Atlantic Hockey – Wikipedia

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NCAA Men’s Division I Ice Hockey conference

The Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) is an NCAA Men’s Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates primarily in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA’s Division I as an ice hockey-only conference. Unlike several other college athletic conferences, Atlantic Hockey has no women’s division, though it shares some organizational and administrative roles (and two universities) with the women’s-only College Hockey America.

It was formed in 1997 and began play in the 1998–1999 season as the hockey division of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). Within three years, it was granted an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. However, in 2003, Iona and Fairfield dropped hockey, leaving Canisius as the only full MAAC member that sponsored hockey. This proved somewhat problematic for MAAC Hockey, since conference bylaws only allowed full members to vote. On June 30, 2003, MAAC Hockey broke off from the MAAC and reorganized as Atlantic Hockey.[1]

Membership[edit]

Current[edit]

Institution Location Nickname Founded Affiliation Undergraduate Enrollment Joined Women’s Conference Primary Conference Colors
United States Air Force Academy Colorado Springs, Colorado Falcons 1954 Public/Federal 4,400 2006 N/A Mountain West    
American International College Springfield, Massachusetts Yellow Jackets 1885 Private/Non-sectarian 1,700 1998 N/A Northeast-10 (D-II)      
United States Military Academy West Point, New York Black Knights 1802 Public/Federal 4,400 2000 N/A Patriot League      
Bentley University Waltham, Massachusetts Falcons 1917 Private/Non-sectarian 3,958 1999 N/A Northeast-10 (D-II)    
Canisius College Buffalo, New York Golden Griffins 1870 Private/Catholic 3,490 1998 N/A MAAC    
College of the Holy Cross Worcester, Massachusetts Crusaders 1843 Private/Catholic 2,897 1998 HEA Patriot League  
Mercyhurst University Erie, Pennsylvania Lakers 1926 Private/Catholic 4,055 1999 CHA PSAC (D-II)    
Niagara University[2] Lewiston, New York Purple Eagles 1856 Private/Catholic 3,853 2010 N/A [a] MAAC    
Rochester Institute of Technology Henrietta, New York Tigers 1829 Private/Non-sectarian 16,842 2006 CHA Liberty League (D-III)      
Sacred Heart University Fairfield, Connecticut Pioneers 1963 Private/Catholic 5,428 1998 NEWHA[b] NEC    

Future[edit]

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Locations of Atlantic Hockey Conference current member locations.
  1. ^ Niagara’s women’s team was in College Hockey America before the university dropped the program in 2012.
  2. ^ The NEWHA was founded in 2017 as a scheduling alliance between Division I and Division II women’s ice hockey independents, with Sacred Heart as a founding member. It formally organized as a conference in 2018 and received NCAA recognition in 2019.
  3. ^ Robert Morris was a member of Atlantic Hockey from 2010 to 2021 until the program was cut. Subsequent fundraising efforts allowed the program to be reinstated for the 2023–24 season with Robert Morris rejoining Atlantic Hockey.
  4. ^ RMU will also rejoin its former women’s hockey home of College Hockey America in 2023–24.

Former[edit]

Timeline[edit]

Atlantic Hockey champions[edit]

[3]

Atlantic Hockey tournament champions by school[edit]

School Championship Years
Air Force 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011,

2012, 2017, 2018

RIT 2010, 2015, 2016
American International 2019, 2021, 2022
Holy Cross 2004, 2006
Mercyhurst 2005
Robert Morris 2014
Canisius 2013, 2023

No tournament was held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

National tournament history[edit]

* – at-large selection.

† – Tournament canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic

Conference arenas[edit]

School Hockey Arena Location Capacity
Air Force Cadet Ice Arena Colorado Springs, CO 2,502
American International MassMutual Center Springfield, MA 6,866
Army Tate Rink West Point, NY 2,648
Bentley Bentley Arena Waltham, MA 1,917
Canisius LECOM Harborcenter Buffalo, NY 1,800
Holy Cross Hart Center Worcester, MA 1,600
Mercyhurst Mercyhurst Ice Center
Erie Insurance Arena (alternate) 		Erie, PA 1,500
6,833
Niagara Dwyer Arena Lewiston, NY 1,400
RIT Gene Polisseni Center
Blue Cross Arena (alternate) 		Henrietta, NY
Rochester, NY 		4,300
10,556
Sacred Heart Total Mortgage Arena Bridgeport, CT 8,412
Tournament LECOM Harborcenter Buffalo, NY 1,800

At the conclusion of each regular season schedule the coaches of each Atlantic Hockey team vote which players they choose to be on the three or four All-Conference Teams:[4] first team, second team and rookie team (third team beginning in 2007). Additionally they vote to award 7 of the 9 individual trophies to an eligible player and 1 team award at the same time. Atlantic Hockey also awards a regular season scoring title that is not voted on as well as a Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player, which is voted on at the conclusion of the conference tournament. All individual and team awards have been awarded since Atlantic Hockey’s inaugural season in 2003–04.[5]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]


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