POTSDAM — Clarkson University’s men’s and women’s hockey programs have announced their schedules for the 2025-26 season, featuring high-profile non-league opponents and participation in holiday tournaments.

Women’s Program

Head coach Matt Desrosiers enters his 17th season behind the bench, opening with a two-game road series at Merrimack on Sept. 26-27. The Knights will host their home opener the following weekend, welcoming UConn to Cheel Arena on Oct. 3-4.

Clarkson will continue its run against Hockey East opponents the next weekend with a road series at Providence on Oct. 17-18, marking a reunion with former assistant coach Matt Kelly, who helped guide the Knights to their first national championship in 2014.

ECAC play begins on Oct. 24 when Clarkson visits Union for the Knights’ first game at the Dutchmen’s new arena, Mohawk Harbor. Another highlight includes a home-and-home non-league series with St. Lawrence, featuring the third annual North Country Youth Game on Nov. 13 at Cheel with an 11 a.m. puck drop. In 2023, the game drew a record crowd of over 3,000 local students.

The Knights will also travel to the D1 in DC tournament in Washington, D.C. over Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 28-29), featuring a rematch of the 2024 NCAA semifinal against Ohio State, followed by a game against St. Cloud State.

A notable change in ECAC Women’s Hockey this season is the decision to move Championship Weekend away from the top seed’s campus.

Men’s Program

Head coach JF Houle begins his second season with a strong non-league schedule and a return to the Adirondack Invitational in Lake Placid over Thanksgiving. The Knights will open the season at Canisius on Oct. 3, then host Western Ontario in an exhibition at Cheel on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 4 p.m.

Clarkson will then travel to Penn State for a series on Oct. 9-10 before facing RIT at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester on Oct. 18.

The men’s home opener is set for Oct. 24 with a two-game series against North Dakota. Family Weekend follows with matchups against Lake Superior State on Oct. 31 (Halloween) and Michigan Tech on Nov. 1.

Clarkson will open ECAC play on the road against Union on Nov. 7-8, facing former assistant coach Josh Hauge in Union’s new arena. The Knights’ ECAC home opener follows on Nov. 14-15.

A home-and-home series with travel partner St. Lawrence is scheduled for Jan. 23-24. The team will return to Lake Placid for the Adirondack Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend to face UMass Lowell and Alaska Fairbanks. On Dec. 13, the U.S. National U18 Team visits Cheel for the second time in three years.

The Knights aim to return to Lake Placid for the ECAC Championship Weekend, set for March 20-21.