We’re months away from hockey season, let alone football season. But today’s full 2016-17 regular season schedule release is sure to cure those offseason blues and inspire happy thoughts of sold-out Pegula Ice Arena and all its magic.

For the second year in a row, the Nittany Lions will host the annual International Game — an exhibition match against a foreign program. This year’s opponent will be Queen’s University of Ontario, Canada to kick off the regular season on Oct. 2. Following the international exhibition, the Lions host St. Lawrence for a two-game home opener series on Oct. 6 and 7 in what figures to be an electric Pegula atmosphere.

After a trip to Mercyhurst on Oct. 14 — the first time both programs face each other — the Lions depart to South Bend, Ind. for a two-game matchup against powerhouse Notre Dame, who fell to Michigan in last year’s NCAA Regional round.

Closing out the month of October and continuing into November is a lengthy homestand against Canisius, Niagara, and Alaska Anchorage before welcoming Arizona State to the Pegula’s friendly confines on Nov. 18 and 19 for the first time in history. The matchup might seem unappealing to the casual fan, but the series figures to be a fun one given Arizona State’s youth as a program. The Sun Devils — a school known for sports other than hockey, much like Penn State once was — entered Division I competition last season. In its inaugural season, the team lost, and lost frequently, much like Penn State did during its rocky rookie season. But the Sun Devils’ program is one bursting with energy as head coach Greg Powers tries to ascend up the proverbial college hockey ladder much like Nittany Lion head man Guy Gadowsky did before him.

Conference play begins on Dec. 1 vs. Michigan after Thanksgiving break, but the Lions will interrupt their Big Ten slate for a Jan. 28 meeting with Princeton at the Wells Fargo Center, the fifth consecutive season Penn State will play at the renowned arena.

The schedule can be seen in its entirety here, with dates and times to be determined as we get closer to the start of the regular season.