College hockey season is in its prime time with in-season tournaments, conference play action and highly competitive play all in full force. Specifically, hockey in Storrs has been on a hot streak with remaining in the win column and climbing up the national rankings every week. On Jan. 13, the Huskies were ranked at No. 17 and by Jan. 20 they had moved up to No. 13. This week, they’ve jumped to the top ten and now check in at No. 9 in the country.
However, the Huskies are not the only east-coast team who are represented on the national college hockey rankings. There are a total of eight teams from the Hockey East conference in the USCHO weekly poll: Boston College, Maine, Providence, UMass Lowell, Connecticut, Boston University, New Hampshire and UMass.
The Hockey East conference is known as one of, if not the best, conferences in college hockey. This is due to the consistent high level of competition across the board, producing top talent in players, while also having a strong record of NCAA tournament success. Hockey East has multiple national championships across various teams within the conference under their belt which adds to their competitiveness as a whole.
Cole O’Hara of Massachusetts is tied for fourth in the country for leading scorer with 14 goals, 20 assists for a total of 34 points. Gabe Perreault of Boston College is not far behind at No. 8 in the nation in scoring with 8 goals, 23 assists for 31 points. The Hockey East conference is well represented on that list with many more of their players to follow on the list of the nation’s scoring leaders.
Hockey East goes beyond college and into the professional leagues. For the opening night of the 2024-25 NHL season, there were 82 Hockey East alumni named to National Hockey League rosters. In total, 30 of the 32 member clubs carry at least one former Hockey East player on their roster.
Every single Hockey East institution is represented by a current player in the NHL. Among the 82 players, there are 17 Boston University active alumni, followed by Boston College (17), Northeastern (11) and Massachusetts with 10. Rounding out the list is Providence (8), New Hampshire (5), Maine (4), UMass Lowell (3), UConn (1), Merrimack (1), and Vermont (1). There are an additional four players from Notre Dame who competed in Hockey East action and also earned NHL roster spots for this season.
As for the teams, 22 of the 32 NHL clubs carry at least two Hockey East products. The Pittsburgh Penguins have the most former Hockey East players on their roster out of all NHL teams with seven. The Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens each have six Hockey East players within their club.
In the most recent 2024 National Hockey League entry Draft, the Hockey East Association saw 14 current players and recruits be selected to a team. It represented five of the 11 Hockey East institutions. Macklin Celebrini was specifically highlighted, who became the second-ever Hockey East player to be picked first overall in the NHL draft. Celebrini was the reigning Hockey East Player of the Year for Boston University. The Terriers are the first NCAA school to have two players for first overall in the NHL Draft after goaltender Rick DiPietro was selected number one in the 2000 NHL Draft.
In the last 25 years of college hockey playoffs, the Hockey East conference has seen eight national championships. From the year 1999, Maine, Boston College, Boston University, Providence and Massachusetts have brought home the trophy. For even more success, in the last 25 years, Boston College has won four national championships, making it a total of five. In the last 25 years of Frozen Fours, 10 Hockey East teams have been the runner-up to the national champion which adds to the overall presence of the conference in country-wide tournaments.
To conclude, Hockey East stands as one of the best conferences in college hockey. With their rich history of success, competitiveness and the consistent ability to produce top-tier, NHL talent the conference has created an environment that is hard to beat. It is the premier destination for both players and fans who love to follow along. There is a combination of elite coaching, state-of-the-art facilities, and commitment to excellence, as Hockey East sets the stand for college hockey.