Fans watch community members participate in the 24 hour hockey game at the Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Mich., on April 19 2026.
The stench of sweat and ice filled Munn Ice Arena at 1 a.m. on Sunday morning. The crowd was seven people, including some asleep.
Munn Ice Arena, home of the Michigan State hockey team, hosted a 24-hour hockey game beginning Saturday, April 18. The first puck dropped at 2 p.m. Saturday, and the final horn sounded at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The event was a fundraiser for families affected by pediatric cancer, sponsored by LivFree, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the fight against pediatric cancer.
Dan Vieira founded LivFree in honor of his daughter Lauren Irene Vieira, a pediatric cancer survivor. LivFree has existed for nine years and its 24-hour hockey marathon has existed for two. The game at Munn is the first one outside Connecticut, where Vieira and LivFree are based.
Over 90 people participated in the event. Some people were dressed for the occasion, in full hockey padding. Others stuck out on the ice, like hockey content creator Jacob Ardown who sported jeans and a signature red cowboy hat.
Participants who competed for the entire game accumulated seven hours of ice time. The energy was kept up by music, as well as an occasional announcement that “the next goal wins a LivFree beanie.” The final score was 178-168 in favor of the white jersey players.
The crowd varied throughout the game, but most rows and sections of Munn were empty throughout the 24 hours. Still, each goal was celebrated with some degree of cheers, stick taps or fist bumps throughout the night and morning.
The game lacked power plays, but it did have a referee — and a brief celebration for the 67th goal. It also featured a ceremonial puck drop from cancer survivors Harris Holland and Brody Schmanske.
Prior to the puck drop, some participants skated to the visiting bench to meet Harris, Brody and their families. Communication sophomore Joaquin Robinson was one of them. He spoke to Brody and his mom, left, and returned with his club hockey jersey, which he gave to Brody.
“He said he likes MSU, but he's also a Michigan and Ohio State fan, so I wanted to kind of turn the tide a little bit,” said Robinson. “I gave him one because we're getting new ones next year, so I just wanted to. That's what I would want if I was a kid.”
Vieira said one of his favorite things is the guarantee that LivFree can raise money and help local hospitals, even before the puck drops.
“That's important to me, because I want these players — who are literally sacrificing their bodies out here —- we want them to see exactly where their fundraising efforts are going,” said Vieira. “Before anybody stepped on the ice today, we had already helped 35 families here in the Michigan area.”
Each time the players headed to the locker room they passed faces of people affected by pediatric cancer, posters titled “who we skate for.” The video board in Munn displayed the same faces — extra motivation to keep skating with positive energy.
“The locker room vibes were pretty good,” said journalism junior Jordan Cyprian at 1 a.m. “We are all keeping each other up, knowing that we have to be here for so long, and you know, a lot of guys are tired.”
Participants said the game was lighthearted and fun, but it also tested them physically.
“I have a blanket and pillow set up, just in case I want to (sleep),” said Cyprian at 1 a.m. “I know some of the guys are going to their cars between periods and sessions to get some sleep. One guy went from the last session, I still haven’t seen him. So he might have snoozed his alarm.”
Robinson slept 30 to 40 minutes throughout the entire event; he found a couch in the Zamboni room to crash on. He and other participants would talk each other back up when frustration and fatigue set in.
Chemical engineering senior Claire Leonard and other members of MSU’s DI women’s hockey team arrived at 10 a.m. on Sunday, with fresh legs. Leonard said the energy was high when she arrived and she felt her team increased it since they were well rested.
Robinson and Leonard both want to compete in the event next year and hope to recruit more members of their club teams.
Vieira hopes to continue to use hockey as a means to help families affected by pediatric cancer. LivFree currently has seven host sites for 24-hour games.
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“We know that we can use hockey as a catalyst to fundraise and to help more and more kids with cancer,” Vieira said. “Our goal is that we can go into different areas of the country, use hockey and make an impact. Like I stated earlier, going in there, making relationships with those hospitals and helping the kids with cancer in those areas.”
