The competing teams for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 Friendship Four Hockey Tournaments have been announced, which marks an important milestone, since the event celebrates its 10-year anniversary in Belfast in 2025.
Founded by the Odyssey Trust and held annually in the SSE Arena, Belfast, the Friendship Four is the first and only NCAA Division I Hockey Tournament that takes place outside of North America. Since its foundation in 2015, the tournament that is being disputed for the Belpot trophy has become a flagship event in the sports calendar of Northern Ireland, which brings collegial hockey from world class to Belfast and at the same time education, cultural exchange and community involvement is promoted.
The 2026 edition of the Friendship Vier will welcome Connecticut, Providence, Minnesota Duluth and Colgate. In 2027, Northeastern, Quinnipiac, North Dakota and Wisconsin will go to the ice, while the line -up of 2028 will see Notre Dame, Omaha, Dartmouth and Maine.
“Reaching the 10-year anniversary of the Friendship Vier is a remarkable achievement and a celebration of everything that the tournament has started to represent,” said Odyssey Trust Sports Director Steve Thornton in a statement. “In the past decade, Belfast has welcomed some of the best NCAA teams and inspired new generations of fans. While we look at the future, we are pleased to confirm three excellent line -ups for 2026, 2027 and 2028, who promise to deliver more unforgettable hockey reminders in the SSE Arena.”
The high-profile tournament is designed to promote education, social well-being and community interaction, building on the Sister Cities agreement between Belfast and Boston, signed ten years ago. The agreement is intended to promote a stronger economic development, trade and investment, young people, cultural exchanges and educational ties between the two cities, and to increase the consciousness of Belfast and Boston, being cities in the associated health and life sciences, creative industries, tourism, financial services and knowledge of the knowledge and knowledge.
In collaboration with the recent announcement in Boston, a special recognition was also made to Ralph Cox, whose vision, leadership and relentless dedication have played an important role in the growth and success of friendship four since the beginning. Cox, who is a member of the Friends of the Friendship Four Advisory Board, was presented with the Belfast Homecoming Ambassador Medal, a prestigious honor that was presented annually to excellent people who have shown an exceptional dedication to make contact again with, investing and supporting in Belfast.
The Friendship Vier returns to Belfast in November with the Rochester Institute of Technology, Sacred Heart, Miami and Union. In the fourth Women’s Friendship Series Tournament, Boston University, Harvard, Quinnipiac and Minnesota Duluth will go to the ice in Belfast in January 2026.
For more information or to buy tickets for both tournaments, visit Ticket master.
#Teams #announced #Friendship #hockey #tournaments #Belfast #College #Hockey #Ucho.com