The Northeast Collegiate Hockey League is an ACHA Division I Hockey League consisting of seven teams in the Northeastern United States. A majority of members are located in New York with additional teams coming from New Jersey.

History

The league was announced on July 19, 2007 with plans to begin its first season later that year. The league's first seven members were Binghamton University, Ithaca College, Penn State Berks, Rutgers University, St. Bonaventure University, SUNY Cortland, and SUNY Oswego. Andy Gojdycz was named the NECHL's first commissioner. Ahead of the 2010–11 season, Syracuse University joined the NECHL from the Eastern Collegiate Hockey League. By 2013, the Orange were joined by four more former ECHL schools; Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, University at Buffalo, and Canisius University. The College of New Jersey jumped from ACHA Division II and joined the NECHL for the 2022–23 season. Buffalo was unable to field a team for the 2024–25 season, leaving the NECHL with five teams. However, the Bulls remained members of the conference officially. Oswego announced it would leave the conference following the 2024–25 season and join the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League's new ACHA Division I conference.

Format

Teams play a 15 game league schedule, playing each of the other five teams three times in the regular season. At the conclusion of the regular season the league holds a post season tournament hosted by one of the member schools. The tournament is held over three days at a single venue with top-seeded teams receiving first round byes. The Memorial Cup and an automatic bid to the ACHA Men's Division I National Championship Tournament is awarded to the winner of the tournament.

Membership

Note: Canisius and RIT also field NCAA Division I hockey teams, SUNY - Oswego also fields NCAA Division III.

Former Members

Membership timeline

Conference Arenas

Championship results

ACHA National Tournament results

NECHL team tournament records

Teams that no longer participate in the Northeast Collegiate Hockey League are in italics.