Newark, Newark: Princeton to host Liberty Invitational at Prudential Center next three seasons

Teams from the Ivy League and Hockey East will take to the ice in Newark for an early season tournament to be held at the home of the New Jersey Devils over at least the next three seasons.

The Princeton Tigers announced today via press release that they will be hosting the Liberty Hockey Invitational at the building known as "The Rock", the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The inaugural tournament -- which will take place Oct. 25 and 26 this fall -- will feature Princeton, Brown, Yale and Dartmouth. Future tournaments, while maintaining the consistent presence of Princeton and Yale, will also feature appearances by Maine, UMass, UMass-Lowell, Merrimack and Vermont.

"My players, staff and I are looking forward to being a part of a first-rate experience in the Liberty Hockey Invitational. We're thrilled to be a part of this annual tournament to be played at the Prudential Center," said Bob Prier, Princeton men's hockey head coach. "We hope the fans and alums in the metropolitan area are as excited as we are and come out to cheer us on in October at the Rock."

Each day of the tournament will feature a game a 4 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET. Brown will take on Yale in the opening game of the Friday night doubleheader, while the Tigers take on Dartmouth in the nightcap. On Saturday, the losers will contest third place, while the winners will play for the championship.

This marks the second time the college game has ever graced the Prudential Center. Colgate and Cornell battled at The Rock in 2010. Meanwhile, just across the river, Madison Square Garden will continue to host it's annual game as Cornell hosts Boston University on Nov. 30.