In the Midwest, playing hockey outdoors is a way of life. When the temperatures are so low that the lakes and the rivers freeze over, it is the perfect time to lace up the skates and play hockey with friends and family.

For Jackson Henningsgard, a center on the Oregon club hockey team from Amery, Wisconsin, those opportunities are few and far between playing for the Ducks in the American Collegiate Hockey Association — except for when they make their annual trip to Bend to play at the open-air Pavilion.

“Growing up as hockey players we love skating on outdoor ice,” Henningsgard said. “That is what every hockey player dreams of: playing in a real outdoor game. As kids, at least for the Midwestern, East Coast and Canadian kids, we grew up playing outside during the winter. The thought of playing on an outdoor rink with fans is pretty spectacular.”

As they have done the previous three winters, the Ducks will play two games as part of the Bend Classic. Oregon will take on Rochester Christian University (Rochester Hills, Michigan) at The Pavilion on Friday and Saturday nights to kick off its 14-game season. The puck will drop at 7:30 p.m. for both games.

The Ducks have played in front of sell-out crowds since making the annual trip to Bend starting in 2022. They’ve played two-game series against Utah State, Boise State and Washington the previous three years.

“I love playing in Bend,” Henningsgard said. “This will be my third year playing here and it is such a cool venue. The support we get in Bend is amazing. It is usually a sell-out so we are really excited. We feel good about starting our winter season in Bend.”

Oregon is in its third year of playing in the Division-1 level of the ACHA, the national association for non-NCAA collegiate hockey throughout the United States. The ACHA includes nearly 500 college- and university-affiliated teams representing 48 states and two Canadian provinces.

“It is very high-level hockey,” Henningsgard said. “It is growing considerably right now. Every year there seems to be better players that are doing things I’ve never seen before, and faster and bigger guys. The hockey has gotten way better at our level.”

Tickets are listed at $24 at ticket.uoregon.edu/uohockey and were still available as of Monday morning.

For more information on UO hockey, visit uoduckshockey.com.

“This is a good start to our winter term,” Henningsgard said. “We love the camaraderie that this trip brings. Practices will be really fun this week because we know we are making a trip to Bend.”