 | |
| Association | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 |
| Commissioner | Steve Metcalf |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division I |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Headquarters | Amesbury, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Region | New England |
| Official website | http://www.hockeyeastonline.com |
| Locations | |
 | |
TheHockey East Association, also known asHockey East, is acollege ice hockeyconference which operates entirely inNew England. It participates in theNCAA'sDivision I as ahockey-only conference.[1]
Hockey East came into existence in 1984 for men's hockey when most of its current members split from what is today known asECAC Hockey, after disagreements with theIvy League members.[2] Thewomen's league began play in 2002.[3][4]
On October 5, 2011, theUniversity of Notre DameFighting Irish (an ACC member outside football) announced they would be joining Hockey East as the conference's first non-New England school in 2013 after theCCHA folded.[5] On March 22, 2016, Notre Dame subsequently announced their men's hockey team would leave Hockey East for theBig Ten Conference at the start of the 2017–2018 season.[6] TheUniversity of Connecticut (UConn) and Hockey East jointly announced on June 21, 2012, thatUConn's men's team, then inAtlantic Hockey, would jointhe school's women's team in Hockey East in 2014.[7] On October 24, 2013,Merrimack College, alreadya member of the Hockey East men's league, announced that it would upgrade itswomen's team from club level to full varsity status effective in 2015 and join the Hockey East women's league.[8]
On May 2, 2017, theCollege of the Holy Cross announced that it would join Hockey East for women's hockey only starting in 2018–19.[9]
There are currently 12 member schools, with 11 participating in the men's division and 10 in the women's division.[10][11]
| Institution | Location | Nickname | Joined | Left | Conference left for | Current conference | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, Indiana | Fighting Irish (Men) | 2013 | 2017 | Big Ten (affiliate) | ||
Men Women Both
Teams' records against current conference opponents.
| School | Boston College | Boston University | Connecticut | Maine | Massachusetts | Massachusetts Lowell | Merrimack | New Hampshire | Northeastern | Providence | Vermont | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | W | L | T | W | L | T | W | L | T | W | L | T | W | L | T | W | L | T | W | L | T | W | L | T | W | L | T | W | L | T | W | L | T | Win% | |
| Boston College | 131 | 139 | 21 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 72 | 55 | 10 | 74 | 23 | 4 | 70 | 47 | 11 | 76 | 27 | 7 | 80 | 68 | 16 | 174 | 59 | 18 | 121 | 54 | 17 | 50 | 18 | 8 | 863 | 497 | 114 | .624 | |||
| Boston University | 136 | 128 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 68 | 55 | 14 | 65 | 14 | 7 | 78 | 34 | 11 | 92 | 22 | 8 | 113 | 52 | 21 | 167 | 64 | 11 | 111 | 59 | 19 | 53 | 24 | 10 | 893 | 458 | 123 | .648 | |||
| Connecticut | 3 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 40 | 4 | 11 | 27 | 3 | 8 | 27 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 95 | 172 | 25 | .368 | |||
| Maine | 51 | 71 | 9 | 55 | 68 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 57 | 25 | 10 | 81 | 46 | 5 | 72 | 22 | 10 | 70 | 56 | 12 | 58 | 53 | 19 | 67 | 58 | 7 | 29 | 29 | 8 | 546 | 436 | 98 | .551 | |||
| Massachusetts | 17 | 74 | 4 | 14 | 70 | 8 | 43 | 18 | 4 | 28 | 58 | 10 | 36 | 50 | 9 | 51 | 45 | 8 | 29 | 93 | 12 | 37 | 57 | 10 | 35 | 52 | 8 | 32 | 44 | 10 | 322 | 561 | 83 | .376 | |||
| Massachusetts Lowell | 45 | 69 | 10 | 34 | 78 | 11 | 27 | 11 | 3 | 46 | 81 | 5 | 49 | 32 | 7 | 81 | 41 | 12 | 45 | 65 | 18 | 63 | 51 | 10 | 49 | 62 | 11 | 35 | 17 | 8 | 474 | 507 | 95 | .485 | |||
| Merrimack | 23 | 75 | 7 | 22 | 92 | 8 | 27 | 8 | 5 | 22 | 72 | 10 | 43 | 46 | 8 | 41 | 81 | 12 | 28 | 80 | 12 | 43 | 63 | 12 | 35 | 91 | 12 | 18 | 19 | 8 | 302 | 627 | 94 | .341 | |||
| New Hampshire | 66 | 77 | 16 | 52 | 113 | 21 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 56 | 70 | 12 | 91 | 27 | 12 | 65 | 45 | 18 | 80 | 28 | 12 | 98 | 71 | 17 | 91 | 65 | 16 | 82 | 27 | 10 | 696 | 534 | 135 | .559 | |||
| Northeastern | 55 | 171 | 16 | 64 | 167 | 11 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 53 | 58 | 19 | 56 | 34 | 10 | 51 | 63 | 10 | 63 | 43 | 12 | 71 | 98 | 17 | 56 | 90 | 20 | 30 | 34 | 8 | 511 | 763 | 123 | .410 | |||
| Providence | 53 | 121 | 14 | 59 | 111 | 19 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 58 | 67 | 7 | 48 | 31 | 8 | 62 | 49 | 11 | 91 | 35 | 12 | 65 | 91 | 16 | 90 | 56 | 20 | 28 | 28 | 11 | 567 | 593 | 121 | .490 | |||
| Vermont | 16 | 49 | 7 | 24 | 53 | 10 | 8 | 24 | 1 | 29 | 29 | 8 | 44 | 30 | 8 | 17 | 35 | 8 | 19 | 18 | 8 | 27 | 82 | 10 | 34 | 30 | 8 | 28 | 28 | 11 | 246 | 378 | 79 | .406 | |||
The Hockey East Championship Game has been held inBoston since 1987. Originally held at theBoston Garden, it moved toTD Garden[12] in 1996.[13] Prior to moving to Boston, the first two men's Hockey East championships were held inProvidence, Rhode Island at theProvidence Civic Center.
The semifinal and final games are held on consecutive nights in mid-March at TD Garden. The quarterfinal round takes place the previous weekend. The top eight teams in the league advance to the quarterfinal round, which is a best 2-out-of-3 series with all games played at the higher seed's rink. There have been two cases where the #8 seed won on the #1 team's ice.
| School | NCAA Championships | NCAA Runner-Up | NCAA Frozen Fours | NCAA Tournament Appearances | Conference Championships | Conference Tournament Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | 5 (1949, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2012) | 7 (1965, 1978, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2024) | 26 (1948-50, 1954, 1956, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1985, 1990, 1998-2001, 2004, 2006-08, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2024) | 38 (1948-50, 1954, 1956, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1984-87, 1989-91, 1998-2001, 2003-08, 2010-16, 2021, 2024, 2025) | 22 (1980, 1981, 1984-87, 1989-91, 2001, 2003-05, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016-18, 2020, 2024, 2025) | 14 (1965, 1978, 1987, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010-12, 2024) |
| Boston University | 5 (1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, 2009) | 7 (1950, 1967, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2015, 2025) | 25 (1950, 1951, 1953, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974-78, 1990, 1991, 1993-97, 2009, 2015, 2023-25) | 40 (1950, 1951, 1953, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974-78, 1984, 1986, 1990-98, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005-07, 2009, 2012, 2015-18, 2021, 2023-25) | 22 (1938, 1939, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1994-98, 2000, 2006, 2009, 2015, 2017, 2023) | 17 (1951, 1952, 1972, 1974-77, 1986, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2006, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2023) |
| Connecticut | 1 (2025) | 1 (2000) | ||||
| Maine | 2 (1993, 1999) | 3 (1995, 2002, 2004) | 11 (1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007) | 19 (1987-91, 1993, 1995, 1999-2007, 2012, 2024, 2025) | 3 (1988, 1993, 1995) | 6 (1989, 1992, 1993, 2000, 2004, 2025) |
| Massachusetts | 1 (2021) | 1 (2019) | 2 (2019, 2021) | 6 (2007, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025) | 1 (2019) | 2 (2021, 2022) |
| Massachusetts Lowell | 1 (2013) | 9 (1988, 1994, 1996, 2012-14, 2016, 2017, 2022) | 2 (2013, 2017) | 3 (2013, 2014, 2017) | ||
| Merrimack | 3 (1988, 2011, 2023) | |||||
| New Hampshire | 2 (1999, 2003) | 7 (1977, 1979, 1982, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003) | 22 (1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997-2000, 2002-11, 2013) | 8 (1992, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010) | 3 (1979, 2002, 2003) | |
| Northeastern | 1 (1982) | 8 (1982, 1988, 1994, 2009, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022) | 1 (2022) | 4 (1982, 1988, 2016, 2019) | ||
| Providence | 1 (2015) | 1 (1985) | 5 (1964, 1983, 1985, 2015, 2019) | 16 (1964, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2014-19, 2025) | 3 (1964, 1983, 2016) | 4 (1964, 1981, 1985, 1996) |
| Vermont | 2 (1996, 2009) | 6 (1988, 1996, 1997, 2009, 2010, 2014) | 1 (1996) |
The Hockey East Championship was held inBoston from its inception in 2003 until 2007. The event was held at Northeastern'sMatthews Arena in 2003 and 2004 before moving to BU'sWalter Brown Arena in 2005. The tournament returned to Matthews Arena in 2006, was held at UNH'sWhittemore Center in 2007, and at UConn'sMark Edward Freitas Ice Forum in 2008. The tournament went back to UNH in 2009, Providence in 2010, and the last campus to host was Boston University in 2011. The tournament moved to Hyannis, Massachusetts in 2012, andLawler Arena on the Merrimack College campus inNorth Andover, Massachusetts in 2016.
| School | NCAA Championships | NCAA Runner-Up | NCAA Frozen Fours | NCAA Tournament Appearances | Conference Championships | Conference Tournament Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | 1 (2016) | 7 (2007, 2011-13, 2015-17) | 11 (2007, 2011-19, 2021) | 5 (2014-18) | 3 (2011, 2016, 2017) | |
| Boston University | 2 (2011, 2013) | 2 (2011, 2013) | 7 (2010-15, 2025) | 2 (2011, 2013) | 6 (2010, 2012-15, 2025) | |
| Connecticut | 1 (2024) | 2 (2024, 2025) | 1 (2024) | |||
| Holy Cross | ||||||
| Maine | ||||||
| Merrimack | ||||||
| New Hampshire | 2 (2006, 2008) | 5 (2006-10) | 4 (2006-09) | 5 (1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1996) | ||
| Northeastern | 1 (2021) | 3 (2021-23) | 6 (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021-23) | 6 (2012, 2019, 2020-23) | 9 (1988, 1989, 1997, 2018-23) | |
| Providence | 2 (2005, 2021) | 1 (2010) | 5 (1985, 1992-95) | |||
| Vermont |
Boston College, Boston University, and Northeastern all take part in the annualBeanpot tournament withHarvard ofECAC Hockey.
The previously existing rivalry between Boston College and Notre Dame, theHoly War on Ice, became a conference matchup with Notre Dame's arrival in Hockey East. The two are rivals in other sports as well, as both are members of theAtlantic Coast Conference for most sports (thoughNotre Dame's football team remainsindependent, they play BC in that sport on a regular basis). Maine also has a rivalry with New Hampshire, often called "The Border War". Providence and UConn also have a rivalry which spills over from the basketball court.
| Rivalry Name | Trophy | Meetings | Began | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston University–Maine men's ice hockey rivalry | — | 135 | 1979 | 2025 |
| Green Line Rivalry | — | 282 | 1918 | 2025 |
| Holy War on Ice | Lefty Smith – John "Snooks" Kelley Memorial Trophy | 46 | 1969 | 2024 |
| Maine–New Hampshire men's ice hockey rivalry | — | 135 | 1979 | 2025 |
| UConn–UMass rivalry | 71 | 1929 | 2025 |
| School | Hockey Arena | Capacity | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | Silvio O. Conte Forum | 7,884 | 1988 |
| Boston University | Agganis Arena (men) Walter Brown Arena (women) | 6,224 3,806 | 2005 1971 |
| Connecticut | Toscano Family Ice Forum | 2,600 | 2023 |
| Holy Cross | Hart Center at the Luth Athletic Complex | 1,600 | 1975 |
| Maine | Harold Alfond Sports Arena | 5,641 | 1977 |
| Massachusetts | William D. Mullins Memorial Center | 8,329 | 1993 |
| Massachusetts Lowell | Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell | 6,496 | 1998 |
| Merrimack | Merrimack Athletics Complex | 2,549 | 1972 |
| New Hampshire | Whittemore Center Arena | 6,501 | 1995 |
| Northeastern | Matthews Arena | 4,666 | 1910 |
| Providence | Schneider Arena | 3,030 | 1973 |
| Vermont | Albert L. Gutterson Fieldhouse | 4,003 | 1963 |
At the conclusion of each regular season schedule the coaches of each Hockey East team vote which players they choose to be on the three All-Conference Teams:[14] first team, second team and rookie team (except for1985–86 when no rookie team was selected). Additionally they vote to award up to 6 individual trophies to an eligible player at the same time. Hockey East also awards a Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player and names a tournament all-star team, which are voted on at the conclusion of the conference tournament. Four of these awards have been bestowed every year that Hockey East has been in operation.[15] In addition, the Scoring Champion and Goaltending Champions are named based solely on statistics the players made during the season.
All-Conference Teams[edit]
| Individual awards[edit] | Team Awards[edit]
|
The award for the top HEA player each year is theCammi Granato Award, awarded since 2009. The NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey Player of the year, thePatty Kazmaier Award, has been won by HEA playersBrooke Whitney (Northeastern) in 2002,Alex Carpenter (Boston College) in 2015,Kendall Coyne (Northeastern) in 2016,Daryl Watts (Boston College) in 2018, andAerin Frankel (Northeastern) in 2021.
Since the 2019–2020 season, Hockey East games have aired regionally onNESN and are available in the rest of the United States and in Canada onParamount+ and SportsLive.[16][17][18]
Games previously aired nationally onNBCSN through the 2016 Hockey East Championship game,[19][20] and onAmerican Sports Network prior to the service's closure.[21]
On April 6, 2022, Hockey East reached a six-year media rights agreement withESPN andESPN+ that will bring games to ESPN's television and streaming platforms;[22]
