WASHINGTON, D.C. – Army West Point hockey will head to the nation's capital during the Army-Navy football game week to take part in the inaugural Capital Hockey Classic at Capital One Arena, home of the Washington Capitals, announced today by Monumental Sports & Entertainment.

The Black Knights will take on Penn State on Thursday, Dec. 12 in a non-conference regular season contest from the NHL arena.

Game times, ticketing information and additional details about the Capital Hockey Classic will be available in the coming months.

"We are ecstatic to be able to welcome college hockey back to Capital One Arena," said Jim Van Stone, President of Business Operations and Chief Commercial Officer at Monumental Sports & Entertainment. "It is an honor to host this college hockey showcase ahead of the iconic Army-Navy football game, giving fans a chance to witness this storied rivalry on the ice and then see two top Division I teams match up against each other. The military is an integral part of our community in the Washington, D.C. area and Monumental Sports & Entertainment has a long history of harnessing the power of sports to make a lasting difference in the lives of those who serve our country." 

Capital One Arena, which previously hosted the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four, serves as the home venue for the NHL's Washington Capitals. Alongside their ownership organization, MSE, the Capitals have remained committed to growing and improving the game of hockey from youth clinics and camps to community programming to talent development with their AHL affiliate team and 13-time Calder Cup champions, the Hershey Bears.  

"We are excited to have the opportunity to play in the Capital Hockey Classic against Penn State," said head coach Brian Riley. "We know that there are a lot of alumni and Army fans in that area so it will be a great opportunity to bring the Army Hockey Team to an area where we've never played. There will be a lot of energy with the Army-Navy Football Game on Saturday, and this will be a great way to start the weekend with Army vs Penn State on the ice."  

The Black Knights and Nittany Lions matched up this past season in thrilling fashion, with Penn State narrowly edging Army by a score of 7-6 from State College this past January. It will mark the eighth matchup all-time between the two programs, with Penn State currently holding a narrow 4-3 advantage in the all-time series. The game also marks another family affair for rising yearling Mac Gadowsky, who tabbed All-Atlantic Hockey Rookie Team honors as a plebe, as his father Guy Gadowsky enters his 13th season at the helm of the Penn State program.

Army kicks off the season in just over two months with a road matchup at Union on Sunday, Oct. 6 before heading to the University of Maine for an exhibition contest on Saturday, Oct. 12.