Each year, tens of thousands of Cornell alumni fill the stands at Madison Square Garden, watching their alma mater take the ice under some of hockey’s brightest lights.
Every other year, their opponent is Boston University.
And this year, as much as any, is not just a big game for those in the stands, although that goes without saying. On Saturday, a pair of top-20 teams are looking to catapult themselves into good positioning in NCAA Tournament talks.
“This is one of the reasons why you come to Cornell,” said head coach Casey Jones ’90. “Get[ting] that opportunity in front of our fans and in front of our alums … it's a good rivalry here, and [an] important game for us, important game for them.”
Cornell and Boston University — longtime rivals since they dueled for national championships in the 1960s — will take the ice at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday at 8 p.m. for the 10th edition of Red Hot Hockey. All action will stream live on ESPN+.
A Decade Down
The first iteration of Red Hot Hockey came in 2007, when BU — led by eventual NHL head coach David Quinn — handily defeated Cornell by a 6-3 score. The Terriers went on to win the next two meetings in 2009 and 2011, both in overtime.
Since then, the Red has controlled the series, going 4-0-1 in its last five Red Hot Hockey matchups. Cornell has outscored BU 17-11 in those games, and has received outstanding goaltending in each — the combined likes of Mitch Gillam ’17, Matthew Galajda ’21, Joe Howe ’25 and Ian Shane ’25 have stopped 165 of the 176 shots BU has put on net in the last four games, good for a .938 save percentage.
“Our alumni circle it on their calendars,” Jones said. “For us, it shows the power of our fans and the Lynah Faithful to get here for this game, for us to pack that building.”
Last time out in 2023, Boston University might have boasted the eventual No. 1 overall pick in the NHL draft in Macklin Celebrini, but his six shots on goal were not enough to beat Shane, who notched 35 saves en route to a 2-1 win over BU. At the time, Cornell was ranked No. 16 in the nation and upset the No. 5 Terriers.
Though both teams are now in slightly different situations — in the NCAA Percentage Index, the mathematical determinant of the NCAA Tournament field, Cornell sits third, while BU trails far behind in 38th — the game should be just as highly contested, and with even more starpower than year’s past.
“They obviously have a load of talent,” Jones said. “We want to continue putting good games together. And it's another step. Now we'll be in front of a big crowd and see how our team reacts to that, and simplifying our game and staying within ourselves will be the goal.”
Unfinished Business?
Since Red Hot Hockey was coined in the late ’00s, the biennial game at Madison Square Garden is not the only occasion that has united the Red and the Terriers — two of BU’s last three trips to the Frozen Fours were secured via NCAA Tournament regional final victories over Cornell.
In 2023, the Terriers topped Cornell, 2-1, at the NCAA Manchester regional in BU head coach Jay Pandolfo’s first season at the helm. Two years later, this past March, an overtime goal from Quinn Hutson (now with the Edmonton Oilers organization) snuck by Shane and sent BU to its third consecutive Frozen Four.
“I’ve realized over the years coaching that there are certain weeks you have to motivate. There’s other weeks you don’t have to motivate,” Jones said. “This is not a week that you need a whole lot of motivation.”
The Cornell senior class has experienced both of those regional final defeats. But revenge is not exactly what’s fueling the team’s excitement.
“For returning guys, it's not that,” Jones said about the concept of ‘unfinished business.’ “It's more or less just the fact that they're a good opponent [and] they're always there at the end of the year. We expect them there at the end of the year. And it's a chance to make a statement in season with a non-conference game and in front of a really pro-Cornell crowd here this weekend. We're excited about it.”
Keys to Victory
For either team to eke out a win at MSG, three areas remain crucial:
Goaltending: It will be up to freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer to continue the trend of “Red Hot” Cornell goaltending. The first-year’s .953 percent save percentage ranks second-best in the nation and has lifted Cournoyer to six wins in his first seven collegiate starts. Good goaltending will be crucial on Saturday.
200 feet away is Mikhail Yegorov — the New Jersey Devils draft pick played an important part in BU’s success last season after joining the team for the final 18 games of the regular season and helped backstop its Frozen Four run. This season has not produced the same results as last, but he remains an integral part of the machine that is Boston University hockey, and if he is on his game, he’s hard to beat.
Possession: Containing players like Cole Eiserman and Cole Hutson (two of BU’s 19 NHL draft picks and top scorers) is difficult. Possession — ensuring they touch the puck as little as possible — is key.
“I don’t think you’re going to just completely contain them,” Jones said. “They’re really good players for a reason, they’re going to get chances. You just have to make them earn them. We don’t want to give them any easy opportunities.”
Discipline: Both power plays are dangerous — Cornell has converted on 25 percent of chances, good for top-10 in the nation. And with the Terriers boasting the likes of Hutson, Eiserman, Sacha Boisvert and Ryder Ritchie, the man advantage is dangerous.
Penalties have hurt Boston University all season, as it ranks in the top-20 for penalty minutes per game. Additionally, with two statistically even penalty kills — 15th- and 16th-ranked nationally for the Red and BU, respectively — the power play could be an area to break through.
BU’s discipline — or lack thereof — has hurt it thus far. Pandolfo has not minced words when giving a postgame analysis of his team, which was at one point ranked No. 1 in the nation by USCHO.com. But the Terriers’ recent skid (just one regulation since Oct. 25) does not change the magnitude of the matchup for Cornell.
“We’re getting their A-game on Saturday,” Jones said. “The tapes we’re going to watch are when they played their best hockey this year. Any of the hiccups that [Jay Pandolfo] seems to think he's having as a coach and as a team, I don't expect them to be part of the game on Saturday. I expect [BU] to be a well-oiled machine on the other end giving us their best shot, and hopefully we give them our best shot."
Jane McNally is a senior editor on the 143rd editorial board and was the sports editor on the 142nd editorial board. She is a member of the Class of 2026 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. You can follow her on X @JaneMcNally_ and reach her at jmcnally@cornellsun.com.
