SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team will compete in the 2026 Great Lakes Invitational at Van Andel Arena, as announced by Michigan Technological University Thursday morning. The Irish will join hosts MTU and Michigan State University, along with fellow guests Western Michigan University in the annual holiday tournament set for December 28-30, 2026.
The GLI dates back to 1965 after former Huskies’ head coach John MacInnes conceptualized the idea of a holiday tournament to take place between Christmas and New Years. The tournament moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2022, following many years having been played at various venues in Detroit as well as 2021 taking place at campus sites.
2026 will mark Notre Dame’s fifth appearance in the tournament, and first since 1993. The Irish have one GLI championship in program history, raising the banner in 1981 inside Joe Louis Arena.