The 2026 Hockey East men's ice hockey tournament was the 41st tournament in the history of the conference. It was played between March 11 and March 21, 2026. The Merrimack Warriors won their first ever Hockey East championship after beating UMass Lowell, Providence College and UMass. The championship game was played between Merrimack and Connecticut, with Merrimack winning 2-1 and becoming the first 8 seed to ever win the Hockey East tournament.
Merrimack goalie Max Ludgren was named tournament MVP after having a shutout in the semifinals vs. UMass and making 49 saves on 50 shots in the championship game.
Format The tournament includes all eleven teams in the conference, with teams ranked according to their finish in the conference standings. Seeds 1–5 earn a bye into the quarterfinal round, while seeds 6–11 play to determine the remaining quarterfinalists. Winners in the opening round are reseeded and advanced to play top three seeds in reverse order. Winners of the quarterfinal matches are again reseeded for the semifinal, and the winners of those two games face off in the championship.
All series are single-elimination with opening round and quarterfinal matches occurring at home team sites. The two semifinal games and championship match are held at the TD Garden. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid into the NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament.
Standings
Bracket Note: Teams are reseeded after the Opening Round and Quarterfinals
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Results Note: All game times are local.
Opening Round: March 11, 2026
(11) Vermont vs. (6) Boston University Source:
Boston, MA - Agganis Arena - 6:30 PM - Attendance: 1,931
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st BUCole Eiserman - PPGHutson, McCarthy 17:16 1–0 BU 2nd UVMJens RichardsAegerter, Michels 22:51 1–1 3rd BUCole Eiserman - GWGLawrence 46:51 2–1 BU BUCole Hutson - PPGMcCarthy, Eiserman 52:36 3–1 BU BUJack Harvey - ENGBednarik 57:15 4–1 BU Goaltenders Team Name Saves Goals against Time on ice UVM Aiden Wright 24 3 55:47 BU Mikhail Yegorov 25 1 60:00
(10) New Hampshire vs. (7) Northeastern Source:
Chestnut Hill, MA - Conte Forum - 7:00 PM - Attendance: 452
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st NUJacob MathieuCompton, Hajibi 2:10 1–0 NU 2nd UNHAlex Carr - SHGSkrastins, Lavins 22:00 1–1 NUTyler FukakusaHryckowian, Martino 27:41 2–1 NU NUAmine HajibiPerkins, Connor 30:06 3–1 NU UNHCam McDonaldSkrastins, Fitzgerald 32:09 3–2 NU NUJoe Connor - PPG GWGMathieu, Pechar 37:04 4–2 NU NUDylan ComptonMathieu, Hajibi 39:29 5–2 NU 3rd UNHNick Ring - PPGMcDonald, LeClerc 44:36 5–3 NU NUMatthew Perkins - SHG ENGUnassisted 56:51 6–3 NU NUNoah Jones - ENGUnassisted 57:39 7–3 NU Goaltenders Team Name Saves Goals against Time on ice UNH Kyle Chauvette 17 5 58:55 NU Lawton Zacher 24 3 60:00
(9) Massachusetts Lowell vs. (8) Merrimack Source:
North Andover, MA - Lawler Rink - 7:00 PM - Attendance: 1,992
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st MCTrevor HoskinPierre, Gill 1:12 1–0 MC UMLJack CollinsDelaney, Misskey 17:33 1–1 MCNolan FlamandOravetz 18:51 2–1 MC 2nd MCNick Pierre - PPGPowell 26:51 3–1 MC MCTrevor Hoskin - GWGPierre, Gill 35:30 4–1 MC 3rd UMLDillan BentleyMisskey 53:43 4–2 MC UMLDominic PayneDelaney, Adaszynski 56:43 4–3 MC MCParker Lalonde - ENGFitzpatrick, Cranston 58:57 5–3 MC Goaltenders Team Name Saves Goals against Time on ice UML Samuel Richard 25 4 58:31 MC Max Lundgren 23 3 59:47
Quarterfinals: March 13–14, 2026 (5) Maine vs (4) Boston College Source:
Chestnut Hill, MA - Conte Forum - 7:00 PM - Attendance: 5,695
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st BCTeddy Stiga – GWGRadivojevic, Fortescue 4:49 1–0 BC BCJames HagensGustafsson 5:28 2–0 BC 2nd None 3rd BCOskar JellvikConmy 41:34 3–0 BC BCDean Letourneau – ENGHagens 55:25 4–0 BC BCJames Hagens – ENGLetourneau, Kostadinski 4:49 5–0 BC Goaltenders Team Name Saves Goals against Time on ice MAINE Mathis Rousseau 21 3 59:28 BC Louka Cloutier 18 0 60:00
(6) Boston University vs (3) Connecticut Source:
Storrs, CT - Toscano Family Ice Forum - 1:00 PM - Attendance: 2,513
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st CONN Jake Percival Fraser, Heaslip 6:44 1–0 CONN 2nd BU Tynan Lawrence Unassisted 21:11 1–1 CONN Jake Richard – PPG Muldowney, Janviriya 23:33 2–1 CONN BU Jack Murtagh Lawrence, Ritchie 32:35 2–2 3rd CONN Ethan Whitcomb Murtagh 42:39 3–2 CONN CONN Anthony Allain Samake – GWG Percival, Gustafsson Nyberg 43:47 4–2 CONN BU Ben Merrill Unassisted 49:54 4–3 CONN CONN Joey Muldowney – ENG Tattle 59:05 5–3 CONN Goaltenders Team Name Saves Goals against Time on ice BU Mikhail Yegorov 33 4 58:31 CONN Tyler Muszelik 29 3 60:00
(7) Northeastern University vs (2) Massachusetts Source:
Amherst, MA - Mullins Center - 4:00 PM - Attendance: 4,537
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st MASS Larry Keenan Musa, Nestrašil 3:37 1–0 MASS NU Griffin Erdman Connor, May 18:39 1–1 2nd MASS Jack Musa – GWG Nestrašil, Galanek 39:36 2–1 MASS 3rd MASS Václav Nestrašil Musa, Galanek 44:08 3–1 MASS MASS Cam O'Neill – ENG Klečka, Kerr 59:32 4–1 MASS Goaltenders Team Name Saves Goals against Time on ice NU Lawton Zacher 23 3 57:51 MASS Michael Hrabel 30 1 59:55
(8) Merrimack vs. (1) Providence Source:
Providence, RI - Schneider Arena - 7:00 PM - Attendance: 2,798
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st PC Graham Gamache Mustard 13:49 1–0 PC MC Nathan King – PPG Lalonde, Beyer 18:45 1–1 2nd None 3rd MC Nolan Flamand – PPG Fitzpatrick, King 40:49 2–1 MC PC John Mustard Mantei, McQueen 56:44 2–2 OT MC Trevor Hoskin – GWG Gill, Beyer 63:50 3–2 MC Goaltenders Team Name Saves Goals against Time on ice MC Max Lundgren 34 2 63:49 PC Jack Parsons 27 3 63:46
Semifinals: March 20, 2026
(3) Connecticut vs (4) Boston College Source:
Boston, MA - TD Garden - 7:00 PM - Attendance: 15,573
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st None 2nd BC Dean Letourneau – PPG Gasseau, Hagens 20:39 1–0 BC CONN Trey Scott Muldowney, Tattle 21:32 1–1 BC Dean Letourneau – PPG Hagens, Gustafsson 25:09 2–1 BC CONN Ethan Whitcomb Murtagh, Gardula 28:28 2–2 3rd CONN Mike Murtagh Whitcomb, Gustafsson Nyberg 52:28 3–2 CONN BC Ryan Conmy Stiga, Fortescue 54:13 3–3 OT CONN Tristan Fraser – GWG Heaslip, Percival 61:18 4–3 CONN Goaltenders Team Name Saves Goals against Time on ice CONN Tyler Muszelik 22 3 61:17 BC Louka Cloutier 28 4 61:15
(2) Massachusetts vs (8) Merrimack Source:
Boston, MA - TD Garden - 4:00 PM - Attendance:
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st None 2nd None 3rd MC Ryan O'Connell – GWG Daneault 43:00 1–0 MC MC Caden Cranston – ENG Lalonde, Oravetz 58:21 2–0 MC Goaltenders Team Name Saves Goals against Time on ice MASS Michael Hrabal 27 1 58:01 MC Max Lundgren 24 0 60:00
Championship: March 21, 2026 (3) Connecticut vs (8) Merrimack Source:
Boston, MA - TD Garden - 7:00 PM - Attendance: 15,759
Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st None 2nd MCRyan O'ConnellHoskin, Kungle 22:29 1–0 MC CONNEthan WhitcombAllain Samake 37:22 1–1 3rd MCCaelan Fitzpatrick – GWGLalonde 40:26 2–1 MC Goaltenders Team Name Saves Goals against Time on ice CONN Tyler Muszelik 23 2 58:25 MC Max Lundgren 49 1 60:00
Tournament Awards
All-Tournament Team Source:
G – Max Lundgren* (Merrimack) D – Nathan King (Merrimack) D – Tom Messineo (Connecticut) F – Dean Letourneau (Boston College) F – Ryan O'Connell (Merrimack) F – Trevor Hoskin (Merrimack)
* Tournament MVP
References
External links 2025 Hockey East Men's Ice Hockey Tournament