Gophers to host 2024 Ice Breaker tourney in Las Vegas

The University of Minnesota men’s hockey team says it will play host to the traditional season-opening tournament next year, but it won’t be held in the state.

Tuesday, the program announced it is hosting the 2024 Men’s Ice Breaker Tournament at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

“We are excited to participate in the 2024 Ice Breaker and take our team to Last Vegas,” said Tom McGinnis, senior associate athletics director at Minnesota. “We look forward to an incredible event and appreciate the opportunity to provide unique experiences like this to our student-athletes.”

Minnesota has hosted the tournament at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis twice in the past, in 1998 and 2013.

It will be the first time the tournament is played in Las Vegas.

The other participants in the event are Air Force Academy, Massachusetts and Omaha.

While it’s not scheduled until Oct. 11-12, 2024, the Gophers say ticket sales for the tournament will start with a pre-sale at noon on Oct. 16, 2023. More information is available online.