Penn State men's hockey starts its season on Oct. 3 on the road at Arizona State. According to the USCHO Preseason Poll, the Nittany Lions are the fifth best team in the country heading into the 2025-26 season. The USA Hockey Men's Poll Preseason results agree.
Penn State hockey is No. 5 on USA Hockey Poll
The USA Hockey poll released on Monday, Sept, 29 just days away from the beginning of the 2025-26 season. Unsurprisingly, the reigning national champions Western Michigan remained in the No. 1 spot. Now getting put up there with some of the best programs in college hockey, though, is Penn State who ranked above Boston College and earned one first-place vote as well in the preseason poll.
It's a new era for the Nittany Lions' program. They have a stacked roster filled with Canadian Hockey League talent and can seriously compete in a talented Big Ten conference. They're the second-highest ranked Big Ten team on the USA Hockey poll, two spots behind Michigan State who sits at No. 3. Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin are the other in-conference teams ranked in the preseason. The only team that isn't ranked from the Big Ten is Notre Dame.
Six ranked teams out of seven is impressive. Whether they all remain in the top 20 by the end of the season is uncertain. One thing is for certain, though: Big Ten hockey is on the rise and will be entertaining to watch unfold in 2025-26.
Puck drop against the Sun Devils is slated for 9 pm. ET on Friday and game two of the series will start at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday. Arizona State is currently No. 14 on both polls, accounting for ties in the USA Hockey poll as well. The first home game at Pegula Ice Arena for the Nittany Lions is Thursday, Oct. 9 against Clarkson.
The full USA Hockey Men's Poll Preseason results here: