The University of Maine will be one of four teams that have combined for 15 NCAA Division I ice hockey championships to play in the Ice Breaker Tournament Oct. 9-10 at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
The Ice Breaker traditionally marks the start of the college hockey season.
The Black Bears, two-time national champs, will be joined by North Dakota (7 titles), Michigan State (3) and Lake Superior State (3). UMaine will formally announce the tourney field at a press conference Tuesday morning in Portland.
The Black Bears usually play one game a year in Portland. Last season, UMaine faced off against archrival New Hampshire as the two teams began a series during which they will play non-conference games every year in Manchester, New Hampshire, and Portland.
Their Hockey East games will be played at their campus rinks in Durham, New Hampshire, and Orono.
New Hampshire won in Portland 7-4 one night after Maine had won in Manchester, 5-2.
A sellout crowd of 6,183 witnessed the game in Portland.
North Dakota, a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, went 29-10-3 and reached the Frozen Four, where it was beaten by Boston University 5-3.
North Dakota will have a new head coach as longtime assistant Brad Berry is being promoted after Dave Hakstol was named the new coach of the National Hockey League’s Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.
Big Ten school Michigan State went 17-16-2 and lost to Michigan 4-1 in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
The Spartans’ top-scoring defenseman was Travis Walsh, son of late University of Maine coach Shawn Walsh. He will be a senior next season.
Lake Superior State went 8-28-2 while competing in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
The Lakers lost to Minnesota State 9-2 and 4-2 in their WCHA quarterfinal series.
Maine athletic director Karlton Creech and hockey coach Red Gendron said previously they are hoping the Ice Breaker will set the stage for a possible NCAA Regional tournament in Portland.
Update: The tourney dates have been corrected to Oct. 9-10.