By @MichaelCaples –
Today, the USA Hockey National Team Development Program released its full 2019-2020 home schedule, with plenty of highlights.
People who visit USA Hockey Arena this season will have the opportunity to see both major NCAA programs and future college hockey stars playing in the USHL.
Each season, the NTDP Under-18 Team – the second year of the two-season program in Plymouth – play a mix of NCAA, USHL and international opponents. Meanwhile, the NTDP Under-17 Team – that group’s first year in Plymouth – plays a schedule filled with USHL and international teams.
This year’s Under-17 Team – the ’03 birth-year class – features nine Michigan names. They will make their debut in Plymouth on Oct. 11.
Special to the 2019-2020 season is that the NTDP Under-18 Team won’t be doing much traveling for the IIHF Under-18 World Championship, which will take place at USA Hockey Arena and the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. The U18 Worlds serves as the concluding event of the two-year program for the NTDP players.
Check out some of the season highlights below for both the U18s and the U17s – tickets go on sale on Aug. 12:
- The NTDP Under-18 Team’s first home game will be against Northern Michigan on Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. in Plymouth.
- The following day, Oct. 6, Notre Dame will come to Plymouth for a Sunday afternoon game at 4 p.m.
- The NTDP Under-17 Team’s first home game will be on Friday, Oct. 11 against USHL rival Muskegon.
- On Wednesday, Nov. 27, the Under-18 Team will play a Thanksgiving Eve game against the Youngstown Phantoms.
- On Wednesday, Dec. 11, the Under-18 Team will play Muskegon at 10:30 a.m.
- A jam-packed end of 2019/start of 2020 features the University of North Dakota coming through Plymouth on Saturday, Dec. 28, followed by Wisconsin at 4 p.m. on New Year’s Day and Boston University on Friday, Jan. 3 at 7 p.m.
- Lake Superior State returns to Plymouth on Friday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.
- The NTDP will celebrate Hockey Week Across America with three U18 games; they will play Dubuque on Thursday, Feb. 20, and then two games with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 23.
- The Under-18 Team will play their last regular-season home game in Plymouth on Friday, April 3.
- The Under-17 Team wraps up the NTDP’s regular-season home schedule with a pair of games against the Green Bay Gamblers on Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11.