Penn State men’s hockey is back, and another exciting season is right around the corner.

The No. 17 Nittany Lions will kick off their season against No. 16 UConn at 7 p.m. on Friday in the Ice Breaker Tournament. With plenty of new faces on the roster and another challenging schedule ahead, Penn State hopes to make some more noise on the national stage.

A few of Onward State’s resident hockey experts decided to put their knowledge to the test and make some predictions for the season ahead. Here’s what we think is in store for the Nittany Lions.

Ryan McInerney: 25-10-1 (15-8-1 Big Ten)

Penn State has a good chance to stack up wins early in the season before the heart of Big Ten play. That’s not to say the non-conference schedule will be easy, especially with UConn and Quinnipiac right off the bat, but I think the Nittany Lions can take advantage of it.

Once Big Ten play gets going, I think Michigan and Michigan State will give Penn State the most trouble. Both teams are loaded with talent, and I think the Nittany Lions would be fortunate to take one game from each. Wisconsin is another team that worries me, but I think those series will be competitive.

Even factoring those losses, I think Penn State will have done enough to finish in the top four of the Big Ten and put itself in a good position heading into the postseason. Do I think the Nittany Lions will win the conference? Probably not. Michigan and Michigan State are still the teams to beat, but Penn State has enough talent to put together another strong season.

Michael Zeno: 19-5-2 (10-12-2 Big Ten)

The Nittany Lions have a relatively light non-conference slate, so the real challenge will come in Big Ten play. How quickly can the new guys gel? What growing pains will there be? 

They likely won’t contend this year, but a resume like this will give them a fighting chance on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Alex Smith 20-16 (15-9 Big Ten)

I am kind of in the middle on this season. I honestly think Penn State will be average this year. I have mid-tier expectations for the team and would welcome a surprise!

They have the talent to be phenomenal, but after the letdown last season, they have a lot to prove

Brian Kriley 23-9-4 (13-8-3 Big Ten)

Despite much roster turnover from last year, I think the Nittany Lions are in great shape for this upcoming season.

I predict they will dominate much of their non-conference schedule and perform similarly to how they did in Big Ten play last year. This Penn State team is still plenty talented, even though most of last season’s top scorers are no longer on the roster.

Fans will have much to cheer for when this team packs Pegula.

Jamie Lynch 19-14-3 (13-8-3 Big Ten)

Guy Gadowsky promised a team that would be “extremely fast, aggressive. We play to score, and we’re very creative,” so I’m looking forward to seeing if the Nittany Lions can deliver.

Penn State enters 2026 with a young group of skaters, albeit a talented one. Transfers like Caeden Herrington and Justin Porier will no doubt bolster a roster that underwent major changes this offseason.

It’s hard to predict how the blue and white will perform this year, but I think Dane Dowiak and Reese Laubach lead a strong group that will help guide the team through any potential growing pains.