UConn heading back to NCAA Tournament

The Huskies sneak in with the last at-large bid despite losing to Merrimack in the Hockey East final.

Author

Daniel Connolly
March 21, 2026

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Photo: Ian Bethune

Despite missing out on Hockey East’s automatic bid after falling to Merrimack in the league’s championship game on Saturday night, UConn men’s hockey will return to the NCAA Tournament this season. After both Dartmouth and Michigan won their respective conference titles, the Huskies snuck in as the final at-large bid.

They will be a 4-seed as the No. 14 team in the field, setting up a likely matchup with No. 3 Michigan State. The official bracket will be unveiled on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPNU. The regions are located in Albany, New York, Worcester, Massachusetts, Loveland, Colorado, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

This is UConn’s second-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament and second consecutive. Last season, the Huskies beat Quinnipiac 4-1 in the first round but then fell in overtime to Penn State in the regional final.

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