Nearly nine months after the abrupt end to the 2019-20 college hockey season, ECAC Hockey will officially commence its 2020-21 campaign this weekend.
Clarkson, Colgate, Quinnipiac, and St. Lawrence will represent the league this year, as the other eight ECAC Hockey members announced they will not compete due to COVID-19 concerns.
RPI and Union announced their decisions not to compete on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. The Ivy League announced last Thursday that its members would not compete in winter sports, including the six that participate in ECAC Hockey.
“We are deeply saddened and sorrowful for the student-athletes, coaches, staff, and all stakeholders at Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, RPI, Union, and Yale,” said ECAC Hockey commissioner Steve Hagwell in a statement. “ECAC Hockey is the greatest league in the country in large part because of the individuals representing the 12 member institutions.”
The quartet of institutions moving forward will compete in a slate of non-league and league games, beginning as early as this weekend. The current slate of non-league contests in the first half of the season is outlined for the men and women. The 2020-21 league schedule, which will begin in January, will be announced in the coming days.
“The role of the league staff is to support and promote the members, which is what we will do for the programs competing,” said Hagwell. “It is going to look different, but we are confident that we have an exciting season ahead.”
