The CT Ice Tournament, launched seven years ago to promote the high level of men's college hockey in the state, is returning to Hartford in hopes that showcasing four premier Division I hockey programs on a big stage can help grow both the sport and the tournament.
The tournament will be hosted at PeoplesBank Arena with four games played on Jan. 29-30 between defending champion UConn, Quinnipiac, Yale and Sacred Heart.
"I think college hockey in Connecticut it has grown a lot," Quinnipiac captain Mason Marcellus said. "Yale might have taken a hit the last couple of years, but it has been great. The CT Ice is always amazing. Obviously, I haven't won it since my freshman year.
"We talked about CT Ice as a team. It is not the most talked about tournament in college hockey, but for us it is huge. It means everything to us. It means everything to our school. It is super cool being here in Connecticut and being able to play for that trophy."
UConn has won the CT Ice Tournament each of the last two years, beating Quinnipiac in the final last season and beating Sacred Heart the year before in the championship game.
"Having PeoplesBank Arena host CT Ice is a great opportunity for college hockey in Connecticut," UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh said in a statement. "These are four great programs, and bringing them together in a venue like this gives the tournament the chance to keep growing and to give hockey fans across our state a first-class event each season."
Quinnipiac won the tournament the three previous seasons from 2022-24, and Sacred Heart won the inaugural tournament in 2020.
"We are very excited to continue the CT Ice Tournament," Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold said. "Having it move to PeoplesBank Arena showcases the growth and interest in the tournament and we cannot wait to have another great weekend to showcase Connecticut hockey."
The tournament will feature a pair of games on Friday, Jan. 29 with Yale playing Quinnipiac in the 4 p.m. semifinal followed by Sacred Heart against Connecticut in the 7:30 p.m. semifinal.
Play then resumes on Saturday, Jan. 30 with a consolation game at 3:30 p.m. between the semifinal losers. The two semifinal winners will meet in a 7 p.m. championship game.
"Moving the CT Ice Tournament to PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford is an exciting step forward for Connecticut hockey and a tremendous opportunity to showcase the talent, passion, and growth of our game in a first-class venue," Sacred Heart coach C.J. Marotollo said. "We certainly embrace the opportunity to measure ourselves against UConn, Quinnipiac, and Yale."
The tournament was held last year at Yale's Ingalls Rink. It was last held in Hartford in 2024. In the past it has been held at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, at Quinnipiac's M&T Bank Arena and at Sacred Heart's Martire Family Arena.
It could continue rotating between the schools, but there has been talk about finding a permanent place to hold it annually, and PeoplesBank Arena would be a likely spot given that it is easily accessible to most fans in the state with its central location. The state has also put a lot of money in refurbishing the arena.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome CT Ice back to PeoplesBank Arena and once again showcase some of the best collegiate hockey talent in Connecticut," said Ben Weiss, general manager of PeoplesBank Arena. "Connecticut has a tremendous college hockey tradition, and this tournament brings together four outstanding programs and their passionate fan bases for a special weekend of competition.
"Having the opportunity to host an event that celebrates college hockey across our state is something we take great pride in, and we look forward to creating an unforgettable experience for the student-athletes and fans in downtown Hartford."
In the most recent USCHO national men's hockey poll, Quinnipiac is ranked No. 8, UConn is ranked No. 16 and Sacred Heart is among the teams receiving votes.
Quinnipiac won a national championship in 2023 and also played in the title game in both 2013 and 2016. Yale won the national championship in 2013 while UConn is a program on the rise nationally having qualified for the NCAA Tournament each of the last two years. The Huskies came one win away from the Frozen Four in 2025.
Sacred Heart has never played in the NCAA tournament, but the Pioneers lost in the Atlantic Hockey conference tournament final last season. A win would have advanced them to the NCAAs.
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This article originally published at CT Ice men's college hockey tournament returns to Hartford's PeoplesBank Arena.