SAINT PAUL, Minn. – While the action on the ice at Xcel Energy Center will certainly be entertaining, there are plenty of other events for fans attending the 2022 National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Frozen Faceoff in Saint Paul to enjoy during the weekend of Thursday, March 17 through Saturday, March 19.
The Frozen Faceoff semifinals will take place on Friday, March 18 at 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. CT, with the Championship game on Saturday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. CT. In addition to the NCHC hockey, the Minnesota Wild will host the Chicago Blackhawks on Championship Saturday at 1:00 p.m. CT, giving fans the opportunity to take in NHL action for the first time on Frozen Faceoff weekend. All-session and single-day tickets are on sale for the 2022 Frozen Faceoff and can be purchased here, while ticket information can be found here. A separate ticket is required for the Wild game.
Prior to the games on Friday, fans can attend team practices on Thursday, March 17, which are open to the public. Practice times on Thursday are 10:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. CT with each team allotted one hour for practice. Fans attending practices should enter Xcel Energy Center through Gate 1, which will open at 10 a.m. CT, while the venue will close at 3:15 p.m. CT. Once practice times are finalized, fans can visit Frozen Faceoff Live for the schedule.
Following each practice on Thursday, a press conference will be held with the head coach and select student-athletes. Fans can watch all of Thursday’s press conferences live (or archived) for free on NCHC.tv. In addition, on Thursday night the Conference will return to hosting its annual NCHC Awards Celebration, when the Conference will announce its individual award winners. While not open to the public, fans can watch the event live for free on NCHC.tv. The Awards Celebration begins at 5:15 p.m. CT.
Also on Thursday night is the annual NCHC Fan Skate, when fans have the opportunity to skate on Xcel Energy Center ice, sharing the same surface that is used by the Wild and for the Frozen Faceoff. The Fan Skate runs from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. CT and is free to the public. Fans will need to bring their own skates, as rentals are not available, and should enter through Gate 1, which opens at 6:30 p.m. No hockey sticks, pucks, etc. are allowed on the ice and participants must sign a waiver.
Fan Fest once again returns to the Frozen Faceoff on Friday and Saturday. Fan Fest will run from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. CT outside on both gamedays near Herbie’s on the Park and adjacent to Xcel Energy Center between Washington Street and Kellogg Ave. NCHC Fan Fest will feature ice-cold beverages, tasty food, interactive hockey games and music, along with a big screen to watch the Frozen Faceoff and Minnesota Wild games. Fan Fest is free and open to the public.
Following the games each night, the official NCHC Post-game Party will take place at Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub only two blocks down 7th Street West from Xcel Energy Center. Owned by a former NHL defenseman, fans can enjoy food and drink specials at this signature hockey-themed establishment during the Frozen Faceoff.
Fans traveling to Saint Paul for the Frozen Faceoff can book discounted hotel rooms at select hotels through a special link from Visit Saint Paul here.
For more information on Xcel Energy Center and its fan policies, click here. For the latest Frozen Faceoff news, schedule, videos and more, visit Frozen Faceoff Live.
The NCHC best-of-three quarterfinal series are set for this weekend, Friday through Sunday, with the top four seeds hosting the bottom four seeds. The four series winners advance to the 2022 Frozen Faceoff at Xcel Energy Center. Teams are then reseeded for the semifinal round with semifinal times to be announced on Monday.
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