Penn State Hockey opens season on October 7 at 7:00pm against the Canisius Golden Griffins.

The Griffins play out of the Atlantic Hockey conference, filled with reams ranging from the Northeastern part of the United States. Cumulative record for Canisius last season was (16-16-3) compared to the Nittany Lions‘ (17-20-1) 2021-22 campaign.

Although overall records might not do the Lions justice, consider the competitiveness of the Big Ten each season, compared to the Atlantic Hockey conference.

Out of the 16 teams that made the frozen four national tournament last season, 25% of them were from the Big Ten.

Penn State Hockey looks to gain momentum in the win column over the first few weeks of the season, before
the first conference matchup against Wisconsin on October 25.

Here’s everything you need to know about Penn State Hockey vs. Canisius

Key Players to Watch

Kevin Wall (Penn State)

Wall has a good six-foot frame for a winger, averaging (0.86) points per game last season.

It wouldn’t be surprising if he surpasses his career-high in goals (8) from last year.

Penn State Hockey head coach Guy Gadowsky will be looking for new leaders, expect Wall to eat up ice time.

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Paul DeNaples (Penn State)

The current captain of the Nittany Lions, Paul DeNaples shows as a reliable D-man and veteran on the team.

DeNaples is a shot blocking machine and is tied for first all time in the Penn State Hockey record book with a plus 50 rating. He is the kind of player that reminds the average hockey fan, defense wins championships.

Keaton Mastrodonato (Canisius College)

During the 2021-2022 season, Keaton led the Griffins with (11 goals, 15 assists) for a total of 26 points in 30 games played. He was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award Nominee last season and should continue to be the Griffins biggest offensive threat.

 

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