A pair of Big Ten teams meet up on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1 for a pair of back-to-back contests to close out their regular season as the No. 2 Minnesota Golden Gophers visit the No. 16 Penn State Nittany Lions at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa.
The Friday game is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. EST and the Saturday game is set for 8 p.m. EST and both will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. Fans looking to watch this college hockey game can do so for free by using FuboTV (up to $25 off first month) or DirecTV Stream, which both offer a free trial. SlingTV doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available for streaming the game.
Penn State is currently fifth in the conference with the Big Ten Tournament around the corner and the Nittany Lions could jump up to fourth, where the No. 11 Michigan Wolverines currently sit with a 2-point advantage.
The Golden Gophers have the top spot in the conference and are 2 points up on the No. 3 Michigan State Spartans. Minnesota is 14-5-3 in Big Ten games and 23-7-4 overall.
Who: No. 2 Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. No. 16 Penn State Nittany Lions
When: Friday Feb. 28 at 8:30 p.m. EST and Saturday, March 1 at 8 p.m. EST
Where: Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa.
Stream: FuboTV (free trial); Sling; DirecTV Stream
Betting: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
What is DirecTV Stream?
DirecTV Stream is an internet TV service that offers your favorite entertainment, news and sports channels, as well as local TV stations and regional sports networks. DirecTV Stream can be purchased for $79.98/month for your first two months when you sign up for the ENTERTAINMENT package and add DIRECTV Sports Pack.
What is FuboTV?
FuboTV is a streaming service that has made a significant mark in the United States live sports market. It offers a range of pricing plans: The basic plan, the “Pro” package, provides an assortment of channels, including sports, news, and entertainment options like Showtime for $79.99 per month.
What is SlingTV?
Here’s what you can watch on Sling TV, with plans starting at $40: Baseball (MLB), Basketball (NBA, NCAAB), Combat Sports (Boxing, UFC, MMA), Football (NCAAF, NFL), Golf, Hockey, Motorsports, Olympics, Soccer, Tennis and Wrestling.
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NHL union, Boston College announce program to help players go back to school and finish their degree
By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer
NHL players who want to complete their college degrees will have a smoother pathway thanks to an agreement announced Wednesday between their union and Boston College.
The deal would ease the way for current and former players to graduate from BC’s Woods College of Advancing Studies, an arm of the university that offers flexible routes to certificates and degrees for non-traditional students. Among the alums: NHL Players Association executive director Marty Walsh.
“It allowed me the opportunity to get a college degree,” the former Boston mayor and U.S. secretary of labor said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I went to school with people that were undergrads, that went to school at BC, taking class at night. And I was (also) in class with people in their 70s. Which is amazing.”
Woods College Dean David Goodman said the agreement is “the next evolution of a relationship that was already there,” by removing “some of the friction” that might have prevented players from going back to school. It will make it easier for potential students to transfer previously earned credits, as one example, he said.
Josh Jooris, who played three years at Union College before earning his first NHL contract with the Calgary Flames, is currently enrolled. Brooks Orpik, who played three years for the Eagles before an NHL career in which he won two Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins, returned to school after he retired and earned his degree in 2022.
“I had promised a lot of people, including my parents and former BC hockey coach Jerry York, that I would finish college at some point,” Orpik said. “The feeling of pride I had was just so different than anything, athletically, I have accomplished.”
Goodman said the students can study online, on-campus or hybrid. The new agreement doesn’t have a limit on the number of players it can accept, but Goodman said he expects “a couple of dozen”; if there are more, the school would add sections to accommodate them, he said.
The NHLPA agreement with BC comes the same week as the Major League Baseball Players Association announced a similar deal with Syracuse. Walsh said he hadn’t talked to his baseball counterparts about it.
“We all have programs,” said NHLPA head, who needed more than 10 years, taking one or two classes per semester, to get his degree while he was working full-time, including as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
“We’re a union that represents our workers on the on the ice and through to collective bargaining,” he said. “But we also want to make sure that we’re preparing these players, that when their careers are over, that they’re set up for success going forward, too.”
The NHL says more than a third of its players played college hockey in the U.S. or Canada, with the majority of those leaving school before getting their degrees. Both Goodman and Walsh noted that even players who go on to a successful NHL career would likely retire in their 30s, leaving a long worklife ahead of them.
“These players are typically scooped up in their first two years,” Goodman said. “When they come back after having been successful, coming back to one’s education is not necessarily a sexy move. But it’s finishing something they once started.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
