This Week in ECAC Hockey: Princeton’s Hobey Baker Rink celebrating 100 years this weekend with Tigers men’s, women’s teams joining in recognition

Walking into any arena in college hockey produces a certain number of expectations. A sport built around its emotion and drama now has buildings capable of manufacturing the dopamine levels required for delirious fans wanting to cheer their teams to victory, and the climate of a building is often artificially produced through lights or video … Read more

Longtime ECAC Hockey commissioner Hagwell to retire at end of 2022-23 season

Longtime ECAC Hockey commissioner Steve Hagwell has announced his retirement, effective at the conclusion of the 2022-23 fiscal year. Hagwell is the longest-serving commissioner of ECAC Hockey, having seen the storied league through its evolution to a single-sport conference and into one of the most competitive leagues in the sport. “Having had the honor, privilege … Read more

Rensselaer’s Herrman graduates early, forgoes remaining eligibility to sign pro deal overseas with EIHL’s Devils

The EIHL’s Cardiff Devils have signed Rensselaer senior forward Rory Herrman for the rest of the 2022-23 season. Herrman, a native of Poway, Calif., played in 33 games last season and 16 so far this season before graduating early and making himself available to sign a professional contract. By signing a professional contract, Herrman is … Read more

HCA tabs Western Michigan’s Polin, Quinnipiac’s Graf, WMU’s McAllister, Niagara’s Veltri for November monthly honors

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced the four men’s college hockey award winners for Nov. 2022. Western Michigan’s Jason Polin and Quinnipiac’s Collin Graf are co-players of the month, while WMU’s Ryan McAllister is rookie of the month and Niagara’s Chad Veltri is goaltender of the month. Polin scored 10 goals in November as part … Read more

This Week in ECAC Hockey: Fresh off Mayor’s Cup win over Providence, Brown taking strides ‘to be an elite team’

The ride from Brown University’s Meehan Auditorium to Providence College’s Schneider Arena isn’t a very long trip across Providence. It only takes two or three miles to head down College Hill, and the drive largely avoids the busy downtown area around Federal Hill and the Providence Place Mall. It stays on the periphery, and with … Read more

SATURDAY ROUNDUP: No. 4 Quinnipiac wins Belpot championship in dramatic shootout over No. 17 UMass; No. 14 UMass Lowell rallies from three down for third place in Belfast; Michigan hands Harvard first loss; Brown upsets PC for Mayor’s Cup

Quinnipac captain Zach Metsa rings the coveted Belpot trophy after defeating Massachusetts in a shootout during Saturday’s Friendship Four in Belfast, N.I. It was the first time the Belpot has been awarded since 2019. (Photo: William Cherry/Presseye)

This Week in ECAC Hockey: Lengthy review, discussion period leads conference to revamp postseason format for 2023 games

My most memorable college hockey game occurred when Brown hosted Princeton during the 2019 ECAC Hockey tournament’s first round. It was the second game of a best-of-three series, but it was the third consecutive game between the two teams after they played the last game of the season and managed to land in a playoff … Read more

ECAC Hockey adjusts format for men’s, women’s postseason tournaments with men starting change in 2023, women in 2024

ECAC Hockey has announced changes to the postseason tournament format for its men’s and women’s conferences. Effective March 2023, the men’s tournament will feature a single-game first-round format the weekend of March 4-6 with seed Nos. 5-8 hosting seed Nos. 9-12. The four winners of the first-round games will advance to the league quarterfinals March … Read more

This Week in ECAC Hockey: With traditional late Ivy start to season, Harvard looking to ‘learn a lot about your team in the first handful of games’

The banners at Harvard’s Bright-Landry Hockey Center tell stories of tribute to the champions of years past. They form a road of sorts along the ice sheet, and each flag links generations of hockey players who once wore the fabled crimson and white uniforms by listing the individual years’ glory next to one another. It’s … Read more

This Week in ECAC Hockey: Rensselaer ‘Godfather’ Hallbauer enjoying uber-veteran status in last season of NCAA hockey

Kyle Hallbauer knows all of the jokes. He’s old enough to remember when the members of One Direction weren’t heading in different directions. He was around when the Titanic sank, but at least THAT was the movie and not real life. His nickname in the locker room is “Grandpa” and the “Godfather.” This past weekend, … Read more

This Week in ECAC Hockey: With huge win over North Dakota, Quinnipiac looking to play with ‘that passion every game’

There’s a certain level of required dissatisfaction that exists with national championship contenders in college hockey. They exist on a plane that other teams aspire to reach, but their ability to annually compete is built around an idea that winning, while expected, is never taken for granted. It sounds basic enough to fulfill a cliche, … Read more

This Week in ECAC Hockey: After cancer battle, St. Lawrence’s Lapointe back with Saints, ‘way ahead of where he thought he would be’

Any college hockey coach will tell you that, at the end of the day, you must judge things by wins and losses. Which is certainly true. But sometimes life changes that underlying philosophy. And that’s the case for the St. Lawrence men’s hockey team right now. When the Saints took the ice on opening night … Read more

ECAC Hockey 2022-23 Season Preview: Parity abounds with teams rebuilding, refocusing efforts after pandemic years

The past two years offered some of the most shape-shifting and chaotic times in college hockey. Conferences realigned, teams expanded and contracted, and new leagues formed. Future changes were thrust into a white-hot spotlight, and the bedrock emotional culture of the sport ranged from anxiety and fear to excitement and anticipation. Through it all, ECAC … Read more