SAINT PAUL, Minn. – While the action on the ice at Xcel Energy Center will certainly keep fans entertained, there will be plenty of other events for those attending the 2023 National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Frozen Faceoff in Saint Paul to enjoy, as well, during the weekend of Thursday, March 16 through Saturday, March 18.

The Frozen Faceoff semifinals will take place on Friday, March 17 at 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. CT, with the Championship game on Saturday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. CT. In addition to the NCHC hockey, the Minnesota Wild will host the Boston Bruins on Championship Saturday at 1:00 p.m. CT, giving fans the opportunity to take in NHL action on Frozen Faceoff weekend. All-session and single-day tickets to the 2023 Frozen Faceoff are on sale 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 16, 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, they will be shared on NCHChockey.com and social media.

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.

Later on Thursday night, the Conference will host its annual NCHC Awards Celebration at the St. Paul Event Center (400 Wabasha St. N Suite 320), when the Conference will announce its individual award winners. Parents and guests of participating teams and individual award winners may purchase tickets to the NCHC Awards Celebration by RSVPing to Verna Toller (vtoller@nchchockey.com) by Monday, March 13 at 5 p.m. CT. Tickets are $30 per person and payment can be made at the event by cash or check. Fans and family members not in attendance can watch the event live for free on NCHC.tv. The Awards Celebration begins at 5:15 p.m. CT with doors opening at 4:45 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, with St. Patrick’s Day festivities also taking place on Friday, March 17. Featuring music, tasty food and drink, interactive hockey games and more, Fan Fest will take place on Friday from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. CT and Saturday from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. CT outdoors at The Apostle Supper Club (253 Kellogg Blvd.) across West 7th Street from Xcel Energy Center. Fan Fest is free and open to the public.

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.

Saint Paul has served as the NCHC’s home since 2018, bringing together a premier hockey town and a premier college hockey conference. In an effort to show gratitude for our host community, the NCHC is partnering with Saint Paul Public Schools and Project REACH to promote school stability and academic success of homeless children and youth. Throughout the NCHC Frozen Faceoff, Project REACH will be accepting donations of winter gear (socks, base layers, gloves, etc.) at the NCHC Fan Fest hosted by The Apostle Supper Club. They will also be accepting on-line donations through an Amazon wish list.

For more information on Xcel Energy Center and its fan policies, including bag policy, click here. For the latest Frozen Faceoff news, schedule, videos and more, visit NCHChockey.com and follow the NCHC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The NCHC Tournament gets underway this weekend with four best-of-three quarterfinal series, Friday through Sunday, with the top four seeds hosting the bottom four seeds. All quarterfinal games can be seen live on NCHC.tv. The four series winners advance to the 2023 Frozen Faceoff at Xcel Energy Center. Teams are then reseeded for the semifinal round with semifinal times to be announced on Monday.