second time. The first visit, in 1999, saw host Denver win the tournament in the year Magness Arena opened. The Pioneers have only made one other appearance in the Ice Breaker (2006).

Ticket packages and other information about the 2016 Ice Breaker Tournament will be announced by the University of Denver as the event approaches.