Men's hockey once again fell just short of a Frozen Four appearance. For the Red to make a run again, it will need a strong regular season. Here are a few games to circle on the calendar for the upcoming 2025-2026 season.
At the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Oct. 31
Is it cliché to say that the first game of the season is a game to watch?
Maybe. But starting the season off strong is important, and Massachusetts will be a formidable opponent for the Red. The Minutemen are ranked No. 15 in the country in the USCHO preseason poll. In net, Massachusetts has Utah Mammoth prospect Michael Hrabal, who was drafted 38th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The 6’7” goaltender has proved his worth in net for the Minutemen, posting a .924 save percentage in 36 regular-season games last season. He also backstopped the Czech national team at the IIHF World Junior Championship.
Massachusetts nearly went the distance last year, ultimately losing in the NCAA regional final to eventual national champion Western Michigan. While the Minutemen lost their two highest point producers from last season to pro hockey, they are returning junior Jack Musa, who had 18 goals and 17 assists last season in 40 regular-season games.
Vs. Boston University, Nov. 29
If there’s one reason to watch this game, it can be synthesized into one word: revenge. A dish best served cold, or in this case, ‘Red Hot.’ BU has eliminated Cornell in two of the last three seasons and in three of its last five trips to the NCAA tournament. The last two came in the NCAA regional final, which Cornell dropped in overtime at the hands of the Terriers last March.
This game marks the 10th edition of Red Hot Hockey, Cornell and Boston University’s biennial meeting at the World’s Most Famous Arena. Cornell will hope to capture the Kelley-Harkness Cup — the trophy awarded to the winner of each edition of Red Hot Hockey — for the fourth straight rivalry game.
This game has more to look forward to than just rivalry — it also has star power. BU returns Hockey East and National Rookie of the Year, defenseman Cole Hutson. Hutson posted 43 points last season in 32 regular-season games. Hutson plays a very similar game to his Calder Trophy-winning brother and former BU standout, Lane Hutson. Cole is an electric playmaker and recorded two points in the playoff matchup against Cornell last season, including a goal and an assist.
BU also has firepower on offense with Cole Eiserman, a first-round draft pick of the New York Islanders in 2024. He has one of the best shots in college hockey and is a threat anytime he touches the puck. He is joined by transfer Sacha Boisvert from the University of North Dakota. The former first-round pick led the Fighting Hawks in points last season and also recorded three points in his two games against Cornell when North Dakota made the trip to Lynah last November.
Cornell will have a tough challenge against the No. 2 team in the USCHO preseason poll. This game will be a clash on a historic battlefield, and one that the whole country should have eyes on.
Vs. Quinnipiac, Jan. 17
Cornell played Quinnipiac four times last season. Of those games, only one ended in regulation—a 3-1 loss for the Red. Cornell went on to defeat Quinnipiac in overtime in the ECAC semifinals, with Kyler Kovich ’25 scoring the game-tying goal late and Tim Rego ’25 netting the game-winner.
Quinnipiac, seeking its second Whitelaw Cup in program history, experienced significant roster changes this season, adding six players from the Canadian Hockey League. Notably, the team now features Graham Sward, a defenseman with professional experience, playing last season in the ECHL with the Norfolk Admirals. These additions have garnered Quinnipiac theNo. 13 spot in the preseason rankings, four spots above Cornell.
Quinnipiac also returns sophomore Chris Pelosi, Boston Bruins 2023 third-round draft pick, who was a point-per-game performer against Cornell last year and recorded the game-winning goal at Lynah Rink in Cornell’s regulation loss. Pelosi possesses a very high penchant for scoring — in his freshman season, he recorded 13 goals.
Quinnipiac will be a good challenge for the Red before the annual rivalry game against Harvard at Lynah Rink the following weekend. This game will be the first time the two will play in the 2025-2026 season. The matchup comes just past the halfway point in the season and may have major implications for ECAC tournament seeding and, later on, the NCAA tournament.
