Atlantic Hockey and the city of Utica, N.Y., announced Thursday that it will hold its 2022 Atlantic Hockey championship tournament March 18-19, 2022 at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
The facility is a 3,915 -seat multi-purpose arena and is the home arena of the AHL’s Utica Comets, Utica College men’s and women’s hockey teams, and Utica City FC of the MASL.
“We are excited to bring the 2022 Atlantic Hockey championship to Utica and Oneida County,” Atlantic Hockey commissioner Robert DeGregorio said in a statement. “Utica is an ideal site for our championship due to its location at the center of our conference footprint and the Adirondack Bank Center will present a great hockey atmosphere for our players, coaches and fans. We’re looking forward to an outstanding weekend of college hockey.”
The event will be the culmination of the conference’s three-week postseason tournament that begins March 4-6. The quarterfinals are slated for March 11-13 with the four winners advancing to Utica. The first two weekends will be played at campus sites with all series hosted by the higher seed in each matchup.
Championship weekend will open with the semifinal round on Friday, March 18 with the winners advancing to the championship game on March 19. Friday’s semifinals are slated for 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. EST. Saturday’s championship game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. EST puck drop.
The winner of the tournament will skate off with the Jack Riley Trophy, presented annually to the conference’s postseason champion, and will earn the AHA’s automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.
“I am honored that the Adirondack Bank Center was selected to host the 2022 Atlantic Hockey championship,” said Utica Comets president Rob Esche. “This is the first time since 1962 that the AUD has been able to host a Division I championship series, and we are grateful that Bob DeGregorio trusted us with this outstanding event that our hockey community is extremely excited to embrace.”
Advance purchase two-day ticket packages are available for $25 while single-day tickets can be purchased in advance at $20 for adults and $10 students. Day of game tickets can be purchased for $25 for adults and $10 for students.
Fans can purchase tickets online by visiting www.empirestatetix.com, by calling 315-790-9070 or visiting the box office at the Adirondack Bank Center.
