AMESBURY, Mass. - The Hockey East Association today announced the field for the 2026 Hockey East Men’s Tournament. The tournament will feature all 11 programs competing in a single-elimination format. NESN will carry nine of the 10 postseason games and a full schedule, including television and streaming information, can be found below.

The Opening Round begins with three games on Wednesday, March 11. #6 Boston University (16-16-2/12-12-0 HE) and #11 Vermont (13-20-1/8-15-1 HE) kick things off at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+. During the regular season, the Terriers and Catamounts split a series at Agganis Arena in December. All-time in the postseason, Boston University owns a 3-2 record over the Catamounts all-time in the playoffs. It is the first time the two teams will meet in the Opening Round.

#7 Northeastern (16-17-1/11-13-0 HE) hosts #9 New Hampshire (14-19-1/8-15-1 HE) at 7:00 p.m. on NESN from Boston College’s Conte Forum. The two programs last met in the postseason in 2014 and New Hampshire owns a 5-2 against the Huskies in the Hockey East Tournament with each of those seven games coming in the quarterfinals. Northeastern swept a two-game regular season series in January, outscoring the Wildcats, 9-2.

#8 Merrimack (17-15-2/10-12-2 HE) draws #10 UMass Lowell (13-21-0/9-15-0 HE) at 7:00 p.m. on NESN+. The Warriors and River Hawks began and ended the 2025-26 regular season against each other as Merrimack went 2-1-0 in three contests. Each team carries a 3-3 record when playing each other in the Hockey East Tournament.

One quarterfinal is already set, as #4 Boston College (19-14-1/13-11-0 HE) will host #5 Maine (18-13-3/12-11-1 HE) on Friday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. on NESN. The Eagles and Black Bears were evenly matched across the regular season, splitting their two-game series. The Eagles own an 8-5 postseason mark against Maine, with the most recent meeting coming in the 2012 Hockey East title game. Boston College won that contest en route to claiming its third national championship in the span of five seasons.

Top-seeded Providence (23-9-2/18-5-1 HE) claimed the Hockey East Regular Season crown outright for the first time in team history, winning a program-record 18 games in the process. The Friars await the lowest advancing seed from the Opening Round. Providence wrapped the regular season with a 17-3-0 mark in its last 20 contests and is seeking its first Lamoriello Trophy since 1996.

#2 Massachusetts (21-12-1/14-9-1 HE) rocketed up the Hockey East Standings when the calendar flipped to 2026 with a 12-2-1 mark since January 9, allowing just 22 goals against in that span. The Minutemen are looking to advance to the semifinals for the eighth time in program history and the fifth in the last seven tournaments. UMass claimed back-to-back Hockey East Tournament crowns in 2021-22, the only two in program history.

#3 UConn (18-11-5/12-9-3 HE) enters the Hockey East Tournament as the third seed, the highest position in program history. The Huskies are just one year removed from reaching the Hockey East title game for the second time in program history.

The Hockey East semifinals are set tentatively set for 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20 at TD Garden in Boston, while the 41st championship game will be played Saturday, March 21 at 7:00pm. Tickets are available via the host institution for each on-campus game while championship tickets can be purchased now at TicketMaster.com.