“We’re looking forward to the first games of the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games getting underway on Wednesday with five contests on tap in Potsdam and Canton,” said Rick Patzke, Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games head of sport. “These are the first FISU World University Games’ hockey games since 2019, and the Organizing Committee is equally as excited as the players.”

Hungary and Slovakia will open men’s ice hockey play at 1 p.m. at Cheel Arena, on the Clarkson University Campus. Hungary will look to improve upon their ninth-place finish in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, while Slovakia enters play as the reigning FISU World University Games silver medalists.

The United States men take on Great Britain, at 8 p.m. Led by Hobart College head coach Mark Taylor the U.S. squad is composed entirely of NCAA Div. III players, 12 players are from eastern universities and colleges and 11 are from western universities.

SUNY Canton’s Roos House will also feature men’s ice hockey action when Japan faces off against Latvia, at 4:30 p.m. During the Krasnoyarsk 2019 FISU World University Games, Latvia skated to a sixth-place result, while Japan finished 11th in the 12-team field.

Great Britain and the Czech Republic open the women’s ice hockey tournament when they face off at SUNY Potsdam’s Maxcy Hall, at 4:30 p.m.. The Czech Republic is making its FISU World University Games women’s ice hockey debut, while Great Britain last played in 2017 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Finally, Team Canada, winners of three straight silver medals, take to the ice against Slovakia, at 8 p.m. Slovakia’s only medal, bronze, was claimed in 2011.

The FISU World University Games is the world’s largest multi-sporting event for collegiate-athletes, ages 17-25. The Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games feature 1,443 collegiate-athletes from more than 540 universities, across 46 countries. The competition consists of 12 winter sports and 85 medal events contested throughout Canton, Potsdam, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Wilmington and North Creek.

The top four men’s and women’s ice hockey teams will advance to play in Lake Placid’s newly renovated 1980 Herb Brooks Arena at the famed Olympic Center, site of the “Miracle on Ice.” The men’s semifinals are Jan. 21, and the Jan. 22 gold medal game will be broadcast live on ESPN.

The women’s semifinals are slated for Jan. 20 and the finals on Jan. 21. The gold medal game will be aired live on ESPNU.

For more information about the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games or to purchase tickets, visit www.lakeplacid2023.com.