CHSAA secures postseason sites, dates for ice hockey

The high school ice hockey postseason will return to a pair of beloved Colorado hockey arenas in 2022, and there has been a slight change in the date for the championship games.

The Class 5A state quarterfinals will be played at the University of Denver’s Magness Arena, marking the first time the high school playoffs have been hosted in a collegiate arena prior to the Frozen Four.

After a one-year hiatus, championship games in both classifications will return to Ball Arena in Denver. Because the game between the Warriors and Nuggets from Dec. 30 was rescheduled to March 7, the ice hockey championship games in both classifications will now be played on Tuesday, March 8, at Ball Arena.

“Because of the growing popularity of ice hockey here in Colorado, the time was right to move the 5A quarterfinals to a venue that could better accommodate the games,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Justin Saylor, who oversees ice hockey. “Thanks to our collaboration with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, we were able to return to Ball Arena. We’d like to thank them for hosting our championship hockey teams and once again providing the players with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in an NHL arena.”

Also because of COVID-19 reschedules at Ball Arena, the semifinals for both classes will also be at DU. Class 4A quarterfinals will be hosted by the higher seed.

The postseason will begin on Feb. 24. The quarterfinals will take place Feb. 28 and March 1. The state semifinals for both classes will be an all-day event at DU, with games scheduled for Noon, 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on March 3.

On March 8, the 4A state championship game will start at 5:30 p.m. The 5A title game will begin at 8 p.m.

The Budweiser Events Center, home of the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, hosted the 2021 Frozen Four in Broomfield.