Penn State men’s hockey is on a 42-day break halfway through the season, the longest break in program history. 

Due to the 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and the Spengler Cup, the team is paused for these events. It’s a much longer break than most teams are taking — Michigan last played on December 6 and will resume on January 3. The same goes for most teams in the Big Ten.

So the question arises, will this gap make or break the season for the Nittany Lions?

Let’s recap the first half of the season for Penn State.

The Nittany Lions are currently 11-5-0 and 4-4-0 in the Big Ten. They swept Arizona State to start the season, which was ranked No. 14 at the time. The rest of the non-conference games were swept, except for the home opener loss against Clarkson. 

The Nittany Lion sweep of Ohio State suggested a strong start in conference play, yet the loss of Aiden Fink in game one proved costly.

The hole Fink left was evident as the Michigan State Spartans swept the Nittany Lions, with the team then struggling against Michigan and Minnesota. 

Head coach Guy Gadowsky emphasized that wins are never guaranteed in college hockey, but warned that talent alone is not a sustainable formula for success. 

“Every win in college hockey is tough. Like, every single win should be celebrated,” Gadowsky said. “But it’s a little bit dangerous right now that we’re relying on talent. That’s not what wins college hockey games. College hockey is playoffs, and it’s always about grit and compete.”

Gadowsky also pointed to tempo as a key missing element.

“Tempo isn’t like it should be,” he said. “It shouldn’t be one line and then another line. It should be continuous waves. That’s how we’re at our best, and we’re struggling to find that.”

However, the team’s leadership is still where it should be, according to Gadowsky. 

“That’s the heart of leadership, accountability while being positive. It’s very difficult to do, and I think they’re doing it very, very well.”

The locker room agrees with their head coach.

Freshman Shea Van Olm shared the mentality within the team between the Michigan games. 

“There was a shift in mentality in between games,” Van Olm said. “Getting swept by Michigan State, we were backed up against it. I think that was a huge motivator.”

That edge that fired them up, he said, is part of the team’s identity.

“We want to be hated and have a target on our backs. If the roles were reversed, other teams would do the same. That’s just part of the game.”

Even with the lineup changing and the search for establishing the identity, Gavin McKenna said the group’s closeness has kept everyone ready.

“Anything can happen,” McKenna said. “Guys are always ready to step up. We’re a really close group, so guys want to be ready when needed.”

Now, Penn State sits in the rare position of having more than a month to recover, reset, and regroup. The break brings opportunity for rest and the possibility of refined chemistry, but it also risks dulling the edge that fuels consistency in conference play, something the team needs. 

The Nittany Lions’ return from the break will also bring the return of two key pieces. Cade Christenson and Fink are both expected to be back in the lineup when the Nittany Lions resume play.

With a .500 conference record at the break, Penn State remains firmly in the middle of the Big Ten standings. The second half of the season offers little margin for error as the team looks to find its way back in the Frozen Four. The extended layoff gives Penn State something few teams will have: time.

Time to heal. Time to regroup. Time to rebuild chemistry before the stretch run begins.

Whether that time becomes an advantage or an obstacle will be answered when the Nittany Lions finally return to the ice against RIT.