Gophers men's hockey was thrown into the Big Ten deep end in their first series after winter break against No. 9 Penn State on the road. They struggled on Friday night with a 3-0 shutout loss.

The Golden Gophers men's hockey team got goals from Brodie Ziemer and Javon Moore but could not earn the series split, falling 5-2 at No. 9 Penn State Saturday night inside Pegula Ice Arena.

Minnesota Wild fourth-liner Ben Jones found himself in some unfamiliar territory late Saturday, as a crowd of media packed in around his locker stall for postgame interviews. The extra attention was warranted, as a few hours earlier, Jones had scored a goal in a NHL game for the first time.

The New York Islanders spent an off day at Anders Lee’s house in Minnesota and laced up the skates on the pond. Photos by Tyler Brosious/New York Islanders

From the frozen ponds and lakes to the packed indoor rinks serving as community hubs, hockey is uniquely celebrated and cherished in Minnesota like no other state in the country.

The third-ranked Minnesota women’s hockey team led, then trailed, then rallied for victory in a 4-3 win at No. 12 Minnesota State University in Mankato.

The University of Minnesota men's hockey team suffered a 3-0 shutout on the road at No. 9 Penn State Friday night from Pegula Ice Arena in its first test of the 2026 calendar year.

There are eight players with Minnesota ties on the women's team, including Gophers forward Abbey Murphy, Frost stars Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle, Kelly Pannek, Kendall Coyne-Schofield, Lee Stecklein, and Britta Curl-Salemme, and Ottawa Charge standout Rory Guilday.