BOSTON -- UMass Lowell and Northeastern's men’s ice hockey programs are slated to skate in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the Friendship Four Tournament, it was announced Friday by Boston mayor Marty Walsh and Belfast Lord Mayor Arder Carson at the TD Garden. Joining the River Hawks and Huskies will be Colgate and Brown in a pair of contests set for November 27-28 for the Belpot Trophy.
“The Hockey East family is excited about this event, both from the hockey and cultural perspectives,” Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna said. “We will work with everyone to make this first event a huge success and lay the groundwork for future such tournaments for others to experience.”
The four teams will square off at Odyssey Arena, home of the Belfast Giants, a professional team that competes within the Elite Ice Hockey League. The Giants boast two alumni from Cornell, including Mark McCutcheon (2003-07) and Raymond Sawada (2004-08), as well as former Providence defenseman Jeff Mason (2001-05). Additionally, the Belfast Giants have retired the No. 4 jersey of former Boston University defenseman Shane Johnson (1993-97) while former Terrier Steve Thornton (1991-95) served as head coach of the Giants from 2008-10 before returning to the club to serve as head coach and head of hockey operations in 2014.
