Holy Cross announced Saturday that the school will host the 2021 Ice Breaker Tournament.
One of the premier NCAA Division I hockey tournaments, the event will be played at the Hart Center Rink at the Luth Athletic Complex in Worcester, Mass., on Oct. 8-9m and will feature Holy Cross, Quinnipiac, Northeastern, and Boston College.
“I’d like to thank College Hockey Inc., and the Hockey Commissioners Association for the opportunity to bring this great event to Worcester,” Holy Cross director of athletics Marcus Blossom said in a statement. “We look forward to hosting three of the nation’s top teams at the Hart Center and to providing a unique game day experience to jumpstart the 2021-22 hockey season.”
Atlantic Hockey also played an instrumental role in bringing the event to Worcester.
The tournament, which is the traditional start to the college hockey season, will feature a predetermined format. As it stands now, the Crusaders will take on Boston College and Northeastern. The order in which the games will be played has yet to be determined.
“It is an honor to be selected to host the 2021 Ice Breaker Tournament,” said Holy Cross coach David Berard. “We are grateful for the opportunity to showcase the best of college hockey on our campus at the College of the Holy Cross. I would like to thank Mike Snee from College Hockey Inc. and the Hockey Commissioners Association for their trust in us to host this tournament.
“We have an outstanding field with three traditional eastern powers and top-10 programs joining us. Thank you to (BC coach) Jerry York, (Quinnipiac coach) Rand Pecknold and (Northeastern coach) Jim Madigan for their participation. It is an unprecedented opportunity and one that would not have happened without the support and hard work of our director of athletics Marcus Blossom, along with our athletic department administration. We are very thankful for their commitment to the growth of our program. We look forward to October and kicking off the 2021-22 season with this great event.”
The 2021 edition of the tournament will be the first to be played in Massachusetts since Boston University hosted the 2008 event. With the 2020 tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the previous four hosts included Bowling Green, Mercyhurst, Minnesota Duluth, and Denver.
