 | |
| Association | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 |
| Commissioner | Steve Metcalf |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division I |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Headquarters | Amesbury, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Region | New England |
| Official website | http://www.hockeyeastonline.com |
| Locations | |
 | |
The Hockey East Association, also known as Hockey East, is a college ice hockey conference which operates entirely in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference.[1]
Hockey East came into existence in 1984 for men's hockey when most of its current members split from what is today known as ECAC Hockey, after disagreements with the Ivy League members.[2] The women's league began play in 2002.[3][4]
On October 5, 2011, the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish (an ACC member outside football) announced they would be joining Hockey East as the conference's first non-New England school in 2013 after the CCHA folded.[5] On March 22, 2016, Notre Dame subsequently announced their men's hockey team would leave Hockey East for the Big Ten Conference at the start of the 2017–2018 season.[6] The University of Connecticut (UConn) and Hockey East jointly announced on June 21, 2012, that UConn's men's team, then in Atlantic Hockey, would join the school's women's team in Hockey East in 2014.[7] On October 24, 2013, Merrimack College, already a member of the Hockey East men's league, announced that it would upgrade its women's team from club level to full varsity status effective in 2015 and join the Hockey East women's league.[8]
On May 2, 2017, the College of the Holy Cross announced that it would join Hockey East for women's hockey only starting in 2018–19.[9]
- ^ "BU nabs spot in Hockey East semis; Maine next – ESPN Boston". ESPN. March 15, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
- ^ He Could Go All the Way, U.S. College Hockey Online
- ^ "Maine news, sports, politics and obituaries — Bangor Daily News". Archived from the original on 2012-07-15. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ Hockey East News, Schedule, Scores, Statistics, Video – NESN.com
- ^ The Associated Press[dead link]
- ^ Connelly, Jim (March 22, 2016). "Sources: Notre Dame leaving Hockey East for Big Ten in 2017". USCHO.com. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
- ^ "UConn Men's Hockey to Join Hockey East in 2014–2015" (Press release). Hockey East. June 21, 2012. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
- ^ "Merrimack College Women's Ice Hockey to Join Division I, Hockey East Ranks in 2015–16" (Press release). Merrimack College Athletics. October 24, 2013. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
- ^ Horgan, Candace (2017-05-02). "Holy Cross to join Women's Hockey East for 2018-19". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on 2017-06-10. Retrieved 2017-05-04.