The Friendship Four hockey tournament will return to Belfast, Northern Ireland in November 2022 after what will be a three-year absence due to COVID restrictions.
Joining UMass and UMass Lowell will be Quinnipiac and Dartmouth. Taking place at The SSE Arena, Belfast on November 25-26, 2022, the tournament, organized by the Odyssey Trust, will bring four top U.S. college hockey teams together to compete for the coveted Belpot Trophy over Thanksgiving weekend.
The River Hawks, winners of the first ever Friendship Four tournament in 2015, return for 2022, alongside the Bobcats and Minutemen, who played in Belfast in 2016, with Dartmouth making its debut on Belfast ice.
“We’re thrilled to have the Odyssey Trust here in Boston to announce the long-awaited return of the Friendship Four,” said Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf. “This tournament has grown to become an important weekend in the collegiate hockey calendar and deliver valuable educational and life experiences for our colleges. We look forward to the event, which will no doubt be a highlight for 2022-23 season.”
“We’re proud to once again partner with the Odyssey Trust to bring this popular tournament back to Belfast,” added ECAC Hockey commissioner Steve Hagwell. “Thanksgiving weekend 2022 will be one to look forward to for all involved in ECAC Hockey and will build upon a strong legacy of successful tournaments to date.”
The tournament was devised and has been developed by the Odyssey Trust to promote education, social welfare, and community integration in Northern Ireland, building on the sister cities agreement between Belfast and Boston.
Previous winners of the Friendship Four are Northeastern (2019), Union (2018), Clarkson (2017), Vermont (2016) and UMass Lowell (2015).
Further information and details on the release of Friendship Four tickets will be released will be announced in 2022.
