Hockey Halloween Means Full Slate of College Games Across Nation: Puck Drop

Which college hockey program has the most Halloween-like nickname?

Spartans are known for being stoic. Fighting Hawks? Maybe they're intimidating out in the prairie, and there are also River Hawks and RedHawks, none of which could really be called spooky. Wolverines are vicious, and no one ever wants to tango with the Black Bears, although Maine doesn't even wear that color, opting for blue.

A case could be made for Union, which used to be known as the "Dutchmen" before recently changing it to the "Garnet Chargers" in 2023. Most people people believed it simply meant someone from the Netherlands, who as far as know are not undead, and the school claimed it made the change because it originated 100 years ago with journalists trying to come up with someone else to call the athletes other than being from Union, and that it doesn't really reflect the student body.

However, and we admit this is reach, there's a loose tie with "Flying Dutchman," which is a mythical ghost ship doomed to haunt the seas (and now you know where they got it from for the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies). Too bad Union didn't go that route, so we really can't either.

Consequently, the Arizona Sun Devils sort of win by default. At least they wear black on occasion.

All this week, we're profiling schools that you may not know much about, even through they may have winning college hockey programs. While even the most casual fans of the sport may know that the Sun Devils play in the NCHC, they might also wonder how it came into existence.

Hockey began as a sport in the desert the fall of 1983, with pickup games played at Tower Ice Plaza in Central Phoenix, and organized to form a successful club team. Playing at the highest level, 1it qualified for 10 straight ACHA Division I national tournaments and won the 2013–14 title by defeating Robert Morris (another school to make the jump to Division I).

This corresponded with the Winnipeg Jets moving to Arizona in 1996, which sparked youth programs throughout the Phoenix area. One player who came out of the desert was Auston Matthews.

In 2014, Arizona State announced that the Sun Devils would make the jump to Division I. During their third season they made the NCAA Tournament in 2018-19. The next step was to build its own facility, and, ironically, Mullett Arena served as a temporary venue for the Coyotes from 2022 to 2024 before the franchise was moved to Utah.

Players from Arizona State already playing in the NHL include Josh Doan (son of former Coyotes standout Shane Doan), Brinson Pasichnuk and goaltender Joey Daccord, who just had his No. 35 retired by Arizona State.

Arizona State Sun Devils

Conference: National Collegiate Hockey Conference
First season: 2015–16
Head coach: Greg Powers (16th season)
Assistant coaches: Alex Hicks, Albie O'Connell, Dana Borges
Arena: Mullett Arena (capacity 4,600 to 5,000)
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Colors: Maroon and gold
Did You Know? During the 2018-2019 hockey season, the Sun Devils became the fastest start-up program to qualify for the NCAA Division 1 Tournament in NCAA History. They finished the season ranked 10th in the Pairwise rankings.

Puck Drop: Friday, October 31, 2025

Games between ranked opponents are bolded. All times ET.

Friday's Schedule

MEN
AHA
Sacred Heart at Holy Cross, 7 p.m.
Bentley at Mercyhurst, 7 p.m.
Niagara at Robert Morris, 7 p.m.

Big Ten
No. 4 Penn State at No. 17 Ohio State, 6:30 p.m.
No. 2 Michigan at Notre Dame, 7 p.m.

CCHA
Northern Michigan at Augustana, 7 p.m.
Bemidji State at Bowling Green, 7 p.m.
No. 18 Minnesota State at St. Thomas, 8 p.m.

ECAC
RPI at Union, 7 p.m.

Hockey East
No. 5 Boston University at No. 12 Maine, 7 p.m.
Vermont at New Hampshire, 7 p.m.
No. 11 Boston College at Northeastern, 7 p.m.
Mass.-Lowell at No. 16 Providence, 7 p.m.

NCHC
Western Michigan at St. Cloud State, 8 p.m.
Arizona State at Miami, 8 p.m.
No. 10 Minnesota-Duluth at No. 8 North Dakota, 8 p.m.
Omaha at No. 15 Colorado College, 9 p.m.

Non-Conference
Michigan Tech at Clarkson, 7 p.m.
Harvard at No. 9 Connecticut, 7 p.m.
Lindenwood at Ferris State, 7 p.m.
No. 20 Cornell at No. 13 Massachusetts, 7 p.m.
Alaska at Princeton, 7 p.m.
Lake Superior at St. Lawrence. 7 p.m.
RIT at Colgate, 7 p.m.
Alaska-Anchorage at No. 6 Denver, 9 p.m.
Brown at Air Force, 9 p.m.

Exhibition
Maryville at Long Island, 7 p.m.

WOMEN
AHA
Delaware at Mercyhurst, 3 p.m.
Lindenwood at RIT, 3 p.m.
No. 6 Penn State at Robert Morris, 3 p.m.

ECAC
Harvard at No. 9 Clarkson, 3 p.m.
No. 15 Brown at No. 11 Colgate, 3 p.m.
RPI at Princeton, 3 p.m.
Dartmouth at St. Lawrence, 3 p.m.
Union at No. 7 Quinnipiac, 5 p.m.
No. 14 Yale at No. 4 Cornell, 6 p.m.

Hockey East
Boston College at Vermont, 11 a.m.
Maine at Providence, 2 p.m.
New Hampshire at Merrimack, 4 p.m.
No. 12 Northeastern at Boston University, 6 p.m.

NEWHA
Stonehill at LIU, 3 p.m.
Sacred Heart at Saint Anselm, 4 p.m.
Assumption at Franklin Pierce, 7 p.m.
Post at Saint Michael’s 7 p.m.

WCHA
No. 5 Minnesota-Duluth at No. 10 St. Cloud State, 3 p.m.
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 13 St. Thomas, 3 p.m.
No. 3 Minnesota at No. 1 Wisconsin, 7 p.m.
Bemidji State at Minnesota State, 7 p.m.

This Date in Hockey History:

October 31, 1887: Hall of Fame center Newsy Lalonde was born in Cornwall, Ontario.

October 31, 1967: Colgate goaltender Dave Gagnon was born in Windsor, Ontario.

October 31, 1980: Michigan Tech center Chris Durno was born in Scarborough, Ontario.

October 31, 1981: Minnesota center Aaron Broten scored his first NHL goal with the Colorado Rockies during a 6-4 victory over the Washington Capitals.

October 31, 1982: UMass right wing Matt Anderson was born in West Islip, N.Y.

October 31, 1985: Former Minnesota right wing Bryan Erickson was traded from Washington to the Los Angeles Kings for Bruce Shoebottom.

October 31, 1987: Nick Foligno, who played in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and has played in three world championships, was born in Buffalo.

October 31, 1989: Former Boston College left wing Kevin Steves notched his first NHL hat trick, but the Pittsburgh Penguins still ended up losing to the visiting Los Angeles Kings, 8-4.

October 31, 1993: Former Minnesota defenseman Tom Pederson scored at 1:47 of overtime to give the San Jose Sharks their first road victory of the 1993-94 season, 2-1 over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

October 31, 1995: Former Boston College defenseman Brian Leetch had two assists to reach 500 career points as the New York Rangers won at San Jose 5-3.

October 31, 1996: Boston University center Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson was born in Stockholm, Sweden.

October 31, 2022: Former UConn center Tage Thompson had a hat trick and three assists to become the fourth player in Buffalo Sabres history to have six points in a game.

Hockey Quote of the Day

“Canadian hockey fans ... They boo me every time I go anywhere. Because I play for Team USA.”
Brett Hull

We'll Leave You With This ...

Korpi is ready for the game on Halloween.

Are you? #UBeforeMe pic.twitter.com/uqwb7Pvexq
— Union College Men's Hockey (@Unionmhockey) October 27, 2025