Lake Placid Hosts the ECAC Men’s Hockey Championship
Division 1 Hockey excitement takes place at the Olympic Center in the Adirondacks.
The Herb Brooks Arena at Lake Placid’s Olympic Center is the home of the ECAC Men’s Hockey Championship. Photo courtesy ORDA.
Lake Placid is a renowned home of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Men's Hockey Championship. The top four men's semifinalists from the league compete for the prestigious Whitelaw Cup at the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena every year. The tournament winner earns an automatic bid to participate in the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey National Championship Tournament, commonly referred to as the Frozen Four.
Home of the Miracle on Ice.
The Olympic Center is a must-visit place if you are a fast-paced and exciting ice hockey fan. It is the home of the historic "Miracle on Ice" event. Recently, the 1980 Arena has undergone significant upgrades such as new seating arrangements, modernized media and concession areas, hospitality suites, renovated restrooms, a refurbished concourse, LED event and broadcast-quality lighting, new air handling/dehumidification system, and the ice is now maintained with a new electric Zamboni.
Experience the drama of this action-packed hockey tournament in the Adirondacks.
At last season’s ECAC Hockey Tournament, Colgate shocked the field, knocking off top-seeded Quinnipiac in the semifinals and second-seeded Harvard in the championship game. All four teams in Lake Placid earned NCAA Tournament berths, with Colgate advancing via the automatic bid and Cornell, Harvard, and Quinnipiac earning at-large invitations. Quinnipiac went on to win the school's first NCAA Men's National Championship after beating Minnesota in the title game.
2024 marks the 20th ECAC Championship in Lake Placid’s Olympic Center.
The ECAC tournament began in 1962, with the championships held at Boston Garden each year until 1993, when it moved to Lake Placid. The 2024 tournament marks the 20th Championship to be hosted at the Olympic Center.
On March 9, 1989, the league paid tribute to retiring Commissioner Robert M. "Scotty" Whitelaw by announcing that the Men's Ice Hockey Championship trophy would be named the Whitelaw Cup. Whitelaw joined the ECAC in 1960 as Assistant Commissioner, two years before the ECAC Division I Ice Hockey Championship was formalized.
ECAC Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament schedule and how to purchase tickets.
Friday, March 22
4:00 pm | Semifinal Game One
7:30 pm | Semifinal Game Two
Saturday, March 23
5:00 pm | Championship Game
Purchase tickets online at the Olympic Center’s website. Follow the tournament on Facebook.
Places to explore near Lake Placid Village.
