On Saturday, Oct. 4, under the bright lights of the Mullins Center, the Massachusetts hockey team will begin its 2025-26 season.
The University of Massachusetts enters the year ranked No. 15 in the country but will face several challenges this season throughout its conference schedule. The young roster is hungry to conquer the challenging tournaments and opponents that await them. Between Hockey East rivals and non-conference foes countrywide, a number of competitors anticipate playing the Minutemen this season.
No. 6 Boston College:
With five NCAA hockey championships under its belt and a dominant couple of seasons recently, Boston College is a challenge for any opponent. The Eagles are known for their strong forward lines and high NHL draft picks, as well as starting games off with high-speed skating and sharp shooting.
BC lost last year’s leading scorer and Hobey Baker candidate in Ryan Leonard, who signed with the Washington Capitals at the end of the 2024-25 season. The Eagles will also be without assistant leader Gabe Perreault, who joined the New York Rangers, leading the team to lose both their best scorer and playmaker. Additionally, goaltender Jacob Fowler signed with the Montreal Canadiens at the end of the season, taking his .940 save percentage and the team’s starter in between the pipes.
In their absence, other players will be afforded the chance to step up and make up the difference. A clear favorite to do so is James Hagens, who ranked No. 3 on the team last year in points, behind only Leonard and Perreault. Hagens was drafted No. 7 overall in the 2025 NHL Draft by the local Boston Bruins.
Boston College may be rebuilding this year, but the Eagles are always a threat and will remain one of the most exciting games on the schedule. The Minutemen play the Eagles in Chestnut Hill on Friday, Nov. 14, before returning to the Mullins Center to play them at home on Saturday, Nov. 15. UMass will then play BC again in Amherst for a one-off matchup on March 5, 2026.
No. 7 Maine:
Fresh off a 2025 Hockey East Championship and its sixth Hockey East title, Maine spent the entire 2024-25 season on a hot streak. The Black Bears begin the 2025-26 season ranked No. 7 and will face the Minutemen in a doubleheader at the Mullins Center on Nov. 6 and 7.
After the 2024-25 season, Maine lost important players in Scott Harrison and Taylor Makar. Harrison ended the year with 35 points with Makar not far behind him on 30 points, tying as the team’s leading scorers with 18 goals apiece.
Despite the loss of Harrison and Makar, Maine remains strong in the net. With a .928 save percentage, the Black Bears will rely on goalie Albin Boija to secure strong wins in Hockey East. Josh Nadeau is also returning and will be relied upon to lead the forward line while Boija secures the net.
Joining Maine this season is Brown transfer Max Scott. As a finalist for the ECAC Best Defensive Forward award, he posted 26 points and even earned the captain position as a sophomore. He comes to Maine with the high-scoring ability that the team needs.
Head coach Ben Barr, who was formerly an associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at UMass, has worked to transform Maine’s hockey program. With Barr’s similar recruiting and coaching tactics, a game between the two teams is always a toss-up. Across the three matchups last season, each team earned one win and a tie. The teams are always evenly matched and a tough battle down to the wire can be expected.
No. 17 Cornell:
Coming in as preseason No. 17 and ranked just slightly behind the Minutemen, Cornell could be the most exciting non-conference matchup of the regular season. After beating UMass 4-2 last year, the Big Red are hoping for a repeat to start their season off strong.
Led by Ryan Walsh’s 31 points, made up of 17 goals and 14 assists, Cornell requires a strong forward group after losing defenseman Ben Robertson to Michigan in the transfer portal. As one of nine players to play in all 36 games last year, including five multi-point games, his presence will undoubtedly be missed this season.
The Minutemen will have two chances to exact their revenge after last season’s upset loss. On Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1, the Minutemen will play host to the Big Red.
No. 2 Boston University:
With one of the most dominant lineups in all of NCAA hockey, Boston University hopes to build on the success of last season. The Terriers will play at the Mullins Center on Friday, Jan. 9, and then will face the Minutemen in Boston on Saturday, Jan. 10.
The Terriers were dominant for most of the 2024-25 season but fell to the Minutemen in one of the two regular season games the schools played against each other. BU also knocked UMass out of the Hockey East tournament in a 3-2 overtime thriller.
After the team’s leading point scorer, Quinn Hutson, signed with the Edmonton Oilers last season, and with 14 new players coming in, the Terriers will look to younger brother Cole Hutson to lead them. The first-round pick of the Washington Capitals put up 48 points last year with 14 goals and 34 assists, leading him to win National Rookie of the Year.
Hockey East All-Rookie Team member Cole Eiserman will also return and is hoping to replicate his 25 goals from last season. Goaltender Mikhail Yegorov will be back in the net and is expected to be a challenge for any opponent after recording a .927 save percentage last season.
Joining the returning players is North Dakota transfer Sacha Boisvert, who was the 2024 first-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, amassing 32 points during the 2024-25 season. In addition to Boisvert, the roster holds 12 freshmen and a total of 18 draft picks, making them one of the most unpredictable and high-potential teams on the ice this season.
Honorable Mentions:
Northeastern and UMass will meet four times this season. This will be the Minutemen’s first Hockey East matchup of the year on Oct. 17 in Amherst. Later on, they will meet up for a doubleheader in Boston on Saturday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Dec. 7. Finally, the teams meet back up at the Mullins Center on Friday, Jan. 30.
UMass will also take New Hampshire on three times this season, starting on Friday, Feb. 20 at the Mullins Center before heading up north to play in Durham on Saturday, Feb. 21. The season series will wrap up when the Minutemen return to Durham to face UNH on Saturday, March 7 for the final regular season contest of the campaign.
Hadley Smith can be reached at [email protected].
