There were 85 players from New England on Hockey East rosters during the 2020-21 season. The number of local players in the league was up five from the previous season. Still, it was down considerably from the late 1990s and early part of this century.
Of course, it’s the dream of many youth hockey players in New England to skate for a Hockey East program someday. However, it’s increasingly difficult for that dream to come true for local players.
Non-traditional markets from within the United States continue to make inroads, and many Hockey East schools are now recruiting in Europe. Boston College and Northeastern were the only two Hockey East programs without a European on the roster for this season. The Eagles had three just as recently as last season.
