Connecticut Ice is an annual ice hockey event celebrating the tradition and progress of youth and amateur hockey in the state of Connecticut. The three-day event is headlined by a four-team tournament with participation from all of the state's four Division I programs: Connecticut, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart and Yale.[1]
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Sport | College ice hockey |
| Location | Connecticut |
| Established | 2020 |
Number of tournaments | 4 |
| Format | Single-elimination |
| Venue | Webster Bank Arena (2020–2022) Home sites (2023–) |
| Teams | 4 |
| Current champion | |
| Quinnipiac | |
History edit
After years of organization, the first event was finally arranged for late January in 2020.[2] In addition to the collegiate tournament, the three-day event includes youth tournaments from various levels of junior ice hockey.
SportsNet New York agreed to broadcast all four games of the tournament.[3]
In 2021, in what was supposed to be the second edition of the tournament, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other problems, the virus had led Yale to cancel its entire season.[4]
After returning in 2022, the tournament ended its arrangement with the Webster Bank Arena and was played at the M&T Bank Arena, the home venue for Quinnipiac. As a result, SNY decided against broadcasting the tournament, which was renamed as the 'Connecticut Hockey Tournament'. After the season, the series reverted to being called 'Connecticut Ice' and a new arrangement was made to hold the series at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut for 2024.[5] SNY agreed to resume broadcasting the series which was also renewed until at least 2026.
Yearly results edit
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Third place | Fourth place | Venue | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Sacred Heart | Quinnipiac | Yale | Connecticut | Webster Bank Arena | [6] |
| 2022 | Quinnipiac | Connecticut | Sacred Heart | Yale | Webster Bank Arena | [7] |
| 2023 | Quinnipiac | Connecticut | Sacred Heart | Yale | M&T Bank Arena | [8][9] |
| 2024 | Quinnipiac | Connecticut | Yale | Sacred Heart | XL Center | |
| 2025 | Martire Family Arena | |||||
| 2026 | Ingalls Rink |
References edit
- ^ "Connecticut Ice festival in Jan. 2020 to feature all four in-state men's D-I hockey teams". USCHO.com. March 25, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ^ "'Connecticut Ice' finally gets state's college hockey teams together". CT Post. March 25, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ^ "Matchups, start times announced for inaugural Connecticut Ice college hockey tournament featuring UConn, Quinnipiac, Yale and Sacred Heart". The Hartford Courant. October 8, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ^ "Ivy League cancels winter sports season, delays spring play". ESPN. November 12, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ^ "Connecticut Ice tournament with UConn, Quinnipiac, Yale, Sacred Heart moves to XL Center". CT Insider. August 8, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ "Connecticut Ice: Sacred Heart uses scoring burst to beat Quinnipiac in title game; UConn squanders another strong start, falls to Yale". The Hartford Courant. January 26, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ "Takeaways from Quinnipiac's 2-0 Connecticut Ice championship win over UConn, including Yaniv Perets' record-setting shutout".
- ^ "Men's Ice Hockey vs UConn on 1/28/2023 - Box Score".
- ^ "Men's Ice Hockey vs Yale on 1/28/2023 - Box Score".