Much of the local college hockey attention gets devoted to Hockey East, which is understandable. All the teams are actually in New England, and it's high-flying hockey full of first-round picks.
But ECAC Hockey and Atlantic Hockey provide quality Division 1 programs in New England, too. After all, it's only been two years since Quinnipiac won the national title.
And don't forget Stonehill, which is the region's lone independent men's program.
Here's a full breakdown of what to expect from these nine teams.
ECAC
Brown
What happened last year (14-15-3, 9-11-2): The Bears made progress last season, advancing to the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals for the first time since 2018-19. Their eighth-place finish in the league was up from 11th in back-to-back years. Junior Ryan St. Louis (Old Greenwich, Conn.) was one of three skaters with 10 or more goals — including two in the first-round win over Princeton — and led Brown with 29 points.
2025-26 outlook: Experience returns in St. Louis and several rising sophomores like Brian Nicholas, but their contributions will be even more vital given the losses of Tyler Kopff (signed with Buffalo) and Max Scott (transferred to Maine). Alex Pineau and Ethan Mistry figure to be leaders on defense. Another unanticipated loss was goaltender Lawton Zacher (transferred to Northeastern), but Freddie Halyk brings in championship experience from Denver.
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Dartmouth
What happened last year (18-13-2, 12-9-1): A deep, talented graduating class powered the Big Green to its winningest season since 2010-11, culminating in a second straight trip to ECAC Championship Weekend in Lake Placid, N.Y. Two-time All-ECAC defenseman CJ Foley (Hanover, Mass.) and winger Nikita Nikora both registered a team-high 30 points as sophomores. Clarkson transfer Emmett Croteau posted a 2.1 goals-against average in net to rack up 13 of the team’s 18 wins.
2025-26 outlook: Glass half full? Coach Reid Cashman’s club returns its top two scorers, a pair of now-sophomores who debuted with 20 points apiece, and two veteran goalies. Glass half empty? There is a lot to replace. Four seniors graduated to pro hockey, while would-be seniors Cooper Flinton (Auburn, N.H.) and Luke Haymes both signed NHL deals. Freshmen Ryan Schelling and Jason Stefanek were top-10 scorers in the BCHL last season.
Harvard
What happened last year (13-17-3, 9-10-3): Despite returning 99 percent of its goals from 2023-24, Harvard remained the youngest team in ECAC Hockey before ultimately pushing a ranked Clarkson team to overtime in a winner-take-all quarterfinal game. While Ivy League Rookie of the Year Mick Thompson was the top point getter, former Nobles standout Casey Severo scored 16 goals. Freshman Ben Charette emerged in net, nearly sharing even time with Aku Koskenvuo by season’s end.
2025-26 outlook: With just four seniors among last season’s regulars, the Crimson look to climb back up the ECAC standings. Beyond the aforementioned pair, senior Joe Miller remains a key part of the forward lineup while seniors Ryan Healey (Hull, Mass.) and Mason Langenbrunner lead the blue line. Longtime bench boss Ted Donato (Dedham, Mass.) also has a pair of NHL draftee forwards among his freshman class in St. Andrew’s College product Aidan Lane and former St. Mark’s and NTDP standout Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.).
Quinnipiac
What happened last year (24-12-2, 16-5-1): At this time a year ago, coach Rand Pecknold (Bedford, N.H.) had to figure out how to mold a team with 14 newcomers after losing four early pro signees. The Bobcats still won 20-plus games en route to the Cleary Cup and NCAAs, boasting the ECAC’s top scoring offense (3.6 goals per game), scoring defense (2.2, tied with Clarkson) and power-play unit (29.3 percent, second-best nationally).
2025-26 outlook: Quinnipiac must replace three top blueliners and a 20-goal scorer in Holy Cross transfer Jack Ricketts. Returning senior playmaker Jeremy Wilmer and juniors Andon Cerbone (Stamford, Conn.) and Mason Marcellus help on offense, as do NHL-drafted freshmen Ethan Wyttenbach and Matthew Lansing. Former RPI defenseman Will Gilson (Old Greenwich, Conn.) is a veteran addition, while returning both Matej Marinov and Dylan Silverstein in goal provides stability. Bruins prospects Chris Pelosi and Elliott Groenewold (Springfield, Vt.) look to continue developing as sophomores.
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Yale
What happened last year (6-21-3, 5-14-3): The Bulldogs experienced major growing pains, earning just one regulation win from January on while six freshman skaters played regularly. Belmont Hill grad Ronan O’Donnell (Fairfield, Conn.) buried a team-high 11 goals, but the team’s biggest difficulty was keeping pucks out of the net, as they averaged four against per game.
2025-26 outlook: The biggest change for the Bulldogs is on the bench, as Joe Howe will serve as interim head coach after longtime boss Keith Allain (Worcester, Mass.) retired in August. Howe’s team has plenty of talented sophomores up front, but loses three senior defenseman. With Luke Pearson off to Notre Dame, junior Jack Stark is the more experienced option of the two returnees in the crease for Howe, a former goalie at Colorado College.
Atlantic Hockey
Bentley
What happened last year (23-15-2, 16-9-1): Bentley achieved the highest highs in program history last March, winning its first Atlantic Hockey championship before pushing top-seeded Boston College in an ultra-competitive first-round NCAA game in Manchester, N.H. Graduate center Ethan Leyh and defenseman Nick Bochen were All-AHA first-team players in front of Connor Hasley, who pitched a nation-leading 11 shutouts in goal.
2025-26 outlook: Despite several key losses atop the lineup and Hasley transferring to Arizona State, the Falcons look to build another deep roster that made them successful last season. Captain Stephen Castagna is fresh off a 25-point season, while Oskar Bakkevig potted 10 goals as a freshman. Lake Superior State transfer Easton Hesse figures to take over the net.
Holy Cross
What happened last year (24-12-2, 19-5-2): Led by AHA Coach of the Year Bill Riga (Westboro, Mass.) and two-time Player of the Year Liam McLinskey, who potted a career-high 24 goals, the Crusaders won their first conference regular-season title since 2006 and were nationally ranked for the first time since 2012. After losing their opening quarterfinal game to AIC, Riga’s club won five straight in the playoffs before falling to Bentley in the championship.
2025-26 outlook: McLinskey’s production will be tough to replace in a single player, but the Crusaders return their five other double-digit goal scorers, including junior Jack Stockfish and two locals in sophomore Matt Kursonis (West Boylston, Mass.) and senior Tim Heinke (Southington, Conn.). Mack Oliphant will anchor the defense in front of a new goaltender, where Vermont transfer Connor MacKenzie is one of two newcomers.
Sacred Heart
What happened last year (21-13-5, 16-7-3): A strong year for regional AHA teams continued with the Pioneers finishing in second place and matching their program record with 21 wins. Three of the team’s top four scorers were former Hockey East transfers, including now-senior Felix Trudeau up front and former Dexter Southfield captain Mikey Adamson (Quincy, Mass.) on defense. The emergence of AHA All-Rookie goaltender Ajeet Gundarah answered preseason question marks.
2025-26 outlook: There is plenty of talent to build around in Fairfield, with only the program’s all-time games played leader, John Jaworski, lost from the high-scoring group and Gundarah returning in goal. In addition to two CHL adds among the freshman class, forward Josh Barnes (14-goal scorer at AIC) and defenseman Noah Ellis (Vegas draft pick, from Omaha) join as transfers.
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Independent
Stonehill
What happened last year (11-22-0): The Skyhawks continued building their young Division 1 program under a new coach in David Berard (West Warwick, R.I.), beating Hockey East foes Merrimack and UMass Lowell while improving their year-over-year record by 10 wins. Playing several games at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, now the team’s regular home, further elevated the program’s status.
2025-26 outlook: With just three regulars graduating from a year ago and a new on-campus arena coming in the future, the future looks bright at Stonehill. Leading scorer Anthony Galante, top defensemen Evan Orr and Dominick Campione, and starting goaltender Connor Androlewicz all return. Hometown product Frank Ireland (Easton, Mass.) joins Orr as a co-captain. Five freshmen and four transfers are also in the fold as Berard continues to set the program up for success.
