The Gophers men's hockey team will play Boston College next month at Mariucci Arena as part of the inaugural Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge, the conferences announced Tuesday in a joint release.  

The two-game series against the Eagles will take place October 25 and October 27.  The two teams last played December 30 at Mariucci Arena, and the Gophers won 8-1.  

The challenge will consist of 13 games played between October 18-27, with six games in Hockey East arenas during the first weekend, followed by six games in Big Ten arenas and a single game on neutral ice during the second weekend, the release said.

The conference that records the most points during the 13 games will win the Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge Cup, according to the release.  Teams will receive two points for a win, one point for a tie and a bonus point for a road win.

Five of the 11 participating schools played in the NCAA tournament last season.  

The Gophers open their season with an exhibition game against Lethbridge on October 5th at Mariucci Arena.