ORONO, Maine – The #15/18 University of Maine men's ice hockey team will travel to face #6 Denver on Friday, Jan. 2 and Saturday, Jan. 3 at Magness Arena.

Puck drop on Friday is set for 9 p.m. ET while Saturday's game is slated for an 8 p.m. ET start.

Both non-conference games will be broadcast on NCHC.TV, with annual, monthly and day pass options available. Every Maine men's hockey game during the 2025-26 season can be listened to on 92.9 FM in Eastern Maine, 100.5 FM in Southern Maine or online via GoBlackBears.com/MIHRadio.

Game 20 | #15/18 Maine at #6 Denver
Friday, Jan. 2, 2026 | 9:00 p.m. ET
Magness Arena | Denver | NCHC.TV

Game 21 | #15/18 Maine at #6 Denver
Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 | 8:00 p.m. ET
Magness Arena | Denver | NCHC.TV

WHAT'S ON TAP
• The University of Maine men's ice hockey team will start the second half of play with a two-game non-conference series at Denver this weekend ... this marks the final regular season non-conference action for Maine.
• The Black Bears last played on Dec. 14, picking up a 7-2 win over Lindenwood to cap a 3-0-0 week to close the semester ... Maine had a 5-4 overtime neutral site win over UMass Lowell on Dec. 10 followed by 5-0 and 7-2 wins against Lindenwood at Alfond Arena.
• The Pioneers last played on Dec. 12 and 13 at St. Cloud State, picking up a 5-1 in on Friday night before falling 4-3 on Saturday night.
• Maine enters the weekend at 11-7-1 overall and 5-2-1 in non-conference play while Denver comes into the series at 12-6-1 overall, including a 7-0-0 mark against ranked opponents.

A WIN ON FRIDAY WOULD. . .
• Move the Black Bears to 12-7-1 on the year and 6-2-1 in non-conference games.
• Bump the Black Bears to 4-2-1 against ranked opponents this season.
• Give Maine a 14-10-0 record in the all-time series with Denver.

SERIES HISTORY vs DENVER
• Maine holds an all-time record of 13-10-0 in the series with Denver after splitting two games in Orono last season.
• Denver picked up a 2-1 win on Jan. 3, 2025 and then Maine responded for a 2-1 win the next night.
• The first ever meeting in the series came on Jan. 4, 1985 at Denver ... Maine dropped a 6-3 contest the first night and a 9-2 game the next night.
• Four current Black Bears have at least one point against the Pioneers, led by Brandon Chabrier's two assists ... Frank Djurasevic scored one goal last year against Denver ... Charlie Russell and Sully Scholle each have an assist.
• Maine and Denver have met twice in the NCAA Tournament ... the Black Bears won a 1995 regional final, 4-2, but fell to Denver, 1-0, in the 2004 national title game.

IT'S WORTH NOTING
• With Josh Nadeau (10-6-16) and Justin Poirier (17-9-26), Maine is one of six schools in the country and the only school in Hockey East to have two double-digit goal scorers.
• Justin Poirier is the first DI men's player since 2005-06 to score 17 goals in their first 19 career games ... his current three-game streak of two goals and one assist outings is the first such streak in the country since Omaha's Taylor Ward during the 2021-22 season.
• Brandon Holt is third in active career scoring by a Hockey East defender, totaling 63 points on 15 goals and 48 assists.
• Since Maine was ranked in both national polls on Oct. 30, 2023, the Black Bears have been ranked in 62 consecutive polls for the longest stretch for the program since an 84-week stretch from Dec. 3, 2001 to Jan. 3, 2005.
• Josh Nadeau's 90 points in his first 91 career games trails only Gustav Nyquist's 110 points among Maine players in their first 91 career games since the 2002-03 season.
• Maine has outshot the opponent in 74 of 94 contests dating back to the start of the 2023-24 season.

UP NEXT
• Maine will return to Hockey East play next weekend with a two-game series at Providence on Friday, Jan. 9 and Saturday, Jan. 10.