By Kyle Ginsbach/Assist. Sports Director/@GinsbachKyle

St. Cloud State Men’s Hockey will kick off their season on Saturday with an exhibition against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The game is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CST puck drop, with KVSC’s coverage beginning 30 minutes before game time. The Huskies will officially start regular season play the following day as they travel to St. Paul to take on the St. Thomas Tommies, with game time set for 5:00 p.m.

Although the contest against the Gophers won’t officially count in the win/loss column, expect both teams to compete as if it does. Former St. Cloud State head coach Bob Motzko has been at the helm for the Gophers since he departed the Huskies in 2018, resulting in a heightened rivalry ever since. The Huskies and Gophers are split at five wins a piece in the last ten contests, with the Huskies record sitting 19-19-6 against the Gophers at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

St. Thomas is a challenge the Huskies have faced to open the season before. Despite boasting a 5-1 all-time record against the Tommies, St. Cloud dropped the season opener against St. Thomas in overtime last year at the Herb. The loss marked the first win in St. Thomas program history over a ranked opponent. This year, St. Thomas comes in as the projected top team in the CCHA as they were selected to finish first in the CCHA by the conference’s coaches. UST is also returning their three leading scorers from the season prior. With the Tommies set to join the NCHC for the 2026-2027 season, they are hoping to prove they’ve made more than just strides since their inaugural season in 2021.

Both games will be on-air 30 minutes prior to puck drop on 88.1 FM KVSC. Brian Moos will handle play-by-play, Alexander Fern will round out the booth on color commentary, and Carl Goenner will be ice-side.