Acrisure Arena, home to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds, an affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, will host the Coachella Valley Cactus Cup 2025 men’s college hockey series.
Holy Cross, UMass Lowell, Michigan Tech and Omaha will play in Palm Springs, Calif., next Jan. 3-4.
The event starts Jan. 3 with Holy Cross taking on Omaha at 3:30 p.m. and Michigan Tech playing UMass Lowell at 7 p.m. PT. The action continues Jan. 4, with two more games starting at the same times. The losers of both Friday matches will compete at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, and the winners will face off at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
John Page, senior vice president of Acrisure Arena and Coachella Valley Firebirds commented in a news release, “We are thrilled to host the inaugural Coachella Valley Cactus Cup 2025 at Acrisure Arena. This tournament will feature some of the nation’s most exciting NCAA Division I men’s hockey teams, providing fans with an unparalleled experience of high-stakes hockey action. The matchups are set to be intense, showcasing the competitive spirit of college hockey at its finest. We can’t wait to see these teams compete and showcase their talent on our ice.”
“We are truly excited to offer our fans an opportunity to attend the Cactus Cup tournament in Palm Springs, California,” added UMass Lowell coach Norm Bazin. “We have teams from four different conferences so it should be hockey for all involved. I know these nonconference games will give River Hawk Nation more to be excited about with the upcoming 2024-25 season.”
Mike Gabinet, coach of the Mavericks, continued, “We are very excited to be playing in Palm Springs for this tournament. Having seen the success and enthusiasm of the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the AHL, I know this will be one of the best destinations to watch NCAA hockey. Looking forward to sharing this experience with our athletes and fans.”
“We are excited to be headed to the Cactus Cup next winter in Palm Springs,” said Holy Cross coach, Bill Riga. “It will be a great opportunity to compete against three great college hockey programs in an unconventional setting that will allow us help to spread the Holy Cross hockey brand and the overall college hockey product all the way to the West Coast. Should be a great weekend and we are looking forward to it.”
Joe Shawhan, Michigan Tech coach, stated, “Michigan Tech is excited to travel west for the Cactus Cup. It’s a great opportunity for our team to play high-quality nonconference opponents, and we have a large alumni base in the area who are looking forward to watching the Huskies in their backyard.”
Presales will be open to the respective teams, students, and alumni from Tuesday, April 16, from 1o a.m. to Thursday, April 18, at 10 p.m. All other fans can participate in the presale from Thursday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Tickets go on sale to the general public starting Friday, April 19, at 10 a.m. PT at ticketmaster.com,
