The Stretch Run: Providence Leads a Crowded Hockey East Pack

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As the calendar turns to late February 2026, the Hockey East landscape is a blend of championship ambition and desperate postseason positioning. With only a few games remaining in the regular season, No. 6 Providence has emerged as the team to beat, while traditional powerhouses like Boston College and Boston University prepare for a season-defining “Green Line Rivalry” weekend.

The Frontrunner: Providence Friars (21–8–2, 16–4–1 HE)

Under the steady hand of Nate Leaman, the Friars have seized control of the conference.

The Momentum: Providence is coming off a massive weekend sweep of Vermont, winning 5–2 and 5–3 at Gutterson Fieldhouse. Sophomore forward John Mustard has been the catalyst, posting back-to-back multi-point games.
The Path to the Regular Season Title: With 48 points in the standings, the Friars hold a nine-point cushion over second-place Boston College. They are the only team in the conference currently ranked in the top 10 nationally (No. 6).

The Challengers: Boston College & UConn

No. 10 Boston College (19–10–1, 13–7–0 HE) remains the biggest threat to the Friars’ dominance. The Eagles swept a high-stakes series against No. 13 UConn last weekend, highlighted by a James Hagens hat trick on Friday and a thrilling overtime winner by Louka Cloutier on Saturday.

Olympic Glory: The Eagles received a massive emotional boost this week as former stars Matt Boldy and Noah Hanifin captured Olympic gold with Team USA in Milan.

UConn (17–9–4, 11–7–2 HE), despite the losses to BC, remains firmly in third place. Goaltender Tyler Muszelik was spectacular in the series, and the Huskies will look to bounce back this Friday in a home-and-home series against UMass.

Hockey East Men’s Standings (Top 6)

Rank	Team	Record (HE)	Points	Last Weekend
1	Providence	16–4–1	48	Swept Vermont
2	Boston College	13–7–0	39	Swept UConn
3	UConn	11–7–2	37	Lost to BC (x2)
4	Massachusetts	11–9–0	32	Beat UNH
4	Northeastern	10–11–0	32	Swept UML
6	Maine	10–10–1	30	Swept Merrimack

The Black Bears’ Renaissance: Maine (16–12–3, 10–10–1 HE)

Orono is rocking again as the University of Maine has secured four consecutive 15-win seasons for the first time in two decades.

The Nadeau Show: Junior Josh Nadeau put the league on notice with back-to-back four-point games in a sweep of Merrimack. He recorded five goals and three assists over the weekend, including his third career hat trick.
The Goal: Maine currently sits in the final “bye” spot (6th), looking to avoid the opening-round play-in game.

Blizzard vs. The Terriers

In a scene that went viral on Monday, members of the Boston University hockey team—including junior defenseman Aiden Celebrini—were spotted walking to practice in full uniform and gear during the “Blizzard of ’26.” Despite the university being closed, the Terriers (14–15–2) haven’t missed a beat as they prepare for their home-and-home series against Boston College, which starts this Friday at Agganis Arena.

Games of the Week

Friday, Feb 27: #10 Boston College at Boston University (7:00 PM – Agganis Arena)
Friday, Feb 27: #19 UMass at #13 UConn (7:00 PM – Toscano Family Ice Forum)
Saturday, Feb 28: Northeastern at Maine (7:00 PM – Alfond Arena)