• Six schools will be in action this weekend, as three top-15 conference teams host Friday-Saturday series. The Ohio State-Wisconsin series finale on Saturday night will be carried on Big Ten Network, with the remaining contests available to stream. The complete schedule can be found to the right.

• The 2022 Big Ten Tournament begins March 4-6 with best-of-three series at campus sites. The top seed will earn a first-round bye and the No. 2-4 seeds will host the first-round series. The No. 1 seed and the other highest remaining seed will host single-game semifinals on March 12 and the highest remaining seed will host the championship contest on March 19.

• Michigan has compiled 39 points to stand in first place through 18 games in the race for the Big Ten Championship and the accompanying first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State enters the weekend in second place with 37 points in 18 games, Minnesota is in third place with 31 points in 16 games and Notre Dame sits in fourth place for the final home ice spot for the first-round, best-of-three series in the Big Ten Tournament, with 26 points in 16 games.

• Four Big Ten teams are receiving votes in the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls this week. Michigan leads the conference at No. 3 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 4 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, while Minnesota follows at No. 8/10, Ohio State checks in at No. 9/8 and Notre Dame rounds out the list at No. 13/12.

• Since the 2013-14 season, six Big Ten programs (Michigan, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin) have been ranked in the top five of the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls. Those six teams have combined to be ranked in the top five of both polls a total of 173 times, with at least one top-five team in 134 out of 214 weeks.

• Notre Dame currently leads the nation on the penalty kill, stopping 92.9 percent of opponent opportunities (92-of-99). The Fighting Irish are one of three teams above 90 percent nationally.

• Big Ten teams currently occupy five of the top 15 positions on the national team scoring list, including three of the top 10 spots. Michigan leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally with 3.86 goals per game, followed by Ohio State in sixth (3.64), Notre Dame in 10th (3.42), Penn State in 13th (3.36) and Minnesota in 14th (3.35).

• Five Big Ten goalies find themselves among the top 20 nationally in save percentage, including three of the top 10. Ohio State’s Jakub Dobeš leads the conference and ranks third nationally with a .938 save percentage, followed by Michigan State’s Drew DeRidder (4th, .935), Michigan’s Erik Portillo (9th, .926), Notre Dame’s Matthew Galajda (18th, .922) and Notre Dame’s Ryan Bischel (19th, .922).

• The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games get underway on Friday with the Opening Ceremonies ahead of the start of the men’s hockey tournament on Feb. 15. Thirteen players from Big Ten schools will represent their countries on the ice, including eight for the United States, four for Canada and one for China. Michigan’s Matty Beniers, Brendan Brisson, Steven Kampfer and Strauss Mann, and Minnesota’s Brock Faber, Matthew Knies, Ben Meyers and Aaron Ness will skate for the U.S., while Michigan’s Owen Power and Kent Johnson, Ohio State’s Matt Tomkins and Wisconsin’s Ben Street will represent Canada. Michigan State’s Jake Chelios will play for China.

• In addition, Big Ten official Andrew Bruggeman will be working the men’s Olympic tournament, Penn State’s Alex Dawes was selected as video coach for the US squad and Wisconsin’s Nate LaPoint will serve as a US equipment manager. The men’s hockey tournament will begin on Feb. 15 with the gold medal game scheduled for Feb. 20.

• Ten standouts representing five Big Ten programs are among the 77 nominees for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given annually to the top NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey player in the nation. The list of nominees includes Michigan’s Matty Beniers, Kent Johnson and Owen Power; Michigan State’s Drew DeRidder; Minnesota’s Ben Meyers; Notre Dame’s Max Ellis and Matthew Galajda; and Penn State’s Connor MacEachern, Clayton Phillips, and Kevin Wall. The Hobey Baker Memorial Award will be presented to the winner on April 8 during the NCAA Frozen Four in Boston.

• Michigan’s Erik Portillo, Michigan State’s Drew DeRidder, Notre Dame’s Ryan Bischel and Matthew Galajda, Ohio State’s Jakub Dobeš and Wisconsin’s Jared Moe were among the 28 players named to the watch list for the 2022 Mike Richter Award, which annually honors the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA Division I men’s hockey and is named after former Wisconsin netminder Mike Richter. This year’s honoree will be announced at the 2022 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in Boston.

• Notre Dame’s Graham Slaggert was named among the 11 nominees for the 2022 Hockey Humanitarian Award on Jan. 25. The award, which is celebrating its 27th year, is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community at large through leadership in volunteerism. Finalists for the 2022 Hockey Humanitarian Award will be announced in February.

• Big Ten teams finished the non-conference slate with a mark of 48-19-4. With a winning percentage of .704, the Big Ten paces all Division I conferences.

• This season, teams will be awarded three points in the conference standings for a win in regulation. If the game is tied following regulation, both teams will receive one point, with a second point being awarded to the team that wins in either the 3-on-3 overtime period or the shootout.

• The 2021-22 Big Ten hockey regular season will feature the most extensive slate of television coverage in college hockey, with more than 60 total games. The lineup is highlighted by a package of 25 national broadcasts to be carried on Big Ten Network, five broadcasts on NBCSN and three on ESPNU. An additional 28 games will be carried on the Bally Sports Regional Networks.

• Every televised game on the Big Ten Network can be streamed nation-wide via the web, smartphones, tablets and connected devices on the FOX Sports app. B1G+ will stream all of the games broadcast on the Bally Sports Regional Networks, in addition to all other non-televised games played in Big Ten arenas.