Everything you need to know about the 2026 Beanpot Hockey Tournament

As February approaches, Boston has a certain buzz. Maybe it’s because the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl, but it’s not a long hiatus, but it’s a welcome return for New Englanders. Or maybe because of that others February’s Boston Tradition: The Beanpot.

One of Boston’s most revered sporting events, the Beanpot is an annual college hockey tournament featuring four DI hockey teams: Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern and Harvard.

Of course, if you’re from Boston, you probably already know this, but if you’re new here, welcome. Here’s everything you need to know about Beanpot.

⏪ REWIND: Boston University wins the 2025 Beanpot

What is a Beanpot?

One of Boston’s most prestigious sporting events, the Beanpot is an annual college hockey tournament that features the four major DI hockey teams in the Boston area competing for bragging rights and the Beanpot Trophy. The tournament is played in two stages, with the winner of the semi-final playing for the championship and the loser playing the consolation game.

The Beanpot was originally held at the old Boston Arena, but expanded to the 14,000-seat Boston Garden in 1954, and since 1996 has been played at TD Garden, home of the NHL’s Boston Bruins. The Beanpot is usually held on the first two Mondays in February and has a tradition that dates back to 1959. It regularly hosts four of DI hockey’s best-attended games each season, selling out four games with more than 17,000 fans at TD Garden.

So why is it called the Beanpot? The tournament was originally called the New England Hockey Invitational, but prior to the inaugural game in 1952, Boston Globe writer Leonard M. Fowle renamed it the Beanpot Tournament, referring to Boston’s colonial staple of baked beans. After the 1952 game, then-Boston Bruins owner Walter Brown donated a silver bean bag as the tournament trophy, and the name remains.

The current trophy is a replica, but the original bowl is housed in a glass case at TD Garden and is guarded by alarms and guards daily. Accordingly collegehockeynews.comthe last time Chris Burke, son of Bruins legend Ray Burke, scored the overtime winner against BU in 2005, winning his first Cup.

Why is the Beanpot so important?

In addition to the pride and tradition of the Beanpot, the timing of the tournament is also important as it kicks off the important stages of the conference championship and the NCAA tournament. Former Boston College head coach Jerry York even referred to it as the start of a “Cup Season,” and the Beanpot was the first of three trophies his team won, along with the Hockey East Cup and NCAA Tournament trophy.

To understand how important the Beanpot is, consider this: In 72 seasons, no team has won a national championship without winning the Beanpot that season. The Terriers came close to both in 2025, with the Beanpot win sparking a second-semester turnaround that ultimately led to a Frozen Four championship game, but they ultimately fell short in a loss to Western Michigan State.

Which team won the most Beanpots?

Boston University has won 32 championships and has an overall record of 96-48-0, the Beanpot champion and all-time winningest team. Boston College is second with 20 titles. BU also had the longest winning streak of the 4 teams with 6 straight from 1995-2000.

Here’s a look at the achievements of the four Beanpot teams.

When is the 2026 Beanpot?

This year marks the 73rd edition of the Beanpot. All games are broadcast on NESN. Boston College will play Harvard on February 2 at 5:00 p.m., followed by Boston U. at Northeastern at 8:00 p.m. The winning teams will face off in the championship game on February 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The consolation game will be played before the championship game at 4:30 p.m

The Beanpot schedule for 2026 is as follows.

February 2, Monday

February 9, Monday

• 16:30 | Third place match
• 19:30 Championship