Northeastern returned to the top of the conference, winning the regular season title after a two year absence. But Connecticut eked out a 2-1 win in overtime of the conference championship game. Both teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament. UConn earned their first-ever tournament win in their second berth, defeating Princeton 4-1. Northeastern took down Minnesota to advance to the Frozen Four, where they fell 5-0 to Ohio State.
It was a massive bounce back for Northeastern, who finished fifth in 2025. The coaches believe they’ll repeat this season, giving them the nod in the preseason poll. Connecticut received two first-place votes and placed second. It appears those two are poised to fight it out for the title again this season.
But things are far less clear among the other eight teams in Hockey East. Last season just 12 points separated fourth place Holy Cross (their highest-ever finish) and ninth place Providence. Put another way, Holy Cross had just two more wins than Providence.
Expect things to go similarly this season. There are three new head coaches in the league, including Nicole Norton at Providence who’s currently carrying an interim head coach designation. There’s a lot of new blood and a lot to prove and a very exciting incoming class of freshman league-wide that boast international experience who could make an immediate impact.
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Boston College
Despite fewer wins from the season before, the Eagles placed third in Hockey East. But losses in both Beanpot games and their first game of the Hockey Tournament show it wasn’t the season BC wants or hopes to repeat. Their biggest question comes in net. Senior Bailey Callaway has played the equivalent of six games in her three seasons. Bella Pomarico has a total of 7:31 on ice in three seasons. Rookie Avah Sedore joins the goaltending unit. But until they can prove they’ve got a solid answer in net, I’m not sure how high I can rank them.
Last Season
16-18-1, 14-9-1 (third). Lost to Vermont in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
Key Returners
Sophomore forward Ava Thomas
Thomas shared conference Rookie of the Year with Northeastern’s Stryker Zabocki. She was outstanding and her play last season is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for people’s expectations of Boston College right now.
Key Departures
Defender Emma Connor, goalie Grace Campbell (graduation)
Campbell was outstanding net over her career and she took the bulk of the starts over the past few seasons.
Most intriguing newcomer
Forward Sydney Semiga
After a solid junior career, I’m looking to see how she steps up to the opportunity available for her at BC. There’s space to be the next rookie to make a big, immediate impact. At 5’11” she offers a different impact and skill set. I think the Eagles could stand to be more physical and I think she can set that standard.
Prediction
Fourth
Boston University
With a massive graduating class that had set a new standard at BU, it was clear that it would be a tough year for the Terriers. Even knowing that, I didn’t expect them to win fewer than half the games they did the season before. Things just never really came together for Boston University. They were firmly middle of the pack in most metrics, but had the second-best penalty kill in the country. The coaches picked them in a tie for fourth with Holy Cross, but I’m not as high on BU. I’ll be very happy for them to prove me wrong, but I think there’s some rebuilding that still needs to happen here.
Last Season
11-21-3, 8-14-2 (eighth). Lost to Providence in the opening round of the Hockey East Tournament.
Key Returners
Senior goalie Mari Pietersen, junior forward Kaileigh Quigg
With four of the top four scorers graduating from a team that only averaged 1.8 goals per game, BU will be relying on Quigg to take on a bigger role on offense and on Pietersen to keep games close.
Key Departures
Forwards Luisa and Lilli Welcke, Sydney Healey (graduation)
Most intriguing newcomer
Defender Kali Maechtel
She tallied four assists for Canada en route to a silver medal at the 2026 U18 World Championship. She was an active defender in three years with the Whitby Wolves, tallying 82 points on 28 goals and 54 assists. The Terriers could use a more active blueliner that leads the breakout and can step into play on the offensive end.
Prediction
Fifth
Connecticut
The Huskies recorded their best-ever record and earned their first-ever NCAA Tournament win last season. Now they come back looking to fight Northeastern for the top spot once again. NU took the regular season title back after UConn held it for two seasons, but Connecticut took the confernece title with an overtime win. They return much of the roster that helped them to their record-setting year, but do have a big question mark in net. They graduated two of the best goalies in the game over the past two seasons, leaving a netminder trio with very little game experience.
Last Season
28-9-2, 17-6-1 (second). Lost to Penn State in the NCAA Quarterfinal.
Key Returners
Junior forward Claire Murdoch, senior defender Julia Stephan
Murdoch is team capatin. A two-time conference All-Star, she tied UConn’s single season record with 27 assists last season.
Key Departures
Senior forward Ashley Allard (Minnesota), forward Kyla Josifovich, goalie Tia Chan (graduation)
Chan’s career was riddled with accolades. Now they’ll be looking to sophomore Taylor Belchatz, who was two career starts, senior Shannon Moran who has less than eight minutes on ice in three seasons and rookie Amelia Wilkinson.
Most intriguing newcomers
Defender Chelsea Tiller, Forward Caileigh Tiller
The twin sisters bring a ton of skill and experience. They should be impactful quickly for the Huskies and provide a boost on both ends of the ice.
Caileigh averaged 1.42 points per game in 71 games played for the Burlington Barracudas. Despite a short career, she ranks fourth in franchise history with 102 points. She won gold in 2025 and silver in 2026 as part of Team Canada at the U18 World Championships. She had six goals and ten assists in 11 games played over the two tournaments.
Chelsea set a record for points by a defender in two years with the Burlington Barracudas. In 84 games she had 6 goals and 59 assists. She won silver with Canada at the 2026 U18 World Championships.
Prediction
Second
Holy Cross
Made huge strides last season, finishing fourth in Hockey East. They’d never finished higher than ninth in seven previous seasons in the league. They nearly doubled their win total overall and set a new program record for Hockey East victories. I’m apparently higher on them than the coaches, but I think they proved themselves last year, are returning much of that roster and are adding some pieces that should make them even better. Tempering all that positivity is the reminder of how poorly things went for Holy Cross at the end of the season as the team seemed to hit a wall as over the final seven games of the regular season they suffered five losses and took two ties, while losing the shootout in each. They finished the season five points behind Boston College and 16 points behind Connecticut in second place. So while I’m applauding the massive step forward, I’m hoping they learned a lot and are better prepared for the long stretch of the season.
Last Season
19-13-3, 10-11-3 (fourth). Lost to Vermont in the Hockey East Tournament semifinals.
Key Returners
Sophomore forwards Violet Carroll, Naemi Herzig, junior defender Sarah Rowe
The Crusaders return seven of the top 10 scorers, including Carroll, who led the team and Herzig who was tied for second. Herzig was named as assistant captain of the team, joining a leadership group of seniors in her second season. Caroll’s 16 assists and 26 points are the most for a Holy Cross skater in the program’s Hockey East era
Key Departures
Goalie Abby Hornung, forward Alexia Moreau (graduation)
Hornung was the starter last season and had eligibility left. She entered the transfer portal, did not get picked up and last I saw, was invited to camp with the Boston Fleet.
Most intriguing newcomers
Slovakian goalie Livia Debnarova, Italian forward Manuela Heidenberger
Heidenberger has been a member of the Italian national team since 2023, helping her team get promoted to Division I Group A after the 2025 IIHF World Championships and win bronze at that division’s 2026 IIHF World Championship. She also skated for Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, playing in all five of the team’s games. Debnarova has been the starter for the Slovakian National Team through the last two D1A World Championships. She spent time at The Winchendon School and in the OWHL and at 20, brings maturity, experience and an ability to stay calm under pressure. She’s the presumptive starter for the Crusaders and is one of the reasons I don’t think last year’s place in the standings was a fluke.
Prediction
Third
Maine
The coaching change was mildly unexpected, but with a roster that remains mostly unchanged from last season with a solid goalie, their highest scorers and a solid incoming class, there’s no reason to believe that Maine can’t push to be in the top-three conversation in the conference. They start the season once again against Quinnipiac, who have won 10 straight against them. Walking away from the series with some points would send a message about how they plan to go on this year.
Last Season
13-19-4, 8-12-4 (seventh). Lost to Connecticut in the Hockey East Tournament Quarterfinals.
Key Returners
Junior goalie Kiia Lahtinen, sophomore forward Isabelle Michaud
The Black Bears return their top five point scorers from last season and Michaud led them all with 11 goals and 19 points. Lahtinen was solid and reliable, taking nearly every game in net. If they can cut down even a small percentage of the shots she faces, it could make a big difference. They need her healthy and not exhausted and I think if she were a little less busy, she might be able to lock in a bit more.
Key Departures
Forwards Ava Stevenson, Danielle Brunette (graduation)
Most intriguing newcomers
Czechia forward Julie Jebousková, coach Alex Gettens
Captain of the 2026 Czech U18 team, she has been at Shattuck St. Mary’s for the last three years. Last season she led the team with 45 assists and was third with 72 points. She also had 24 penalty minutes, but that was down from 54 the year before. She’s scrappy and feels like she’s involved in every play. She reminds me a lot of Abby Roque – a bit of a bulldozer, but with great hands and stellar shot. A little reckless but a lot talented.
Watch or listen to our episode of the PodKaz with Alex Gettens here.
Prediction
Ninth
Merrimack
The Warriors have finished higher than ninth in Hockey East just twice in the last 11 years – they finished fifth in 2018-19 and eighth two years before that. So it may be too optimistic to have Merrimack finishing out of the bottom two this season, but the climb has to start somewhere. They took a 7-1 win in an exhibition against Stonehill last weekend where Madison Vittands matched her goal total for last season with a hat trick against the SkyHawks. That’s a really small sample size, but having seen how new coach Courtney Kennedy understands team dynamics while inspiring trust and confidence, I feel like this is a team ripe for a big step. There is room for improvement and likely a gap between what they are capable of and what they were producing last season. I have high hopes and expectations for Merrimack.
Last Season
7-24-4, 4-18-2 (tenth). Lost to Maine in the opening round of the Hockey East Tournament
Key Returners
Senior forward Emma Pfeffer, graduate forward Avery Anderson
Pfeffer was the only player to have more than 20 points last season. She’s a good two way player who will step in front of pucks and be active on defense.
Key Departures
Defender Maddie Crowley-Cahill, forward Olivia Grabianowski (graduation)
Most intriguing newcomers
Head coach Courtney Kennedy, forward Brooklyn O’Brien
Watch or listen to our PodKaz episode with Courtney Kennedy here.
O’Brien was very good at Shattuck St. Mary’s as a U19, but was less prolific on the prep squad. That being said, there’s a ton of talent on that roster and that she played 50 games and found herself on the scoresheet speaks to her work ethic and her talent. It feels like she could be a really integral part of this offense when she has a chance to take on a bigger role.
Prediction
Eighth
New Hampshire
With wins over #11 Brown, #7 UConn and #6 Northeastern, the Wildcats proved they can play with the best in the conference and beyond. But they struggled with consistency and weren’t able to follow up those wins with series victories. There’s a lot of open ground to be grabbed in the midfield of this conference. With the flashes of brilliance they showed last season, UNH could be poised to take advantage and gain ground. But until they show they can regularly beat the teams they should beat alongside the eye-catching wins, I’m not ready to fully buy in.
Last Season
16-16-3, 10-12-2 (fifth). Lost to Holy Cross in the opening round of the Hockey East Tournament
Key Returners
Sophomore forward Nina Rossi, senior goalies Sedona Blair, Noemi Martinez
The goalies split time in net last season and I’d imagine there’s not a plan to change that much this season. That steadiness and consistency will be good for a team that I think is going to take a little time to really settle into and assert who they are. Rossi led the team in scoring as a rookie. She’ll have a lot of attention and pressure on her this season, but if she can step into a leadership role and help guide this team, they could surprise some people.
Key Departures
Forward Alyson Hush (graduation), sophomore Alex Therien (St. Lawrence)
Most intriguing newcomer
Defender Ella Souza
She was captain of her prep team and led them in scoring while taking them to a state championship and a nationals semifinal loss. She was all-conference, as well. Her dad coaches the men’s team at UNH.
Prediction
Seventh
Northeastern
After their worst league finish in 15 years in 2024-2025, the Huskies bounced back spectacularly last season, securing the regular season title by the first week in February. And it sure feels like they’re only going to be better this season. Their graduates had a big locker room presence and were leaders on and off the ice, so there may be some transition as the room re-settles, but there’s a lot of talent here with a very good incoming class.
Last Season
29-9-1, 21-2-1 (first). Lost to Ohio State in the NCAA semifinals.
Key Returners
Junior goalie Lisa Jönsson, sophomore forward Stryker Zablocki
Zablocki set the standard for what teams can hope for out of a rookie. She was Hockey East Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, a First Team League All-Star and League scoring champion. She also scored the final goal in Northeastern women’s hockey history at Matthews Arena. And I don’t expect she’s anywhere near done yet.
Key Departures
Forwards Lily Shannon, Jaden Bogden, defender Jules Constantinople (graduation)
Most intriguing newcomers
Swiss forward Ivana Wey, Czech forward Adéla Pánková
Wey stood out at U18s when I first saw her and she has since joined the senior National Team squad, tallying two assists, including setting up the overtime game-winner for Alina Muller to win the bronze medal. She’s also been playing on the top women’s pro team in Switzerland. Pánková has really good speed as well as a knack for causing turnovers. Her first few strides put her past the defense and she has the hands to finish the play at the net.
Prediction
First
Providence
It’s been a heck of an offseason in Rhode Island with a late departure by the head coach and five players leaving the program via the transfer portal. That leaves a lot of opportunity for the Friars but I imagine they’ll need some time to find their bearings. Interim head coach Nicole Norton didn’t get a chance to take advantage of the portal herself and has had to pick up the reins basically as the preseason started.
Last Season
11-22-2, 8-14-2 (ninth). Lost to Boston University in the opening round of the Hockey East Tournament.
Key Returners
Senior forward Audrey Knapp, junior defender Hannah Clarke
Key Departures
Forward Jessie Pellerin (Clarkson), forward Reichen Kirchmair, graduate goalie Hope Walinski (graduation)
This group leaves a big hole, not just on the stat sheet, but in the locker room and in leadership. Ultimately I think this is a program with a lot of unanswered questions and it’s currently unclear if they have the roster to step up. They very well might, but I think the skepticism is warranted until proven otherwise.
Most intriguing newcomer
Goalie Bianca Birrittieri
Not to take anything away from the rest of her team, but Birrittieri won gold for the US at the most recent U18 World Championships, pitching a 38 save shutout against Canada. She was outstanding and unflappable but I also loved her attitude and confidence – after the game she talked about playing in front of a pro-Canada crowd in Nova Scotia and quieting them down with her play.
Watch or listen to our episode of the PodKaz with interim head coach Nicole Norton here.
Prediction
Tenth
Vermont
With turnover and new coaches, some programs are obvious picks to surprise people, but I feel like Vermont isn’t getting enough attention for the likelihood that they could make a big jump in the standings. Retaining much of their roster, the Catamounts seemed to show that they are who I think they are in their exhibition last weekend. Not only did they score in the opening minute of the game, but they did it by being strong and scrappy, putting pressure on and forcing a turnover. UVM is the team that does not give up. They played ten overtime games last season and lost just one of them – to #5 Northeastern. I love their tenacity and penchant for heroics. I’m certain their coaching staff would like to see them close things out in regulation and have a little more breathing room, but never let it be said a Vermont game is boring.
Last Season
16-17-5, 9-11-4 (sixth). Lost to Northeastern in the semifinals of the Hockey East Tournament
Key Returners
Senior forward Rose-Marie Brochu, redshirt junior defender Josie Hemp
Hemp led the team with 60 blocks. She was named Third Team All-Conference. She was third in Hockey East among blueliners with seven goals. Her two-way ability while not giving up anything on defense was crucial last season. Brochu is the highest returning scorer and is key for them on faceoffs. She led the conference in faceoff wins and win percentage. On a team where total offense and defense numbers are practically identical, puck possession is especially important and Brochu makes sure the Catamounts have it more often than not.
Key Departures
Forward Julia Mesplède (graduation), senior defender Ashley Kokavec (Penn State)
Most intriguing newcomer
Sophomore defender Linnea Misner (Robert Morris)
Misner was fourth on RMU in points last season as a rookie defender. I love the idea of having two defensive pairings anchored by an offensive defender. It gives Vermont versatility and range. Not to belabor the wide open field, but scoring from the defense and bolstering their goals per game beyond the top two offensive lines very much could be the difference between a top-four finish and a spot in the bottom four.
Prediction
Sixth