Men’s Ice Hockey Locks Up Third Seed in 2026 CNE Tournament

CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | 2026 CNE MEN'S ICE HOCKEY BRACKET

BEVERLY, Mass. – For the second straight season, Suffolk men's ice hockey will vie for the Conference of New England (CNE) crown as the Rams secured the third see in the upcoming conference tournament. 

Suffolk concluded the regular season, its seventh in the CNE this weekend with a home-and-home series split with Curry to finish the year as the winningest team in 36 years at 16-8-1 overall and 15-4-1 versus conference counterparts.  

The Rams second straight postseason push is the fourth-ever run in the CNE tournament and first as the third seed. It marks the best finish for the blue-and-gold in its CNE tenure and is the first time in the blue-and-gold earned a conference postseason third seed since 2009-10 when it competed as third seed in the ECAC Northeast.

Suffolk, who will make its 11th postseason appearances since 1999-00, is in search of its second postseason victory in the CNE tourney as it escaped last season's first round with a convincing 4-0 cleansheet over Nichols. That victory over the Bison is the Rams second postseason victory dating back to 1999-2000.

As the third seed, Suffolk garnered hosting rights for the first round and drew sixth seed Johnson & Wales, who compiled a 8-14-3league ledger and a 6-12-2 overall record for 22 points in the conference standings.  

This season, the Rams swept the three-game regular-season series with the Wildcats, however, JWU leads the overall series, 23-13-4. The blue-and-gold has controlled things as of late, winning five straight to be unbeaten under Shawn McEachern's guidance. In that winning stretch, Suffolk has outscored Johnson & Wales, 15-3, with three shutouts. 

Suffolk and Johnson & Wales are no strangers to as postseason play as the foes have faced off against one another four times in the ECAC Northeast from 2010 through 2016. The Rams have never defeated the Wildcats (0-4-0) in postseason action. 

Action of the first round is scheduled to get underway this Wednesday, Feb. 25 at Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink at 6:00 p.m. It'll be the second time in program history that Suffolk will host a CNE postseason contest. The midweek action is the second straight home postseason outing for the Rams and fourth-ever home conference postseason bout dating back to 1999-00. In that time frame, Suffolk sports a 1-2-0 record in a home league tournament tilt with the first-ever win coming last season with its 4-0 victory over Nichols. 

Wednesday's action will be the third time that Suffolk skates in a conference's three seed versus sixth seed contest, first since the 2015 ECAC Northeast Quarterfinals. The Rams have only played Johnson & Wales in the three against sixth seed games, but has never come out victorious.  

The other first round match-up features fifth seed Nichols at fourth seed Curry. 

The winners of Wednesday's action will advance to the semifinals Saturday, Feb. 28. Top-seed and regular-season champion awaits the outcome of the Bison and Colonels, while second seed Endicott will entertain the victory of the Rams and Wildcats tangle. 
From there, the two remaining teams will battle in the CNE Championship Saturday, March 7 at the highest remaining seed. The team that hoists the conference trophy will earn the league's automatic bid to the 2026 CNAA Division III Tournament. 

2026 CNE MEN'S ICE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
First Round – Wednesday, Feb. 25
Game 1: No. 5 Nichols at No. 4 Curry – 6:00 p.m.
Game 2: No. 6 Johnson & Wales at No. 3 Suffolk – 6:00 p.m. 

Semifinals – Saturday, Feb. 28
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 at No. 1 University of New England – 7:00 p.m.
Game 4: Winner of Game 2 at No. 2 Endicott – 1:00 p.m. 

Championship – Saturday, March 7
Game 5: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 3 – Hosted by Highest Remaining Seed