Connecticut Ice
{{Short description|Annual ice hockey event in Connecticut, US}}
{{Infobox tournament
| name = Connecticut Ice
| image =
| caption =
| sport = College ice hockey
| location = Connecticut
| established = 2020
| teams = 4
| number = 5
| commissioner =
| format = Single-elimination
| venue = Webster Bank Arena (2020–2022)
Home sites (2023–)
| current_champion = UConn
}}
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.{{cite news|title=Connecticut Ice festival in Jan. 2020 to feature all four in-state men's D-I hockey teams |url=https://www.uscho.com/2019/03/25/connecticut-ice-festival-in-jan-2020-to-feature-all-four-in-state-mens-d-i-hockey-teams/ |work=USCHO.com |date=March 25, 2019 |access-date=December 5, 2019}}
History
After years of organization, the first event was finally arranged for late January in 2020.{{cite news|title='Connecticut Ice' finally gets state's college hockey teams together |url=https://www.ctpost.com/sports/article/Connecticut-Ice-finally-gets-state-s-13715180.php |work=CT Post |date=March 25, 2019 |access-date=December 5, 2019}} 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.{{cite news|title=Matchups, start times announced for inaugural Connecticut Ice college hockey tournament featuring UConn, Quinnipiac, Yale and Sacred Heart |url=https://www.courant.com/sports/hc-sp-connecticut-ice-games-start-times-20191008-cnggfdok5vhf7p2ythqeldvuri-story.html |work=The Hartford Courant |date=October 8, 2019 |accessdate=December 5, 2019}}
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/30305855/ivy-league-cancels-winter-sports-season-delaying-spring-play-sources-say |title=Ivy League cancels winter sports season, delays spring play |work=ESPN |date=November 12, 2020|access-date=January 25, 2021}}
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.{{cite news|title=Connecticut Ice tournament with UConn, Quinnipiac, Yale, Sacred Heart moves to XL Center |url=https://www.ctinsider.com/college/article/connecticut-ice-uconn-yale-quinnipiac-18285272.php |work=CT Insider |date=August 8, 2023 |accessdate=August 11, 2023}} SNY agreed to resume broadcasting the series which was also renewed until at least 2026.
Yearly results
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||||
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Third place | Fourth place | Venue | class="unsortable" | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align="center" | 2020
|align="center" | Sacred Heart |align="center" | Quinnipiac |align="center" | Yale |align="center" | Connecticut | align="center" | Webster Bank Arena | ||||||
| align="center" | 2022
|align="center" | Quinnipiac |align="center" | Connecticut |align="center" | Sacred Heart |align="center" | Yale | align="center" | Webster Bank Arena | ||||||
| align="center" | 2023
|align="center" | Quinnipiac |align="center" | Connecticut |align="center" | Sacred Heart |align="center" | Yale | align="center" | M&T Bank Arena | {{cite web | url=https://gobobcats.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/stats/2022-23/uconn/boxscore/20219 | title=Men's Ice Hockey vs UConn on 1/28/2023 - Box Score }}{{cite web | url=https://sacredheartpioneers.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/stats/2022-23/yale/boxscore/12683 | title=Men's Ice Hockey vs Yale on 1/28/2023 - Box Score }} | ||||||
| align="center" | 2024
|align="center" | Quinnipiac |align="center" | Connecticut |align="center" | Yale |align="center" | Sacred Heart | align="center" | XL Center | | ||||||
| align="center" | 2025
|align="center" | Connecticut |align="center" | Sacred Heart |align="center" | Quinnipiac |align="center" | Yale | align="center" | Martire Family Arena | | ||||||
| align="center" | 2026
| | | | | align="center" | Ingalls Rink | |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Ivy League rivalry navbox}}
{{Connecticut Huskies men's ice hockey navbox}}
{{Quinnipiac Bobcats men's ice hockey navbox}}
{{Sacred Heart Pioneers men's ice hockey navbox}}
{{Yale Bulldogs men's ice hockey navbox}}
Category:College men's ice hockey tournaments in the United States
Category:College ice hockey tournaments in Connecticut