After an abbreviated 2020-21 season that saw a number of shutdowns, postponements and cancellations plague the league, Hockey East is on track to return to normal for the 2021-22 campaign.
Still, with things trending in the right direction in terms of the season’s fate, it’s shaping up to be a year unlike any other.
While the perennial titans of the league are likely to stay near the top and a select few will surprise, there are a number of question marks heading into the new season, which begins with non-conference action on Oct. 2 followed by league play on Oct. 7.
How will teams like BC bounce back after losing a slew of talent to the pros? Will reigning Hockey East and national champion UMass defend its titles? How will teams look after the NCAA added an extra year of eligibility and opened the transfer portal? Will an in-state school represent the conference at the 2022 Frozen Four (hosted at TD Garden for the first time since 2015)?
New England Hockey Journal looks at each of the 11 men's teams in Hockey East and how they are shaping up ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
This article appeared in the print edition of the September/October 2021 New England Hockey Journal magazine.
