DANBURY, CONN. – ECAC Hockey officially unveiled the 2026-27 men’s league schedule today, laying the foundation for what promises to be another thrilling season of NCAA Division I Ice Hockey.
The pursuit of the Cleary Cup (regular season champion) and the Whitelaw Trophy (tournament champion) will span the league’s traditional 132-game schedule, beginning on Friday, October 30, and concluding on Saturday, March 20, with the 2027 ECAC Men’s Championship at the historic Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York.
Continuing its commitment to competitive balance and tradition, ECAC Hockey’s regular season once again features the most balanced format in the nation. Each of the 12 member institutions will face all 11 conference opponents twice—once at home and once on the road—ensuring a fair and competitive path to postseason play.
The winner of the regular season claims the Cleary Cup and the number one seed in the ECAC Hockey Championship tournament. Quinnipiac has won the Cleary Cup for six seasons in a row, while Clarkson, Cornell, and Harvard are all tied for the most Cleary Cups in league history (11 each).
The Cleary Cup is named after former Harvard Director of Athletics and Men’s Hockey coach Bill Cleary, who also led the Crimson to the 1955 Final Four as a player and First Team All-American.
As the regular season concludes, the league’s 12 members battle for the Whitelaw Cup, named after former league Commissioner Scotty Whitelaw. Whitelaw was a league administrator for 29 years and was integral in the eventual formation of ECAC Hockey and the postseason championship.
Last season, Quinnipiac claimed an unprecedented sixth straight Cleary Cup, with 17 league wins, holding off Dartmouth and Cornell by three points in the standings. Princeton claimed the other Opening Round bye as the fourth overall seed.
Dartmouth captured its first ever ECAC Championship when Tim Busconi found the back of the net 11:18 into overtime to claim the title. The Big Green earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and first appearance since 1980 where they faced off against Wisconsin in the regional semifinal.
The league’s playoff structure remains as follows for 2026-27:
- Opening Round – One game hosted by 5-8 seeds vs. 9-12 seeds
- Quarterfinals – Best-of-three series hosted by 1-4 seeds vs. winners of Opening Round games
- Championship Weekend – Semifinals and Final (Lake Placid, NY)
The ECAC Men’s Hockey schedule is subject to change and missing game times will be provided closer to the season. The non-conference portion of the 2026-27 schedule will be added to the league site once all ECAC Hockey teams announce their own non-conference schedules.
KEY DATES IN 2026-27:
- Friday, October 2 – Official Start Date for NCAA Competition
- Friday, October 30 – First ECAC league contests
- Friday, November 6 – First Full Weekend of League Play
- Saturday, February 27 – Final Day of ECAC Men’s Regular Season
- March 5-6 – ECAC Men’s Hockey Opening Round
- March 12-14 – ECAC Men’s Hockey Quarterfinals
- March 19-20 – ECAC Men’s Hockey Championship Weekend
- March 25-28 – NCAA Regionals
- Thursday, April 8 – Frozen Four Semifinals (Washington, DC)
- Saturday, April 10 – National Championship (Washington, DC)
For daily updates on ECAC Hockey news, stories, awards, and more, be sure to follow @ecachockey on Twitter, @ecachockey on Instagram, and like the ECAC Hockey Facebook page.