The 2026 rendition of the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off will feature two new faces, and one that will be making its first appearance since 2023, a holiday showcase hosted by Wisconsin at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI. The four teams for 2026? The host Wisconsin, Arizona State of the NCHC, Massachusetts of Hockey East, and Northern Michigan of the CCHA. The tournament last year had the same four conference pattern, with the NCHC representative Western Michigan winning the classic over Wisconsin, while Hockey East Boston College beat the CCHA’s Lake Superior State for third place. In the seventh edition of the holiday face-off, Northern Michigan and Arizona State will each make their first appearance in a highly sought-after opportunity. The dates will make a slight change, where what was originally played on a Sunday followed by a Monday Championship, turns into a Tuesday to Wednesday adjustment. Semifinal play will take place on Tuesday, December 29, with the Championship game and third-place game on Wednesday, December 30 instead. The holiday tournament is a great showing for the Midwest, as Fiserv Forum reeled in a total of 15,279 fans this past year over the course of two days. The host, Wisconsin, is actively in a Frozen Four run. They will play North Dakota this Thursday in Las Vegas for a shot at a seventh title in program history. Talent will be on hand, as UMass is just coming off of a slim NCAA tournament miss, while Arizona State and Northern Michigan will have high hopes to bounce back from underwhelming seasons this year.
