Director of Athletics Marcus Blossom has announced that Holy Cross, in conjunction with College Hockey Inc. and the Hockey Commissioners Association, will host the 2021 Ice Breaker Tournament.

One of the premier NCAA Division I ice hockey tournaments, the event will be played at the Hart Center Rink at the Luth Athletic Complex on Oct. 8-9. Holy Cross, Quinnipiac, Northeastern, and Boston College will all be featured in the four-team tournament.

"I'd like to thank College Hockey Inc., and the Hockey Commissioners Association for the opportunity to bring this great event to Worcester," Blossom said. "We look forward to hosting three of the nation's top teams at the Hart Center and to providing a unique game day experience to jumpstart the 2021-22 hockey season."

Atlantic Hockey also played an instrumental role in bringing the event to Worcester.

The tournament, which is the traditional start to the college hockey season, will feature a predetermined format. As it stands now, the Crusaders will take on Boston College and Northeastern. The order in which the games will be played has yet to be determined.

All three teams that will descend on the Hart Center next fall are currently ranked in the USCHO.com weekly poll. Boston College sits atop the nation in the No.1 spot, with Quinnipiac and Northeastern coming in at No. 11 and 18 respectively.

"It is an honor to be selected to host the 2021 Ice Breaker Tournament," head men's hockey coach David Berard said. "We are grateful for the opportunity to showcase the best of college hockey on our campus at the College of the Holy Cross. I would like to thank Mike Snee from College Hockey Inc. and the Hockey Commissioners Association for their trust in us to host this tournament.  

"We have an outstanding field with three traditional eastern powers and Top-10 programs joining us. Thank you to Jerry York, Rand Pecknold and Jim Madigan for their participation. It is an unprecedented opportunity and one that would not have happened without the support and hard work of our Director of Athletics Marcus Blossom, along with our athletic department administration. We are very thankful for their commitment to the growth of our program. We look forward to October and kicking off the 2021-22 season with this great event."

The 2021 iteration of the tournament will be the first to be played in Massachusetts since Boston University hosted the 2008 event. With the 2020 tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the previous four hosts include Bowling Green, Mercyhurst, Minnesota Duluth, and Denver.

The Crusaders last played in the Ice Breaker in 2010 when the tournament was hosted by the St. Louis Sports Commission. The event that year featured Holy Cross, Boston University, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin.