2016 Frozen Four: What To Know Before You Go

TAMPA, FL – With the Tampa Bay Lightning wrapping up its regular season on the road, there’s still plenty of hockey action this week at Amalie Arena.

For the second time in the event’s 61-year history, Tampa will host the 2016 Frozen Four. When it first hosted the NCAA Division I men’s hockey finals in 2012, Tampa set attendance records for first-time hosts.

Several free events surround the semifinal and final matchups, and here’s what hockey fans need to know before they go:

Where

The 2016 Frozen Four and most fan events will take place at Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive.

Teams and Schedule

Semifinals: Quinnipiac vs. Boston College, Thursday, April 7 at 5 p.m.; North Dakota vs. Denver, 8:30 p.m.

Championship: Semifinal winners face off on Saturday, April 9 at 8 p.m.

Tickets

Single tickets for the individual semifinal games start at $50 per ticket, while single tickets for both semifinal matches start at $75. The championship tickets start at $75. VIP ticket packages are also available. There are also hospitality and travel packages available on the 2016 Frozen Four Ticket page. Surcharges for online orders may apply.

Did you know?

Normally, the host institution of any NCAA tournament is the closest member school that features the sport in question. In 2012, the University of Alabama at Huntsville was the host school. This year, the University of Wisconsin and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission will co-host the event.

Free fan events

• Open practices: On Wednesday, April 6, the public is invited to attend open practice for all four teams. The schedule is Boston College from 11 a.m. to noon, Quinnipiac from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., North Dakota from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Denver from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m.
• Frozen Fest: On April 7 from 2:30 to 8:30 p.m. and April 9 from 4 to 8 p.m., there will be a fan festival on the West Plaza featuring interactive games and activities, skill challenges and entertainment.
• NCAA autograph sessions: The two National Championship Finalists will appear for an autograph session on Friday, April 8 from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St. on the Franklin Street Mall. Commemorative posters will be provided for autograph seekers.
• Hobey Baker Award presentation: The award presentation for the top NCAA men’s ice hockey player in the nation will take place April 8 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Tampa Theatre.
• Frozen Four open skate: The Amalie Arena will host an open skate on Championship Saturday, April 9 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Enter the building through the Lexus Lounge beginning at 12:15 p.m. The arena has a limited number of various sized skates that will be available, but the arena encourages participants to bring their own skates. A waiver will be distributed and all guest are required to sign it before they take the ice.

To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.ncaa.com/frozenfour.

Image courtesy City of Tampa Facebook page

Sign up for the Tampa Patch newsletter and alerts!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, too!