Liam MacKenzie – Treasurer/Sports Editor
North Andover, MA – The Merrimack College men’s hockey team enters the 2026-27 season with a championship to defend and plenty of expectations surrounding the program. The Warriors are ranked No. 19 in the USA Hockey preseason poll, giving Merrimack a spot among the nation’s top 20 teams as it prepares to begin its title defense.
Coming off the first Hockey East Championship in program history, Merrimack now turns its attention toward another long season. The Warriors’ 2026-27 schedule features championship rematches, challenging non-conference opponents and plenty of familiar Hockey East foes standing in the way of another postseason run.
One Final Tune-Up – Before the regular season begins, Merrimack will have one final opportunity to prepare with an exhibition matchup against Sacred Heart on October 2. The Warriors will use the preseason contest as their final tune-up before the games begin to count.
The regular season officially gets underway the following night when Merrimack travels to Hamden, Connecticut, to face Quinnipiac on October 3. The road matchup will mark the beginning of the Warriors’ quest to defend their Hockey East crown.
The Banner Comes Home – Merrimack will return to Lawler Arena for its home opener on October 8 against the New Hampshire Wildcats. The night will be about more than just the first home game of the season, as the Warriors will officially unveil their Hockey East Championship banner.
The banner will commemorate Merrimack’s historic championship victory from last season, when the Warriors defeated UConn to capture the first Hockey East title in program history. With the championship now hanging from the rafters, Merrimack will begin the difficult task of trying to repeat as conference champions.
A Test Against the CCHA Champions – The Warriors will also face the defending Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) champions in a home-and-home series against Minnesota State University. Merrimack will welcome the Mavericks to Lawler Arena before traveling to Minnesota State for the second meeting.
The series gives Merrimack another opportunity to test itself against a program that enters the season after winning its conference. It will also provide two early opportunities for the Warriors to see how they stack up against high-level competition outside of Hockey East.
Two Games at Notre Dame – Merrimack will make another challenging non-conference trip when it takes on Notre Dame twice. Both games against the Fighting Irish will be played on the road, creating a difficult two-game stretch away from Lawler Arena.
The Notre Dame series will give the Warriors another chance to build their résumé against a nationally recognized program. It also adds another significant road test to an already demanding first half of the season.
The Rematch Everyone Will Be Watching – Perhaps the most anticipated matchup on Merrimack’s schedule will be its home-and-home series against UConn. The Huskies are the team Merrimack defeated in the Hockey East Championship to claim the first conference title in program history, making the regular-season meetings a direct rematch of last season’s championship game.
One of those games will also take place on Halloween, adding an extra layer of excitement to an already highly anticipated matchup. Merrimack and UConn will meet again later in the season as well, with the Warriors beginning the 2027 calendar year against the Huskies.
November Begins at Lawler – The Warriors will begin the month of November at home against Holy Cross on November 6. Merrimack will look to continue building momentum as the schedule moves deeper into conference play.
Merrimack will then face Providence in a road-and-home series. The two teams will meet again after Merrimack defeated the Friars in overtime in last season’s Hockey East quarterfinals.
Another Championship Rematch With BU – Boston University will also appear twice on Merrimack’s schedule in a home-and-road series. The matchup brings another piece of championship history back into focus, as the Warriors and Terriers will meet again following their 2023 Hockey East Championship Game.
The two programs have continued to cross paths in important moments, and this season’s series will provide Merrimack with another opportunity to face one of the Hockey East’s traditional powers. The home-and-road format will also give the Warriors a chance to play BU both at Lawler and on the road.
A Trip to the Miracle on Ice Rink – Merrimack will close out November with two neutral-site games in Lake Placid, New York, taking on St. Lawrence on November 27 and Clarkson on November 28. Both games will be played at Herb Brooks Arena which is inside the 1980 Olympic Center, the same ice where the United States famously defeated the Soviet Union during the 1980 Winter Olympics.
The two games are part of the Adirondack Winter Invitational, which brings Merrimack, Clarkson, St. Lawrence and RIT together for the men’s tournament. For the Warriors, the trip provides a unique neutral-site experience while adding two more non-conference challenges to an already demanding schedule.
December Begins With Brown – The Warriors will begin December at Lawler Arena when Brown comes to town on December 5. Merrimack will then turn its attention toward another familiar Hockey East opponent in UMass Amherst.
The Warriors will play a home-and-road series against the Minutemen, with the two games serving as Merrimack’s final contests of the 2026 calendar year. The series will also serve as a rematch of the Hockey East Semifinals from last season.
Starting 2027 Against the Championship Opponent – After the holiday break, Merrimack will begin the 2027 calendar year against UConn. The matchup will bring the Warriors right back against the opponent they defeated to capture their historic Hockey East Championship.
The January meeting will be another opportunity for Merrimack and UConn to continue a rivalry that now carries championship history. With multiple meetings between the teams throughout the season, the Warriors will have no shortage of chances to test themselves against the reigning conference runner-up.
A Pair of Trips to Durham – Merrimack will make two trips to Durham, New Hampshire, to take on the Wildcats. The Warriors will face New Hampshire once earlier in January and return later in the month for a second matchup.
The two games will give Merrimack four regular-season meetings with New Hampshire when accounting for the home opener at Lawler Arena. The repeated matchups should make for a familiar Hockey East battle throughout the season.
A Road Series Against Vermont – The Warriors will also travel north for a pair of games against Vermont. Both meetings with the Catamounts will be played on the road, giving Merrimack another demanding stretch away from home.
The Vermont series will add another challenge to the middle portion of the schedule as the Warriors continue working toward the Hockey East Tournament. Every road game will carry additional importance as Merrimack looks to put itself in position for another postseason run.
Northeastern Rematch – Merrimack will meet Northeastern in a home-and-home series later in January. The matchup carries additional significance after the teams met in the Hockey East opening round in both 2024 and 2025.
The Warriors will have the opportunity to renew that postseason rivalry during the regular season. One game will be played at Lawler Arena, while the other will take place at Northeastern.
January Ends Against the Defending ECAC Champions – Merrimack will close out the month of January against Dartmouth at Lawler Arena. The Big Green will enter the season as the defending ECAC champions, adding another conference champion to an already difficult schedule.
The matchup will cap a busy month for the Warriors. By the time Merrimack reaches the end of January, it will have faced several teams with recent championship and postseason experience.
Another Postseason Rematch in February – Merrimack will begin February with a road-and-home series against UMass Lowell. The River Hawks are another familiar opponent, with the series serving as a rematch of the 2026 Hockey East opening round.
The Warriors will then face Maine in a home-and-home series. The Black Bears will provide another pair of conference tests as Merrimack enters the final month of the regular season.
Boston College Returns to the Schedule – Boston College will also be part of Merrimack’s February schedule in a home-and-road series. The meetings will serve as another postseason rematch, this time bringing back memories of the 2023 Hockey East quarterfinals.
The Warriors will have the chance to face the Eagles both at home and on the road. With another former postseason opponent on the schedule, Merrimack’s final stretch of the regular season will feature plenty of history.
The Final Push – Merrimack’s final home game of the regular season will come against Vermont. The matchup will give the Warriors one last opportunity to play in front of the Lawler Arena crowd before the postseason arrives.
The Warriors will then close out the regular season at the Tsongas Center against UMass Lowell on March 5. The season finale will provide one final test before Merrimack turns its attention toward the Hockey East Tournament.
Defending the Crown – From the opening exhibition against Sacred Heart to the final game against UMass Lowell, Merrimack’s schedule is filled with opponents that will test the defending Hockey East champions. The Warriors will face conference champions, postseason rematches and several teams they could potentially see again when the stakes become even higher.
But before another championship can be won, Merrimack will have to defend the one it already has. With the Hockey East banner set to rise at Lawler Arena and the Warriors entering the season ranked No. 19 nationally, the 2026-27 campaign represents the beginning of the next chapter in Merrimack men’s hockey.
