Any Calgary Flames fans that want to see two of the organization’s most exciting young prospects will have a golden opportunity to see them for free on Friday and Saturday night.

Presumptive 2026 first-overall selection Gavin McKenna will also be featured, as he plays his first-ever games in the NCAA.

The National Hockey League announced on Wednesday that the season-opening series of games between Penn State University and Arizona State University this coming weekend will be shown on NHL Network in the United States and worldwide on the NHL’s YouTube feed.

Penn State University had a breakthrough season in 2024-25. They advanced all the way to the Frozen Four, backstopped by Flames prospect Arsenii Sergeev, before losing to Boston University in the national semi-final round. While Sergeev and several other players have left the program, the Nittany Lions have bolstered their roster with the additions of such luminaries as McKenna, Flames prospect Luke Misa and Columbus first-rounder Jackson Smith. Penn State open the season ranked fifth on USCHO’s pre-season national poll.

Meanwhile, Arizona State are no slouches themselves. One of the newer programs in all of Division I college hockey, Arizona State is quietly becoming a really exciting program. The Flames drafted Cullen Potter from the Sun Devils at the 2025 NHL Draft, and he’s joined by New Jersey prospect Ben Kevan, Minnesota prospect Justin Kipkie and several promising young players. Arizona State were ranked 14th on USCHO’s pre-season national poll.

Joking aside, it’s tough to overstate how big this opening series being so widely available is for college hockey. This is the first year of the NCAA’s more relaxed player eligibility rules and a wave of high-end young players have flooded college hockey – including five Flames prospects who would have otherwise have been playing in Canadian major junior leagues. The spotlight is being placed on college hockey, and McKenna landing at Penn State could really up the ante for every team they face this season.

Friday night’s game starts at 8 p.m. MT, while Saturday’s rematch goes at 6 p.m. MT, both at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona, home rink of the Sun Devils.