GRAND FORKS — It won't take long to see how the UND hockey team measures up nationally next season.
In the opening six weeks, the Fighting Hawks will face two NCAA Frozen Four teams, including the defending national champion, another NCAA quarterfinalist and they'll play on the big stage at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas against Arizona State.
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference announced its 2022-23 league schedule on Wednesday afternoon. UND will later announce its nonconference games, but the Herald has confirmed most of the dates.
UND will open the season with a home series against Holy Cross on Oct. 7-8. Then, it will play several of college hockey's best teams from the 2021-22 season. The Fighting Hawks will host defending ECAC champion Quinnipiac on Oct. 14-15, travel to Big 10 champion Minnesota on Oct. 21-22 and play Arizona State in Las Vegas on Oct. 29 — all in a 16-day stretch.
Two weeks after that, UND will host reigning NCAA national champion Denver.
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UND's schedule is nearly filled out for next season. An early January weekend remains open for the Fighting Hawks to fill with a nonconference opponent.
In league play, the lone road trip UND does not make is to Minnesota Duluth. The only team that doesn't come to Grand Forks is Colorado College.
UND is set to have a large number of players back for next season as it chases a fourth-straight Penrose Cup.
Star forward Riese Gaber, fifth-year seniors Mark Senden and Gavin Hain, and the team's top defensive pairing of Tyler Kleven and Ethan Frisch have all pledged to return.
The Fighting Hawks lost two fifth-year seniors in top-line center Connor Ford and goalie Zach Driscoll. UND also lost star defenseman Jake Sanderson to the Ottawa Senators. Graduating senior Ashton Calder has entered the transfer portal to look for somewhere to use his fifth and final year of college eligibility.
UND hockey 2022-23 schedule
Oct. 1 — Exhibition TBD
Oct. 7-8 — HOLY CROSS
Oct. 14-15 — QUINNIPIAC
Oct. 21-22 — at Minnesota
Oct. 29 — vs. Arizona State in Las Vegas
Nov. 4-5 — at Omaha
Nov. 11-12 — DENVER
Nov. 18-19 — MIAMI
Nov. 25-26 — at Bemidji State/BEMIDJI STATE
Dec. 2-3 — at St. Cloud State
Dec. 9-10 — at Western Michigan
Dec. 31 — U.S. UNDER-18 (exhibition)
Jan. 6-7 — Nonconference TBD
Jan. 13-14 — WESTERN MICHIGAN
Jan. 20-21 — MINNESOTA DULUTH
Jan. 27-28 — at Miami
Feb. 10-11 — at Denver
Feb. 17-18 — ST. CLOUD STATE
Feb. 24-25 — at Colorado College
March 3-4 — OMAHA
March 10-12 — NCHC quarterfinals (at higher seed)
March 17-18 — NCHC Frozen Faceoff (in St. Paul)
March 23-26 — NCAA regional (in Fargo)
April 6-8 — NCAA Frozen Four (in Tampa)
*Home games in CAPS
