2026 Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off Teams, Details Announced
Wisconsin hosts a new-look Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off featuring top talent. Catch the action December 29-30 at Fiserv Forum.
The 2026 rendition of the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off will feature two new faces, and one that will be making its first appearance since 2023, a holiday showcase hosted by Wisconsin at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI. The Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off will return on Dec. 29-30 in Milwaukee.
Wisconsin, Arizona State, UMass, and Northern Michigan are the participants this season. — Mike McMahon (@MikeMcMahonCHN) April 7, 2026 The four teams for 2026? The host Wisconsin, Arizona State of the NCHC, Massachusetts of Hockey East, and Northern Michigan of the CCHA.
The tournament last year had the same four conference pattern, with the NCHC representative Western Michigan winning the classic over Wisconsin, while Hockey East Boston College beat the CCHA’s Lake Superior State for third place. In the seventh edition of the holiday face-off, Northern Michigan and Arizona State will each make their first appearance in a highly sought-after opportunity. The dates will make a slight change, where what was originally played on a Sunday followed by a Monday Championship, turns into a Tuesday to Wednesday adjustment.
Semifinal play will take place on Tuesday, December 29, with the Championship game and third-place game on Wednesday, December 30 instead. The holiday tournament is a great showing for the Midwest, as Fiserv Forum reeled in a total of 15,279 fans this past year over the course of two days. The host, Wisconsin, is actively in a Frozen Four run.