ECAC Hockey and the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority announced Friday a three-year agreement for the ECAC Hockey men’s championship, which will take place at the newly modernized 1980 Herb Brooks Arena in the Olympic Center.
This season’s tournament will be held March 18-19, 2022, with the event remaining in Lake Placid through 2024.
“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with ORDA and bring our championship back to Lake Placid for the next three years,” said ECAC Hockey commissioner Steve Hagwell in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to grow the event in a location with such a great tradition in hockey.”
Since the last ECAC Hockey championship in Lake Placid, the 1980 Arena has undergone significant upgrades. It is now equipped with new dasher boards that allow it to be converted to either international or NHL size standards. The championship in March will utilize the 200-foot by 80-foot NHL size, which is more typical of the rinks that ECAC Hockey programs compete on each season.
The 1980 Arena’s other impressive upgrades will be completed in January 2022, and include new seating, modernized media and concession areas, hospitality suites, new restrooms, a renovated concourse, LED event and broadcast-quality lighting, and a new air handling/dehumidification system. The 1980 Arena will be networked to the Olympic Center’s new industrial refrigeration plant, designed to make ice with improved reliability and efficiency. Ice is now maintained with a new electric Zamboni.
“The ECAC championship is an outstanding representation of the athleticism and teamwork that the exciting sport of hockey demands,” said ORDA president-CEO Mike Pratt. “We can’t wait to welcome back the teams, and the new Herb Brooks Arena will deliver a premier experience to the players and spectators.”
The 1980 Herb Brooks Arena is one of four ice surfaces within the Olympic Center complex. The fully modernized 1932 Jack Shea Arena opened to the public on December 3, 2021, and the transformed James B. Sheffield Speed Skating Oval will debut in the coming weeks.
For tickets and additional information, call (518) 523-3330, or visit www.LakePlacidLegacySites.com.
