Chaos and Crimson: The 2025-26 Hockey East Mid-Season Report

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As the calendar turns to late January 2026, the Hockey East landscape is as volatile as it has been in a decade. Traditional powerhouses like Boston College and Boston University are finding themselves in unfamiliar territory—chasing a relentless UConn squad and a surging Providence team that just made history.

With the 2026 Beanpot looming and the national rankings tightening, here is how the conference stands as of January 21, 2026.

The Leaderboard (Men’s Division)

The parity in the league this year is staggering. Only 6 points separate the top four teams, and every weekend has seen a “trap game” result.

Rank	Team	Conference Points	Record (Conf)	National Rank (USCHO)
1	UConn	28	9–5–1	#13
2	Providence	25	8–3–1	#11
3	Boston University	24	8–7–0	#18
4	Boston College	22	7–5–0	#15
5	Northeastern	22	7–7–0	RV
6	Vermont	18	6–7–0	—

The Headline: Friars’ Historic Sweep

The story of the week—and perhaps the season—took place on January 16–17. The Providence Friars achieved a feat they hadn’t accomplished in 24 years: a regular-season sweep of Boston College.

Led by two game-winning efforts from Logan Sawyer, the Friars knocked the Eagles down to 4th place in the standings. Providence’s physical, heavy-forecheck style has become the blueprint for beating the highly-skilled, “young” rosters of the Green Line rivals.

The “Husky” Ascent

While the Boston media focuses on the Eagles and Terriers, UConn has quietly maintained the top spot in the conference. Under Mike Cavanaugh, the Huskies have used a balanced scoring attack led by Kaden Shahan and Jake Richard. Despite a recent overtime stumble against Merrimack, UConn’s ability to win on the road has them positioned for their first-ever Hockey East regular-season title.

The Youth Movement: Stars to Watch

This season is being defined by a spectacular crop of freshmen and sophomores who are leading the league in scoring.

Justin Poirier (Maine): The freshman sensation currently leads the league in goals (17) and is tied for the overall points lead (28). His “pro-ready” shot has turned Orono back into a nightmare destination for visiting teams.
Cole Hutson (Boston University): The sophomore defenseman is living up to the family name, leading all blueliners with 23 points. His vision on the power play is the primary reason BU remains a top-3 threat.
Lawton Zacher (Northeastern): The junior goaltender has been a brick wall, posting a league-best .934 save percentage and 4 shutouts, keeping the Huskies in the hunt despite a struggling offense.

Women’s Hockey: Northeastern Defends the Bean

On the women’s side, the story remains the dominance of Northeastern. On January 20, the Huskies defeated Boston College in the Beanpot consolation game, while the championship final (January 21) saw them looking to add to their “Beanpot Empire.” Freshman forward Stryker Zablocki has emerged as a national star, already tallying 21 points this season.

The Road Ahead: February Frenzy

The next three weeks will define the season:

The Men’s Beanpot (Feb 2 & 9): BC, BU, Northeastern, and Harvard descend on TD Garden. With the parity in Hockey East this year, the “Dogs” (Northeastern) have as good a chance as the “Cats” (BC).
Maine’s Gauntlet: The Black Bears face a brutal stretch against UConn and Providence that will determine if they can secure a home-ice seed for the playoffs.

Conference											Overall
		GP	PTS	W	L	T	OW	OL	SW	GF	GA	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA
1	Northeastern	14	40	13	1	0	0	1	0	51	19	24	18	6	0	76	45
2	UConn	14	34	11	2	1	1	1	0	49	22	24	18	4	2	72	39
3	Holy Cross	15	27	8	6	1	0	1	1	31	28	24	16	7	1	60	37
4	Boston College	14	26	8	5	1	0	0	1	41	28	24	10	13	1	56	68
5	Boston University	14	19	5	7	2	0	0	2	31	36	23	7	13	3	46	62
6	New Hampshire	14	18	5	7	2	1	1	1	38	39	24	11	10	3	67	53
7	Maine	15	16	4	8	3	1	2	0	27	32	25	8	14	3	47	65
	Vermont	14	16	4	7	3	1	0	2	28	34	26	10	12	4	51	65
9	Providence	14	13	4	8	2	2	0	1	26	49	24	7	15	2	44	86
10	Merrimack	14	4	1	12	1	1	1	0	19	54	24	4	17	3	44	83