Holiday on ice with the host: Wildcats hockey team faces Badgers to open Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off
Wildcats hockey team faces Badgers to open Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off
Northern Michigan University goaltender Oliver Auyeung-Ashton shows he has the puck during a CCHA hockey game played against Bemidji State at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Jan. 30. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
Northern Michigan University goalie William Gramme, left, stretches out to block the net as UMass’ Jack Galanek is about to take a shot during their game played in Amherst, Mass., on Oct. 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
Northern Michigan University goaltender Oliver Auyeung-Ashton shows he has the puck during a CCHA hockey game played against Bemidji State at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Jan. 30. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
Northern Michigan University goalie William Gramme, left, stretches out to block the net as UMass’ Jack Galanek is about to take a shot during their game played in Amherst, Mass., on Oct. 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
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MARQUETTE -- Matchups and game times are now set for the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off presented by Toyota college hockey tournament that will include Northern Michigan University and be played between Christmas and New Year's.
Hosted by Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, the sixth annual version of this event will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 29-30.
The opening-day semifinals pit the Wildcats against Wisconsin in the day's second game at 8:30 p.m. EST, with the opener featuring Massachusetts facing Arizona State at 5 p.m. EST. Game times are the same for Wednesday's third-place and championship games.
In an interesting twist to the usual schedule for a college hockey tourney, the host Badgers will play in Wednesday's second game, even if Wisconsin loses to the Wildcats and is playing in the third-place game.
That also means that NMU will automatically play in Wednesday's early game at 5 p.m. EST, as after playing the Badgers on Tuesday, Northern will play in a game opposite the Badgers.
The Wildcats have played the Badgers 90 times since they first faced each other in the 1981 NCAA tournament semifinals, the most recent game a neutral-site series played in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in October 2017 when the teams split, NMU winning 5-4 in overtime in the opener and UW prevailing 4-0 in Game 2.
Northern has played UMass just three times, including in the season-opening series a year ago in October 2025, Minutemen wins of 5-3 and 4-1 in Amherst, Massachusetts.
The Wildcats have also faced Arizona State five times, the most recent a series the Sun Devils swept in Marquette in October 2024 by scores of 3-1 and 2-0.
Tickets are now on sale for the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off, both for single-day and two-day packages, by visiting Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com/holiday-faceoff-tickets/artist/2735806.
The Ticketmaster site shows prices ranging from $27 up to $77.35 per seat for each day. Apparently there are also discounts for buying tickets for both days, but those deals weren't indicated at a brief glance on the website.
All four games will also be carried on the online platform Big Ten Network-Plus, which has monthly and yearly subscription fees.
Gazelle Updates can also be received by signing up, entitling those to be the first to receive updates on the tourney. Also follow the event on Twitter and Instagram, both @HolidayFaceoff.
In last year's Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off, No. 7 Western Michigan knocked off the No. 2-ranked Badgers 4-1 in the championship game. Later in the season, Wisconsin advanced to the NCAA national championship game, losing in the finals to Denver 2-1, while WMU also made the NCAA tourney and also was knocked out by Denver, 6-2 in a regional final.
Story contents based on a Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release previewing the games, which it based on information received from Gazelle Group Inc., and an examination of the Ticketmaster website, www.ticketmaster.com. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.