UBS ARENA TO WELCOME INAUGURAL EMPIRE STATE HOLIDAY INVITATIONAL ON DECEMBER 28-29

LIU to Host Army West Point, Ferris State and St. Lawrence
in Four-Team Division I Men's Hockey Tournament

Tickets On Sale Friday, October 2 at 10am via Ticketmaster 

BELMONT PARK, N.Y. and BROOKVILLE, N.Y., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Long Island University, in partnership with the New York Islanders and UBS Arena, are proud to announce the creation of the Empire State Holiday Invitational. This two-day tournament will bring four NCAA Division I men's ice hockey programs to Belmont Park on December 28–29, 2026, featuring LIU, Army West Point, Ferris State and St Lawrence competing on the home ice of the New York Islanders.

The tournament begins December 28, with St. Lawrence facing Ferris State at 3 p.m., followed by LIU taking on Army West Point at 7 p.m. The tournament will conclude December 29, with all four teams returning to the ice for the second day of competition.

"We are incredibly excited to host the first Empire State Holiday Invitational and bring college hockey to UBS Arena," said Brendan Riley, LIU Men's Hockey Head Coach. "For our players, having the opportunity to compete at a venue like UBS Arena is something special, and we are looking forward to welcoming three great programs to Long Island. We want this to become an event that our teams, fans and the hockey community look forward to every year."

Tickets for this year's tournament will go on sale Friday, October 2 at 10am via Ticketmaster.

The Empire State Holiday Invitational is a centerpiece of the strategic partnership between Long Island University, the New York Islanders and UBS Arena. LIU will serve as the host institution and compete in the tournament annually, creating a new holiday college hockey tradition on Long Island.

The partnership builds on LIU's growing presence within the Long Island hockey community. LIU's Division I men's and women's hockey programs play their home games at Northwell Health Ice Center, the official practice facility of the New York Islanders.

The relationship between LIU and the Islanders was recently celebrated on campus when New York Islanders Co-Owner Jon Ledecky visited LIU as part of the University's Centennial CEO Speaker Series. During the event, members of the LIU men's and women's hockey programs named Ledecky an Honorary Captain of LIU Hockey for the 2026–27 season and presented him with a customized LIU Hockey jersey.

The Empire State Holiday Invitational represents another exciting chapter in the partnership, bringing Division I college hockey to one of the region's premier sports venues and creating a new platform to showcase the sport across Long Island and the New York metropolitan area.

2026 Empire State Holiday Invitational

December 28–29, 2026
UBS Arena | Belmont Park, New York

Participating Teams:
Long Island University
Army West Point
Ferris State University
St. Lawrence University

December 28
3 p.m. – St. Lawrence vs. Ferris State
7 p.m. – LIU vs. Army West Point

December 29
Second-day matchups featuring all four participating teams.

Tickets
On Sale Friday, October 2 at 10am via Ticketmaster

About UBS Arena 

Located in the heart of the expanding experiential destination of Belmont Park, UBS Arena is New York's newest premier live entertainment and sports venue. Proud home to the New York Islanders, the state-of-the-art arena was developed in partnership with Oak View Group, the New York Islanders and Jeff Wilpon, and has welcomed over 3 million guests and 350+ events with top artists from around the world since November 2021.

Built with fan-first amenities, inspired by the timeless elegance of New York and powered by state-of-the-art technology, the venue is made for music and built for hockey with clear sightlines and premier acoustics. UBS Arena is at the forefront of sustainability, achieving Zero Waste TRUE Silver certification in addition to its LEED Green Building Certification and carbon neutrality for operations.

UBS Arena is located just 30 minutes by LIRR from Grand Central or Penn Station and is easily accessible from across the region via mass transit or car. To plan your trip, please visit UBSArena.com/plan-your-trip. Keep in touch with us at UBSArena.com/updates or @UBSArena on Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter.

About Long Island University
Long Island University, founded in 1926, is a leading research and teaching university that continues to redefine higher education by providing high-quality academic instruction by world-class faculty, serving more than 16,000 students from its Long Island and Brooklyn campuses. Recognized by Forbes for its emphasis on experiential learning and by the Brookings Institution for its "value added" to student outcomes, the University is ranked in the top 7% of national research universities. LIU has a network of over 200,000 alumni, including industry leaders and entrepreneurs around the globe. Visit www.liu.edu for more information.

SOURCE Long Island University; UBS Arena