Lots of changes have come to Hockey East teams.
New coaches stand behind the benches of Boston College and Boston University. Come January, UConn will have a big, beautiful new home.
Still, lots of things have stayed the same. Impact players at BU, Northeastern and Providence opted to stay instead of bolting for professional hockey. Those teams, plus UMass, UMass Lowell, UConn and BC look to battle for positioning atop the Hockey East standings.
Here's a full preview of each team in Hockey East.
 Boston College
Boston College is used to starting with a new-look team with the amount of NHL talent that it churns out, but the new look extends to the bench this year as Greg Brown takes over for retired legend Jerry York (Watertown, Mass.).
The top five scorers from last season’s eighth-place team signed pro, including defenseman Drew Helleson a year early. Juniors Nikita Nesterenko and Colby Ambrosio return after scoring 16 combined goals, while Bruins prospect Trevor Kuntar netted a career-high nine and totaled 20 points. Senior Marshall Warren anchors the defense.
The Eagles boast an experienced transfer goalie for the second straight year as Mitch Benson comes from Colgate. Former Belmont Hill standout Christian O’Neill (Princeton/Westwood, Mass.) and Nobles alum Cam Burke (Notre Dame/Boxborough, Mass.) are also graduate transfers.
Another talented rookie class is led by Philadelphia’s No. 5 overall pick Cutter Gauthier up front and U.S. Under-18 teammates Charlie Leddy (Fairfield, Conn.) and Seamus Powell (Marcellus, N.Y.) — brother of junior Eamon — on defense.
Boston University
Eight of the top nine scorers — all except Arizona State transfer Robert Mastrosimone — return to Boston University, which will be led by a first-year head coach in former Bruin and Albie O’Connell associate Jay Pandolfo (Winchester, Mass.).
Senior defenseman Domenick Fensore (Thornwood, N.Y.) led the way with 26 assists and 31 points. Wilmer Skoog brings back a team-high 15 goals, and senior Jay O’Brien (Hingham, Mass.) and junior Dylan Peterson netted 10 apiece. The senior class also includes seniors Matt Brown and Ethan Phillips. The lead group includes two other defenders in sophomore Bruins prospect Ty Gallagher and senior Case McCarthy, while juniors Drew Commesso (Norwell, Mass.) and Vinny Duplessis return after seeing significant time in goal.
Per usual, highly touted freshmen are joining the Terriers as defenseman Lane Hutson and forward Devin Kaplan have USA Hockey experience, forward Ryan Greene was a second-round draftee of Chicago this year, and forward Quinn Hutson (Lane’s brother) led his USHL team in scoring in 2021-22.
Connecticut
Connecticut is looking to build upon its best season since joining Hockey East in 2014-15, having won 14 league games and playing for the playoff championship at TD Garden last March.
The Huskies return junior Ryan Tverberg (team-high 14 goals, 32 points), but the other three of the top four producers and 10-goal scorers graduated and/or signed pro. Senior defensemen Roman Kinal and Jake Flynn (Bridgewater, Mass.) are captains alongside junior forward Hudson Schandor, whose classmate Nick Capone (East Haven, Conn.) looks to make a big jump. Junior John Spetz (Oak Ridge, N.J.) and senior Harrison Rees return as top contributors from the back end.
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Four transfers join the fold from other New England programs: former Vermont captain Andrew Lucas on defense, and BU’s Ty Amonte (Humarock, Mass.), Yale grad Justin Pearson (Nashua, N.H.) and Maine product Adam Dawe at forward. Sophomore Logan Terness and freshman Arsenii Sergeev should form a competitive goaltending tandem after Union grad transfer Darion Hanson played all but one game last year. A forward on last year’s Canadian World Junior roster, 17-year-old Matthew Wood is a touted 2023 draft prospect.
Maine
After head coach Ben Barr’s first go-around with a young Maine team was a struggle, all of the top six scorers are returning.
Lynden Breen (25 points) and Donavan Villeneuve-Houle (10 goals) topped the Black Bears’ offensive charts as sophomores and now become upperclassmen. Senior Ben Poisson and grad student Grant Hebert were also career-high scorers with nine and seven goals, respectively.
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Reigning Hockey East All-Rookie Team member David Breazeale and grad student Jakub Sirota are back as leaders on the blue line. Returning junior Victor Ostman and Clarkson transfer Jacob Mucitelli (Deerfield, N.Y.) will form an experienced goaltending tandem.
Barr also added forward Justin Michealian — who was the top scorer for Ferris State last year — out of the portal, while freshman Grayson Arnott is a defenseman to watch out of the BCHL.
Massachusetts
Climbing to the top of Hockey East once is no easy feat, but Massachusetts has become the league’s first repeat tournament champion since UMass Lowell in 2013-14. Can Greg Carvel’s club make it three in a row?
Without 20 goals from Hobey Baker finalist and reigning Hockey East Player of the Year Bobby Trivigno and fellow double-digit goal scorers Josh Lopina and Garrett Wait, look for the back end to shine with sophomores Scott Morrow (Darien, Conn.) and Ryan Ufko having crossed the 30-point threshold. Seniors Cal Kiefiuk and Reed Lebster will be the top Minutemen veterans up front, while freshmen Kenny Connors, Cole O’Hara and Tyson Dyck all enter the program as 2022 draftees.
Arizona State transfer Cole Brady and sophomore Luke Pavicich (Clarence Center, N.Y.) — a U.S. World Junior invitee despite starting just one game during his rookie year at UMass — will hold down the net after Matt Murray’s graduation.
UMass Lowell
A full cast of defensemen return to a UMass Lowell team that lost two of its top three scorers and Owen Savory, the All-Hockey East second-team netminder a year ago.
The River Hawks do return co-leading scorer Carl Berglund and sophomore Matt Crasa, whose 12 goals as a rookie ranked second on the team. Former Omaha transfer Ryan Brushett is back after stepping into an everyday forward role last year. Junior Ben Meehan (Walpole, Mass.) and graduate student Jon McDonald were two of six returnees who played at least 25 of the team’s 35 games on defense; sophomore Isac Jonsson and junior Brehdan Engum were among that group as underclassmen.
Alaska transfer Gustavs Davis Grigals will be the most experienced option in net as returning junior Henry Welsch played in just six games behind Savory last year. Former Central Catholic and Governor’s standout Owen Fowler (Tewksbury, Mass.), fellow forward Scout Truman and defenseman T.J. Schweighardt headline a nine-member freshman class.
Merrimack
Merrimack must move forward without three of its top four scorers and top two defensemen from a veteran-laden team that is coming off a sixth-place finish. Fifth-year coach Scott Borek’s cupboard won’t be bare, however, as Filip Forsmark, Alex Jefferies (Lunenburg, Mass.) and Ben Brar return to build upon double-digit goal totals. The Warriors were huge winners in the transfer market, bringing in two-time All-Atlantic Hockey honoree Will Calverley (RIT), Ryan Leibold (Holy Cross), Tristan Crozier (Brown) and Ottoville Leppanen (RPI) to bolster the forward group.
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Slava Demin (UMass) will provide much-needed experience on defense, with Declan Carlile and Zach Uens off to begin their pro careers early. Freshman Zach Bookman (Syracuse, N.Y.) enters after setting the CJHL record for points by a defenseman (102). Hugo Ollas won 10 games and had a .920 save percentage as a freshman, forming a strong goaltending duo with fellow returnee Zachary Borgiel.
New Hampshire
While New Hampshire loses its top three scorers from last season, there is plenty to be excited about in three sophomores — defenseman Colton Huard and forwards Liam Devlin (Needham, Mass.) and Robert Cronin (Plymouth, Mass.) — who each contributed at least 12 points.
The likes of senior Kalle Eriksson and sophomore Alex Gagne (Bedford, N.H.) return to a back line that added Jack Babbage (Quinnipiac/Tully, N.Y.) and Nico Devita (Ferris State) as transfers. Forward Ryan Black comes from Babson, where he won the Joe Concannon Award as the top American-born player in New England’s Division 2 and 3 ranks.
A touted freshman goaltender out of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Tyler Muszelik (Long Valley, N.J.) is likely to take over for fifth-year graduate Mike Robinson, though Alabama-Huntsville transfer David Fessenden returns with nine games as a Wildcat under his belt. Freshman forward Stiven Sardarian was a third-round NHL pick in 2021, and defenseman Damien Carfagna (Woodridge, N.J.) helped Sioux City win USHL’s Clark Cup last year.
Northeastern
The Jerry Keefe (Saugus, Mass.) era at Northeastern got off to a successful start in 2021-22, culminating in a Hockey East regular-season title and the program’s third NCAA appearance in the last four tournaments. The Huskies return reigning All-American forward Aidan McDonough (Milton, Mass.) and goaltender Devon Levi after both had pro opportunities on the table.
McDonough, who poured in a league-high 25 goals, leads an offense that includes last year’s top four scorers. Junior classmates Sam Colangelo (Stoneham, Mass.) and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (East Greenwich, R.I.) eclipsed the 25-point mark, while Justin Hryckowian and Jack Hughes (Westwood, Mass.) were both Hockey East All-Rookie performers. The Mike Richter Award winner and National Rookie of the Year, Levi led the nation in save percentage (.952) and pitched 10 shutouts. His back end includes seniors Jayden Struble (Cumberland, R.I.) and Jeremie Bucheler. Among 11 newcomers, freshman forwards Cam Lund (Bridgewater, Mass.), Hunter McDonald (Fairpoint, N.Y.) and defenseman Jackson Dorrington (North Reading, Mass.) were all drafted in July. Lund was picked in the second round by San Jose.
Providence
Providence has plenty of tools to help rebound from an uncharacteristic season as it finished seventh in Hockey East despite scoring a league-high 118 goals and winning 20 games for the seventh time under coach Nate Leaman.
The Friars bring back their top six scorers, including the conference’s second and third-leading returning contributors in juniors Brett Berard (East Greenwich, R.I.) and Nick Poisson; six of Berard’s 18 goals were game-winners. Seniors Patrick Moynihan (Millis, Mass.), Parker Ford (Wakefield, R.I.) and sophomore Riley Duran (Woburn, Mass.) were also prolific assets who scored at least 10 times apiece.
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Senior Max Crozier and sophomore Guillaume Richard anchor the defense following the graduation of three-year captain Michael Callahan. Jaxson Stauber was an early pro signee, leaving the net to senior Omaha transfer Austin Roden and freshman Bruins prospect Philip Svedeback. Former Rangers draftee Jaroslav Chmelar and Brady Berard (East Greenwich, R.I.) are two key newcomers up front.
Vermont
Under third-year head coach Todd Woodcroft, Vermont looks to rise after earning two of its six league wins during March last season.
The Catamounts return their top two playmakers in senior forward Jacques Bouquot (South Windsor, Conn.) and graduate defenseman Robbie Stucker, as well as junior goaltender Gabe Carriere, who backstopped six of the team’s eight wins. Senior William Lemay, junior Will Zapernick and sophomore Simon Jellus all had at least 10 points last year, and Joel Maatta followed up his freshman year by being drafted by Edmonton in July.
Other former draftees Andrei Buyalsky and Timofei Spitserov aim for a greater impact as sophomores.
Cornell transfer Joe Leahy, fellow graduate Carter Long and impressive sophomore Luca Munzenberger return to a defense that welcomes freshmen Ralfs Bergmanis, Philip Tornqvist and Michigan Tech grad transfer Eric Gotz deepen the group. Penn State transfer Oskar Autio joins Carriere in net.
