Meetings total 313 | ||
 | ||
First meeting January 24, 1925
Michigan 6, Michigan State 3 Latest meeting February 11, 2017
Michigan State 4, Michigan 1 All-time series Michigan leads, 159–133–21 Largest victory Michigan, 17–1 (March 9, 1950) Longest win streak Michigan, 18 (January 14, 1929 – January 9, 1954) | ||
The Michigan–Michigan State men's ice hockey rivalry is a college ice hockey rivalry between Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey and Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey that is part of the larger intrastate rivalry between the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. The rivalry between the Spartans and Wolverines notably includes football and basketball rivalries, although it extends to almost all sports and many other forms of achievement. The most notable examples of the hockey rivalry are two outdoor games, the October 6, 2001 Cold War in East Lansing and the December 11, 2010 Big Chill at the Big House in Ann Arbor, which set the world record for attendance at a hockey game. This record however was broken four years later at the 2014 NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2014. As of 2013, both teams are members of the Big Ten Conference, although they have previously competed together in both the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).
Michigan currently leads the series, which began on January 24, 1925, 159–133–21. It is the most played rivalry in college ice hockey, with 311 meetings. Michigan won the 2015–16 season series 3–1. The regular home arenas for the teams are Yost Ice Arena (capacity 5,800) and Munn Ice Arena (capacity 6,470). The two schools play at least four times a year through conference play, and with regularity play a fifth game in the Great Lakes Invitational. It is actually possible for the teams to meet seven times throughout the season with regular season, GLI, Big Ten tournament and NCAA tournament games. The teams often play games on neutral sites and have played at least once per year since 1990 at the Joe Louis Arena (capacity 20,066). The teams generally alternate years in which they hold a home game there. Beginning during the 2015–16 season, the winner of each game at Joe Louis Arena receives the Iron D Trophy. The last contest at "The Joe" was on February 10, 2017.
Since the Joe Louis Arena's hockey configuration capacity exceeds that of all regular collegiate hockey home venues as well as the Beanpot Tournament host venue, TD Garden, the annual game at the JLA is among the most attended college hockey games each year, rivaled only by the Frozen Four.
Rivalry at the Joe series
Michigan and Michigan State meet once a year at Joe Louis Arena in a neutral site game. Michigan gets home team designation in even years, while Michigan State gets home team designation in odd years. Michigan leads the Rivalry at the Joe series 14–11–5.