Penn State men’s hockey is preparing for a massive weekend series with No. 2 Michigan State, one that culminates in a historic game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, concluding a weekend that will see the club, women’s, and men’s hockey teams play at the stadium that has played host to hundreds of Penn State football victories. It’s the first batch of hockey games in the venue’s history

It’s the third outdoor game in the history of the men’s hockey team. In the team’s final season as the Icers in 2011-12, they played Division III Neumann at Citizens Bank Park as part of the NHL Winter Classic, while the more recent installment was the game against Notre Dame at the Frozen Confines in Wrigley Field in January 2025.

Those games drew 5,000 and 25,000 fans, respectively, but it’s expected to pale in comparison to the over 65,000 hockey fans expected to file into Beaver Stadium on Saturday. Exact ticket sales aren’t known, and the frigid weather may play a role, but it will almost certainly be one of the most attended college hockey games in history.

How high up the list will it be? Here are the 10 most-attended college hockey games of all time.

10. Colorado College-Denver (2016): 35,144

Venue: Coors Field, Denver

Almost every game on this list is between current Big Ten schools, but this one was the highest-attended game in NCHC history, which has been home to three of the last four national champions.

The Mile High City played host to this 4-1 victory by No. 10 Denver. Future NHLer Danton Heinen had a late power play goal to add some key insurance for a Pioneers team that would go on to make the Frozen Four. This was also the highest-attended game in the history of Denver athletics, as the school does not have a football program.

9. 2012 Frozen Fenway: 38,456

Venue: Fenway Park, Boston

Most entries on this list are singular games, but both games played on January 7, 2012, at the home of the Boston Red Sox share the same attendance figure, so they’ll be bunched together. The crowd at Fenway was treated to a pair of overtime thrillers.

Vermont and UMass played the first game, with the Minutemen taking it 3-2 in overtime. The game was heading for an unsatisfactory ending as the seconds ticked down in overtime, but defenseman Michael Marcou buried a power-play goal with 22.3 seconds remaining.

New Hampshire and Maine played the second game of the day and went back and forth in a higher-scoring affair. The Black Bears took a 4-2 lead early in the third on Joey Diamond’s second goal of the game, but the Wildcats scored a pair of goals in the next five minutes to force overtime. In the extra period, Maine prevailed on a Brian Flynn game-winner 90 seconds in.

8. Boston University-Boston College (2010): 38,472

Venue: Fenway Park, Boston

Two years earlier, a pair of Boston institutions played at one of America’s oldest venues and drew exactly 16 more fans. For what it’s worth, Fenway only holds 37,755 for baseball.

On this day, University prevailed over College on a snowy Boston night in January. The Terriers scored the first three goals and held on the rest of the way, pulling off the upset of a top-10 Eagles squad.

7. Ohio State-Wisconsin (2006): 40,890

Venue: Lambeau Field, Green Bay

Lambeau in the winter is a frigid place. Many NFL fans know that very well. In 2006, Ohio State and Wisconsin played a landmark game in the home of the Green Bay Packers in what was, then, the second-most attended college hockey game in history.

Despite both teams currently residing in the Big Ten, they were in separate conferences when they came together on a not-too-cold night in February. The No. 4 Badgers outlasted the Buckeyes, leading from the start on an Adam Burish goal just 23 seconds in.

6. Ohio State-Minnesota (2014): 45,021

Venue: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis

Several of the games on this list were held in the college football venues of the hosting team. The Golden Gophers were no different, hosting Ohio State in 2014 in an extremely low-scoring game.

The only goal all night was by Taylor Cammarata early in the second period. Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick Adam Wilcox had a 21-save shutout for top-ranked Minnesota in a defensive battle in sub-zero wind chill.

5. Michigan-Ohio State (2023): 45,523

Venue: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland

The Game hits the ice. While the animosity between these programs has never reached the level of outright hatred in football, they came together for a neutral-site game in Cleveland for the second time in 12 years, following their 2012 matchup at Progressive Field.

No. 10 Ohio State pulled off the upset over No. 4 Michigan, 4-2. After a scoreless first, goals by Cole McWard and Jake Wise gave the Buckeyes a 2-0 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Both teams would go on to make the NCAA Tournament, but the Wolverines went further, making the Frozen Four by beating Penn State in the Allentown Regional Final.

4. 2013 OfficeMax Hockey City Classic: 52,051

Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago

Like Frozen Fenway, there were two games played consecutively at the home of the Chicago Bears that day. First, No. 3 Miami (OH) squared off with No. 12 Notre Dame, with the Fighting Irish pulling off the upset, 2-1. Mario Lucia and Jeff Costello scored for the victors.

Longtime conference rivals No. 18 Wisconsin and No. 2 Minnesota squared off in the nightcap, and we saw yet another upset. The Badgers stunned the favored Golden Gophers by scoring three goals in 3:20 in the second period to put them in an insurmountable hole.

We hope the ice at Beaver Stadium doesn’t look anywhere near as bad as it did for this game. It looked like they were playing on a frozen pond.

3. Michigan-Wisconsin (2010): 55,031

Venue: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison

Wisconsin is no stranger to these big outdoor games. Neither is Michigan.

The Camp Randall Hockey Classic in February 2010, played on the same night as the two basketball teams played in Ann Arbor, was another tight game. The No. 3 Badgers fell into a 2-1 hole halfway through the third period, but benefited from late penalties by the No. 16 Wolverines.

Detroit Red Wings draft pick Brendan Smith scored two power-play goals, including a game-winner with 1:22 left in the game. That Wisconsin team had a ton of NHL talent, as Derek Stepan also had a pair of assists.

2. Michigan-Michigan State (2001): 74,554

Venue: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing

The outdoor game that started it all. In 2001, the two in-state rivals squared off in the first-ever hockey game to host 70,000 spectators in what was known as the “Cold War”.

Several NHL veterans potted goals, including Duncan Keith, but it was future Atlanta Thrashers forward Jim Slater who scored with 47 seconds left to secure the tie for Michigan State. This game technically counted as a tie, but an optional overtime was played, and Michigan’s Andy Hillbert walked it off.

It’ll be hard for Saturday’s game to top this, but it’s possible.

1. Michigan State-Michigan 5 (2010): 104,173

Venue: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor

Selling out The Big House for hockey is a tremendous achievement. This, to this day, is tied for the highest-attended hockey game in history with the 2014 NHL Winter Classic.

Labeled “The Big Chill at the Big House”, the longtime rivals ran back their 2001 bout, this time on Michigan’s campus. Unlike the Cold War, this one was all Michigan, which decimated the rival Spartans, 5-0.

Jon Merrill and Carl Hagelin both scored twice in the blowout victory for the Wolverines, who would go on to make the national championship game before losing an overtime heartbreaker to Minnesota-Duluth.

This mark is impossible to clear at Beaver Stadium on Saturday. The rough weather conditions and ongoing renovations will kill the dream of a six-figure game, but they have a real shot of getting the No. 2 spot.