Only four members of the ECAC were in action during the 2020-21 college season. After an uncertain offseason, the Ivy League, which accounts for half of the conference's teams, decided to opt out. Rensselaer and Union soon followed, leaving one-third of the conference to play out the partial campaign.
When the ECAC Tournament rolled around, Clarkson abruptly ended its season, leaving three teams to vie for the conference crown. In the end, St. Lawrence upset Quinnipiac to claim the conference title but was forced to withdraw from the NCAA Tournament due to COVID-19.
As a result, the Bobcats earned the ECAC bid to the national tournament but were quickly ousted by Minnesota State (CCHA) in the first round.
Now, with the conference set to return in full for 2021-22, New England Hockey Journal previews each of the ECAC's 12 teams ahead of the new campaign, which begins on Saturday, Oct. 2.
This article appeared in the print edition of the September/October 2021 New England Hockey Journal magazine.
