Inaugural Capital Hockey Classic features games between Penn State, Army and Navy at Capital One Arena

The Washington Capitals aren't the only hockey team playing at Capital One Arena in December.

Monumental Sports & Entertainment announced Wednesday the creation of the Capital Hockey Classic. The inaugural event is a doubleheader set for Thursday, Dec. 12, featuring a matchup between Army and Navy club hockey teams and Army and Penn States Division I programs. The games come just days before the Army-Navy rivalry football game at Commanders Field on Dec. 14.

The Capital Hockey Classic was founded just weeks after Alex Limoges became the first Penn State University hockey player to win the Calder Cup as a member of the Hershey Bears.

Penn State ready for battle @ArmyWP_Hockey in the country's capital on Thursday, December 12, 2024!!

https://t.co/axlBjC26zr#We are #HockeyValley photo.twitter.com/hRx3UZD2xb

— Penn State Men's Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) July 17, 2024

“It’s truly an honor to be a part of the first-ever Capital Hockey Classic,” Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky said in a statement. “The Army-Navy football game is an annual spectacle and adding a hockey component to this special weekend is a great opportunity. I’m excited that we can expand our Hockey Valley community to the DMV area, an area we haven’t been to in our short history, but one with a large alumni base. We know there will be a lot of Blue & White support in DC! We are!”

More information about the event, including show times and ticket information, will be released in the coming months.

Here is the full press release from Monumental Sports & Entertainment:

Monumental Sports & Entertainment presents the first Capital Hockey Classic at Capital One Arena

First college hockey doubleheader of its kind debuts in December with Army, Navy and Penn State in the nation's capital

WASHINGTON, DC (July 17, 2024) – Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) today announced that the inaugural Capital Hockey Classic, an exciting college hockey doubleheader at Capital One Arena, will make its debut this winter. The first game of the event will take place on Thursday, December 12, and will feature a matchup between Army and Navy club hockey teams, followed by a matchup between Army and Penn States Division I programs.

This celebration of hockey talent from two U.S. military academies and the Big Tens' Penn State University takes place in downtown Washington, DC, just days before the Army-Navy rival football game on December 14 at Commanders Field.

“We are thrilled to welcome college hockey back to Capital One Arena,” said Jim Van Stone, President of Business Operations and Chief Commercial Officer at MSE. “It’s an honor to host this college hockey show prior to the iconic Army-Navy football game, allowing fans to witness this legendary rivalry on the ice and then watch two top Division I teams compete. The military is an integral part of our Washington, D.C.-area community and Monumental Sports & Entertainment has a long history of harnessing the power of sports to make a lasting difference in the lives of those who serve our country.”

Capital One Arena, which previously hosted the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four, is home to the NHL’s Washington Capitals. Alongside their ownership organization, MSE, the Capitals have remained committed to growing and improving the game of hockey, from youth clinics and camps to community programming to talent development with their AHL affiliate team and 13-time Calder Cup champions, the Hershey Bears.

Game times, ticket information and additional details about the Capital Hockey Classic will be available in the coming months at capitalonearena.com.

Hockey has long been a staple of athletics at the West Point campus of the United States Military Academy, with the hockey program originally established in 1904. Since then, the program has become one of the most recognizable brands in college hockey with over 1,200 victories to its credit at various levels of evolution in the college game. The Riley family has led the program since 1951, when legendary 1960 gold medal-winning USA Hockey Coach Jack Riley took the reins. From there, his son Rob served as head coach from 1986-2004 before hiring Rob’s brother, Brian Riley, who is now in his 21st season as head coach. Army was a founding member of the Atlantic Hockey Association, which just ended its 21-year run at the Division I level and is poised to enter a new era as “Atlantic Hockey America” following the merger with College Hockey America this summer.

We are excited to have the opportunity to play in the Capital Hockey Classic against Penn State, said Army head coach Brian Riley. We know there are a lot of alumni and Army fans in that area, so it will be a great opportunity to bring the Army Hockey Team to an area where we have never played before. There will be a lot of energy with the Army-Navy Football Game on Saturday and this will be a great way to start the weekend with Army vs. Penn State on the ice.

Penn State will enter its 13th season as a Division I program in 2024-25 after being promoted to collegiate status prior to the 2012-13 campaign. The Nittany Lions earned the 200th win in program history last season and have posted five 20+ win seasons over the past nine years, leading to two Big Ten Championships (2017, 2020) and three NCAA Tournament berths (2017, 2018, 2023). Before being promoted to Division I status, Penn State competed in the ACHA from 1971 to 2012 and won seven national titles, including a run of four in a row from 2000 to 2003. This is the third meeting between Penn State and Army in the past four seasons and the second straight year the teams have met after the Nittany Lions overcame a four-goal deficit to win 7-6 at Hockey Valley in January. Penn State is 4-0-0 all-time against the Black Knights in the current era. The Nittany Lions are poised to return to Allentown and the NCAA Tournament when the puck drops in October after finishing the 2023-24 season at 15-18-3.

“It’s truly an honor to be a part of the first-ever Capital Hockey Classic,” said Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky. “The Army-Navy football game is an annual spectacle and adding a hockey component to this special weekend is a great opportunity. I’m excited that we can expand our Hockey Valley community to the DMV area, an area we haven’t been to in our short history, but one with a large alumni base. We know there will be a lot of Blue & White support in DC! We are!”

Navy Club Hockey competes in Division 1 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) as a member of the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA). Navy won the ECHA Championship in 2022 and was undefeated in 2023, advancing to the ACHA National Tournament each year. Navy is coached by Kevin Rooney, who just completed his 8th season leading the Midshipmen.

The Navy Hockey Team is excited to continue the great legacy of the Army-Navy game, Rooney said. As the best of the best student-athletes and leaders, the rivalry is historic and provides an extreme level of competition that can only be found in an event like this. Additionally, it is an incredible opportunity to join other hockey teams and Navy Football in the entire Army-Navy legacy weekend. We will be ready to make it happen for this intense weekend of hockey at the legendary home of the NHL’s Washington Capitals!