Hockey East preview/watch list: Does UMass have what it takes to repeat?

UConn senior forward Jonny Evans (14-15-29) was top three in Hockey East for goals and points last season. (UConn Athletics)

After an abbreviated 2020-21 season that saw a number of shutdowns, postponements and cancellations plague the league, Hockey East has returned normal for the 2021-22 campaign.

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 Boston’s TD Garden for the first time since 2015)?

New York Hockey Journal looks at the status of each of the 11 men’s teams in Hockey East for the new campaign, which kicked off on Oct. 2.

Connecticut

The Huskies have been on a slow ascent in Hockey East over the past three years, led primarily by returning senior forward Jonny Evans, who was top three in Hockey East for goals and points last season. The loss of Tomas Vomacka will be hard to swallow, but with the return of Evans and several other key playmakers, UConn should continue to make things difficult for the top teams in Hockey East.

Boston College

With its lethal first-line trio of Matt Boldy, Mike Hardman and Alex Newhook, and star goalie Spencer Knight, taking flight to the pros, the Eagles lost quite a bit of talent this offseason, but Jerry York’s squad should never be looked over. Bringing in yet another wave of promising newcomers, the Eagles will be the same threatening opponent they always are. In the program’s 100th season, they will look to snap the streak of having not won the Hockey East tournament or NCAA tournament since 2012.

Boston University

With a slew of veterans returning and Albie O’Connell entering his fourth season at the helm, BU will be a dangerous opponent this season, one that’s on a mission to prove itself as a contender under O’Connell after its last league title came under David Quinn in 2018. UMass Lowell transfer Matt Brown will add a nice spark at forward, while Domenick Fensore will look to make up for the loss of David Farrance on the back end.

Maine

The Black Bears ended last season with their worst finish in Hockey East since 2017. After the passing of head coach Red Gendron, Ben Barr was tabbed as head coach. While Barr has landed some solid commitments for the future, it likely will take some time for the team to find its footing under its new leadership. With five of its top six scorers returning, however, Maine certainly win some games and make things difficult for opponents in always-menacing Alfond Arena. Plus, the team will be determined to show up for its new coach, who’s coming off a pair of titles at UMass.

Massachusetts

The Minutemen have brought in a talented cast of newcomers, including four NHL draft-pick freshmen and a top transfer from Denver. After steadily taking the program to new heights over the past few seasons, Greg Carvel’s team finally reached the promised land in spring 2021. While the rest of the league will be gunning to knock off the defending champ, UMass will look to continue to stake its claim as one of the top D-1 programs in the country, and it has a good chance at running it back. 2021 NCAA tournament MVP Bobby Trivigno, who led the league in scoring last year, will be the key figure in helping the Minutemen defend their titles.

UMass Lowell

After an up and down regular season, the River Hawks made it as far as the Hockey East title game before being knocked off by UMass. Losing leading goal scorer Matt Brown to the transfer portal is a big loss, but they brought in several transfers of their own. With head coach Norm Bazin at the helm, UML will look to hold onto its place in the top half of Hockey East and get back to the national tournament for the first time since 2017.

Merrimack

Merrimack has bettered its winning percentage and position in Hockey East each of the past three years since Scott Borek arrived. After being ruled out of last year’s league tournament due to COVID-19, the Warriors will look to take another step forward in 2021-22. With all three leading scorers returning, there is a core in place to make some significant progress from their finishes in years past.

New Hampshire

The Wildcats have yet to produce an above-.500 season in their first three years under Mike Souza. Losing their No. 2 leading scorer Angus Crookshank doesn’t help their cause of making it over the hump in 2021-22. With other leading scorers Jackson Pierson and Kalle Eriksson coming back, along with an infusion of young talent, UNH will look to build on its first win in the Hockey East tournament since 2017 after defeating Maine in last year’s opening round.

Northeastern

The Huskies have had a lot of success in Hockey East over the past several years but have not made it past the first round of the NCAA tournament in three appearances since 2011. This season, under the guidance of new head coach Jerry Keefe, a talented NU roster will look to break that mold. Anchored by senior defenseman Jordan Harris and talented playmakers up front, the Huskies will look to continue their consistent league play in the regular season and carry it into the postseason in 2022.

Providence

The Friars didn’t qualify for the NCAA tournament last season for the first time since 2013. It was a bit of a transition year, but the team is poised for a big season in 2021-22. The Nate Leaman-led group is always well-coached and has a lot of players who are ready to break out. The loss of Tyce Thompson hurts, but the door is now open for rising juniors like Parker Ford and Patrick Moynihan to take on more impactful roles as leaders up front. A majority of the defense is coming back and the Friars did well in the transfer portal, too, so it’s hard to expect a down season at PC.

Vermont

The Catamounts finished the team’s first season under Todd Woodcroft with the worst record in Hockey East and lost a lot of players because of it. While it won’t be an immediate turnaround, Woodcroft is still in the process of making the team his own, and UVM should win more games this season than last. In addition to a number of transfers, the team has brought in former Catamount and three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Sharp to join the staff in an advisory role, which should also help push the team in the right direction.

This article appeared in the print edition of the September/October 2021 New York Hockey Journal magazine.