Tech Hockey will Play in Ice Vegas Invitational in January
LAS VEGAS – Michigan Tech will play in the inaugural Ice Vegas Invitational on January 5-6, 2018 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The first-ever college hockey tournament at T-Mobile Arena, the home of the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights, will also feature Arizona State, Boston College, and Northern Michigan.
"Las Vegas is quickly transforming from a purely entertainment mecca to one of the world's destination locations for sports as well," said Brooks Downing, president of bd Global, who will promote the event. "We are excited to partner with T-Mobile Arena to bring the best teams in college hockey to Las Vegas each year as the new era of hockey in the Valley begins this fall."
Dan Quinn, General Manager of T-Mobile Arena, said, "We are thrilled to host the Ice Vegas Invitational next January in what will be the first Division 1 college hockey games played in T-Mobile Arena. Having the opportunity to be the home of the NHL's new Vegas Golden Knights starting this fall, along with being the site for this collegiate hockey tournament, makes T-Mobile Arena the premier destination for sports fans worldwide. We look forward to a successful tournament."
The four teams in the field represent some of the best in college hockey with a combined nine national championships and 38 Frozen Four appearances.
"We're excited to be in this tournament. I know our players, fans, and alumni are really looking forward to it," said Michigan Tech AD Suzanne Sanregret. "It's great to be able to help grow college hockey out west with tournaments like this. We were fortunate to play in the Arizona State tournament a couple years ago and our alumni really came out to support the Huskies. I think we'll have another good turnout in Las Vegas, and we're excited to bring Michigan Tech Hockey to our alumni and fans in the West."
Boston College coach Jerry York said, "We are always thrilled to showcase our program in new and exciting parts of the country against some of the top talent across the nation. We are honored to be a part of this tournament and excited to get there."
Arizona State coach Greg Powers added, "We are very much looking forward to exposing the growing Vegas hockey market to NCAA Division I hockey. Being the only Division I program in the Southwest, it is important for us to try and gain as much exposure in this region as possible. Top that with being able to play two games against other great programs in the new T-Mobile Arena, this tournament will certainly be one of our season's highlights."
"We are honored to participate in the inaugural Ice Vegas Invitational," said new Northern Michigan coach Grant Potulny. "We look forward to bringing Northern Michigan hockey to Las Vegas and are excited for the opportunity to play at the state-of-the-art T-Mobile Arena. With the Wildcats, Arizona State, Boston College and Michigan Tech in the field, this tournament will give Las Vegas and the surrounding areas an exciting look at college hockey."
The Ice Vegas Invitational seeks to capture the excitement for hockey in Las Vegas as the new Vegas Golden Knights take the NHL ice for the first time next season. More than 9,000 local fans recently attended a hockey "open house" at T-Mobile Arena and the franchise has sold nearly 14,000 season tickets.
Ticket and hotel information for fans will be released at a later date and will be available at www.icevegasinvitational.com and on Twitter at @IceVegasInv.