WATERLOO, Ont. - The Laurier Golden Hawks will drop the puck on the 2026-27 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men's hockey season on October 9 when they host the Brock Badgers at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex, one of 28 regular season games on its schedule released Tuesday afternoon.

It marks the first time since 2018 that Laurier will welcome Brock for its home opener.

The Golden Hawks enter the new campaign looking to build on a season that saw them finish fourth in the OUA West Division with a 15-8-4-1 record before falling to the Guelph Gryphons in the opening round of the playoffs. Guelph won the best-of-three series two games to one.

The teams are set to meet again on October 17 in Waterloo in their first rematch since the postseason.

"When you go through your list of games, it's a fast reminder there are no easy nights or weekends in this league regardless of if you're playing back-to-backs or two in three," said Laurier manager of men's hockey operations and head coach Kevin Forrest. "With parity and just six playoff spots up for grabs, it's a new dogfight every year.

"Each year seems to see each team with its own unique challenges. It all tends to even out. For us this year, we're loaded on road games down the stretch during the playoff chase, and we draw the defending finalist Windsor Lancers four times this year. We'll need to be ready from day one."

Laurier will enjoy an extended stay at home to open the schedule, with four consecutive games at the Rec Complex. That stretch includes visits from Brock, TMU, Guelph, and Ontario Tech.

The first Battle of Waterloo matchup of the season is set for October 15 on Laurier's home ice. The rivals will actually complete their four-game season series before the end of November, capped by a home-and-home set on back-to-back nights November 20 and 21, beginning at Columbia Ice Fields.

The first of the aforementioned match-ups against the 2026 finalist Lancers comes at home on November 13.

The fall term concludes with a demanding stretch that sees Laurier play three consecutive back-to-back weekends before the holiday break.

The Golden Hawks return to action in the new year with a pair of home games against the Lakehead Thunderwolves on January 8 and 9.

Another four-game homestand follows to close January and begin February, highlighted by Senior Night on February 6.

Laurier's playoff positioning could ultimately be decided on the road. The Golden Hawks conclude the regular season with four straight away games - their second four-game road swing in a month - including their finale against the Western Mustangs in London on February 20.

Single-game and season tickets are available at tickets.laurierathletics.com

Fans can view and sync the full schedule by visiting the laurierathletics.com/sports/mhockey/schedule/2026-27