Parity has defined Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) men’s hockey since the start, when five different programs claimed conference titles in the first six seasons. A different champion has come out on top in each of the last three regular seasons as well, and a fourth is predicted for first place this season in the preseason coaches poll.

That sense of unpredictability and balance has piqued excitement entering the 2026-27 campaign. Play gets underway for all nine teams in the conference this weekend, with one league series (Niagara-RIT); four teams playing non-conference games (Army West Point, Canisius, Holy Cross, Robert Morris); and three more teams in exhibition action (Air Force, Bentley, Sacred Heart).

Three teams received first-place votes in the preseason poll; only a single point separated the top two teams, Sacred Heart and Bentley, who last met in the AHA Championship Game on March 21. 

Below is a brief look at each Atlantic Hockey America team entering 2026-27, listed in order of how the coaches picked them in the conference’s preseason poll:

SACRED HEART
2025-26 Record (Conference): 23-14-3 (15-8-3, second place)
Preseason Poll: First
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Sacred Heart stands atop the preseason poll for the third year in a row, as opposing coaches maintain faith that it’s a matter of when – not if – the Pioneers will capture their first conference title.

The last two seasons have produced second-place finishes and 20-win seasons, including a program record 23 victories last year. The trick for head coach C.J. Marottolo now is to take the next step. 

“Where we’ve been, it’s great, but it’s not where we want to get to,” Marottolo said. “There’s always that hunger that there’s another level we need to get to, individually and collectively as a group.”

One to Watch: Junior goaltender Ajeet Gundarah (Richmond, B.C.) has the nation’s best career save percentage among active goaltenders at .933. That track record earned him the nod as the league’s Preseason Player of the Year, and Marottolo notes that he’s just as impressive off the ice. "He's a tremendous leader for our team,” he said of Gundarah. “His voice in the locker room, when he talks it carries a ton of weight. He never asks anybody to do anything he doesn't expect from himself."

Series to Circle: Now four years old, Martire Family Arena welcomes one of college hockey’s showcase events October 9-10 as Sacred Heart co-hosts the Ice Breaker Tournament with UConn. That brings Bowling Green and Penn State to Fairfield, headlining a challenging non-conference slate that also includes a visit from Ohio State and a trip to Cornell. The CT Ice Tournament in January will present another in-season test for the Pioneers.

Did You Know?: With Bentley winning the regular-season title last year, Sacred Heart is the only member of Atlantic Hockey America not to have a championship on its resume. The Pioneers have finished second in the league five times, including each of the last two years.

BENTLEY
2025-26 Record (Conference): 23-12-5 (16-6-4, first place)
Preseason Poll: Second
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Now in his fourth season leading Bentley, head coach Andy Jones has taken a program that had never won 20 games in a season and produced back-to-back 23-win campaigns, to go along with consecutive AHA Postseason championships and NCAA Tournament berths. 

The Falcons were both AHA’s highest scoring and best defensive team in 2025-26, and only lost consecutive conference games once – in the final weekend of the regular season, after the championship and top playoff seed had been secured.

Senior Kellan Hjartarson (Calgary, Alta.) is the top returning scorer and the league’s reigning Best Defensive Forward honoree. Also back are two talented goaltenders and the bulk of the defensive corps.

One to Watch: Junior forward Michael Mesic (Plymouth, Mich.) was the Most Outstanding Player of the AHA Postseason a year ago, leading Bentley to the title. He scored the first goal of the championship game against Sacred Heart and assisted on both Falcon third-period goals that led to the comeback victory. That marked his ninth consecutive game with a goal, tying former Bentley star Jonathan Desbiens for the school and conference records for longest goal streak. He had 11 of his 15 tallies on the season during that run.

MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A GOAL, AHA HISTORY
9 Michael Mesic, Bentley (1/9/2026–3/21/2026, 11G)
Jonathan Desbiens, Bentley (1/18/2019–2/14/2019, 9G)

Series to Circle: The top two teams in the preseason poll will only play one series this season, with Sacred Heart returning to Bentley Arena for games on January 15 and 16. Including playoffs last year the teams met five times – each won two and the other went to a shootout (Bentley won that, 2-0). That mid-January weekend could have a big impact on which team has the upper hand entering the final six weeks of the regular season.

Did You Know?: Bentley’s power play has been among the top two in conference play each of the last two seasons and is a cumulative 22.7% in Jones’s three years, two percentage points better than the next-best AHA team in that time (Canisius, 20.7%).

RIT
2025-26 Record (Conference): 17-17-2 (13-11-2, fifth place)
Preseason Poll: Third
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RIT rebounded into fifth place in the AHA in 2025-26 following an uncharacteristic ninth-place finish the year before, and the preseason poll predicts further improvement. Six of the top seven scorers from last season return, led by preseason all-conference pick Christian Catalano (Mississauga, Ont.) and two of the three forwards from the AHA All-Rookie Team in Zach Wigle (Oakville, Ont.) and Evan Konyen (Newmarket, Ont.).

Junior goaltender Jakub Krbecek (Prague, Czech Republic) had 33 of 36 decisions in net last year, earning second-team all-conference honors.

One to Watch: Senior forward Matthew Wilde (Mississauga, Ont.) returns to Rochester after a year at UMass, and the Tigers are eager to welcome his offense back into the lineup. In his first two seasons, Wilde scored at a 0.57 goals per game clip in AHA play, numbers that put him among the top 10 scorers in conference history. 

“He’s super competitive,” Thomas said of Wilde. “He wants to win, and his [message] to me was, ‘If I come back, I want to win.’ He’s a big part of what our success will look like, so we’re excited.”  

MOST GOALS PER CONFERENCE GAME, ALL-TIME
0.71 Jacques Lamoureux, Air Force (2008-11)
0.64 Simon Lambert, RIT (2006-08)
0.61 Tyler McGregor, Holy Cross (2003-06)
0.60 Dave Borrelli, Mercyhurst (2003-06)
0.58 Ludwig Stenlund, Niagara (2018-21)
0.57 Tim Olsen, Connecticut (2003-05)
0.57 Matthew Wilde, RIT (2023-25)
0.56 Cody Wydo, Robert Morris (2011-15)
0.55 Liam McLinskey, Holy Cross (2022-25)
Matt Smith, RIT (2006-08)
Dave Kostuch, Canisius (2008-10)

Series to Circle: In a schedule already rich with in-state competition, including non-conference games at Colgate and Cornell, RIT will make its first appearance in the fourth annual Adirondack Invitational, set for Thanksgiving weekend at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Tigers will face Clarkson on Friday and St. Lawrence on Saturday, two compelling matchups in that historic venue.

Did You Know?: RIT posted a nine-game winning streak in October and November of last season that was the longest of any AHA team in 2025-26 and tied for the fifth longest in the nation. The stretch included non-conference wins against Clarkson and Colgate (twice), all by multiple goals.

HOLY CROSS
2025-26 Record (Conference): 18-18-2 (14-10-2, fourth place)
Preseason Poll: Fourth
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Holy Cross has boasted some of the conference’s most decorated forwards of the past few years, players who have helped lead to three straight top-three finishes and the 2024-25 league championship. 

With some of those big names gone and an influx of new players – nine freshmen and three transfers – it can be easy to overlook the talent coming back. The likes of Matthew Kursonis (Worcester, Mass.) and Noah Eyre (Vienna, Va.), both juniors, will look to become the next go-to forwards for the Crusaders. Each had 20-point seasons for Holy Cross as a sophomore.

One to Watch: After starting five games before the New Year as a freshman, goaltender Danick Leroux (Candiac, Que.) took the reins as Holy Cross’s No. 1 beginning with a 2-2 tie at Bentley on January 2. He posted a 9-5-1 record and a .912 save percentage in conference games, and boasted a four-game winning streak that stretched from the last weekend of the regular season through a quarterfinal series win that saw both games go to overtime.

Series to Circle: The Crusaders face eight different non-conference foes and a ninth in a post-Christmas exhibition, so there is no shortage of unfamiliar faces on the schedule. One of the most compelling comes right off the bat, with Maine visiting Worcester for a two-game series. Picked seventh in the Hockey East preseason poll, the Black Bears swept a series between these teams last year in Orono. Saturday night’s game heads from the hill to downtown, with the DCU Center hosting the Crusaders for the first time since 2021.

Did You Know?: Holy Cross was 16-3-2 last season when scoring first in a game, but 2-15-0 when its opponent scored first.

AIR FORCE
2025-26 Record (Conference): 18-15-4 (13-10-3, sixth place)
Preseason Poll: Fourth
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Air Force’s 18-15-4 record a year ago marked its first winning season since 2018-19, and included an 8-4-2 run down the stretch. The Falcons will look to pick up from there thanks to a solid returning group at every position.

Defense, as usual, should be a strength. The Academy has produced some of the best all-around defensemen in AHA history, including one who just graduated in Chris Hedden. The next men up are Nolan Cunningham (Helena, Mont.) and Will Staring (Springfield, Va.), who had 20 and 19 points, respectively, and should increase those totals with Hedden’s departure.

“We’ve got the best depth we’ve ever had,” said head coach Frank Serratore, highlighting those two, plus two returning linemates in juniors Sam Stitz (Perry Hall, Md.) and Nick Sajevic (Shoreview, Minn.) up front.

One to Watch: In-state product Dominik Wasik (Superior, Colo.) started the last 32 games of the season in goal after not seeing a minute of action in his first two seasons. Not surprisingly, he was named the team’s most improved player. Wasik posted a 17-12-3 record with four shutouts, tied for the most among AHA goaltenders, and earned Third-Team All-Atlantic Hockey America honors. The civil engineering major is a member of cadet squadron 28.

Series to Circle: Army West Point comes to Cadet Ice Arena for the first of two series between the military academies November 6-7, the earliest those teams have met in the season since Nov. 2-3, 2018. The Black Knights’ last visit came in Air Force’s final home games of 2025-26, and the visitors won Friday night, then took a shootout victory Saturday after a 0-0 tie headlined by Wasik and his Army counterpart JJ Cataldo.

Did You Know?: Air Force was 7-3 in one-goal games last season, including a 4-1 mark in February and March.

ROBERT MORRIS
2025-26 Record (Conference): 16-21-3 (13-11-2, third place)
Preseason Poll: Sixth
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Just 4-15-2 in mid-January of last year, Robert Morris turned it on down the stretch, finishing 12-6-3 and ultimately taking Sacred Heart to a third game in the AHA semifinals. 

The strong finish lifted the Colonials to a tie for third in the standings, seven spots better than the year before, but the team knows a stronger start could have meant even more improvement.

“Every play matters in college hockey,” said head coach Derek Schooley. “If you don’t block a shot it could cost you a point, if you don’t pick up a man on the backcheck it could cost you a point. If you miss the net instead of bury it, it could cost you a point. Those are things that this group, with depth and experience, can learn from and build upon.”

One to Watch: Defense appears to be the strength for the Colonials entering the season, and sophomore John Babcock (North Vancouver, B.C.) proved to be a big piece of that group as a rookie. He led all NCAA players with 123 blocked shots and earned spots on the AHA All-Rookie Team and All-Tournament Team. He will wear an ‘A’ for RMU as an alternate captain alongside fellow defenseman and preseason all-conference selection Dominic Elliott (Allendale, Mich.).

Series to Circle: The Colonials return to Sacred Heart, where last season ended, for their third Atlantic Hockey America series of the season November 20-21. It will mark their ninth and tenth road games of the season compared to just three at home, and they will have been tested at some challenging venues including Wisconsin, Miami and Penn State. 

Did You Know?: Robert Morris has 19 upperclassmen on its roster, six more than it had last year or in any of the past three seasons.
 
ARMY WEST POINT
2025-26 Record (Conference): 12-17-6 (7-15-4, ninth place)
Preseason Poll: Seventh
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Army West Point went 12-17-6 in head coach Zach McKelvie’s first season, but a strong returning group is giving reason for optimism at Tate Rink. Up front the Black Knights are especially deep, as the top nine scoring forwards from last year return and look to build upon an offense that only managed 2.35 goals per conference game.

In total, 89% of Army’s goal scoring and 85% of its points are back from 2025-26, both of which lead the conference and are among the top four teams nationally.

Add in an experienced goaltender (see below) and a lot of talent is back on the banks of the Hudson River.

One to Watch: League coaches pegged junior forward Jack Ivey (San Diego, Calif.) as a Preseason All-Conference selection coming off his second-team all-league sophomore campaign. Ivey led Army in goals (14) and points (28) a season ago, his second straight season with double-digits in goals and 20-plus points. Jack and his twin brother, Ben, both provide a combination of size and skill and are taking on bigger leadership roles according to McKelvie.

Series to Circle: Army West Point faces Penn State December 10 and 12 in a unique two-game series that starts Thursday night at the home of the New Jersey Devils, Newark’s Prudential Center. Perhaps most intriguing about that date and site: it’s only 11 miles and less than 48 hours away from kickoff at the Army-Navy football game, being held this year at MetLife Stadium. That should provide not only a compelling non-conference matchup but potentially a sizeable Black Knight crowd.

Did You Know?: The league’s 2025-26 Goaltender of the Year, junior JJ Cataldo (Stuart, Fla.) leads all AHA goaltenders and ranks fourth nationally with 63 career games played. His .921 career save percentage trails only Sacred Heart’s Ajeet Gundarah, giving the AHA the top two goaltenders nationally in that category.

BEST CAREER SAVE PERCENTAGE, ACTIVE AHA GOALTENDERS
.933 – Ajeet Gundarah, Sacred Heart (1st nationally)
.921 – JJ Cataldo, Army West Point (2nd nationally)
.917 – Lukas Swedin, Bentley (8th nationally)
Minimum 25 career GP

CANISIUS
2025-26 Record (Conference): 17-16-2 (12-12-2, seventh place)
Preseason Poll: Tied for eighth
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Canisius had a decidedly up-and-down season in 2025-26, with impressive stretches of 5-1-0 and 6-1-0, but also an 0-5-1 run and three straight losses to start February. The Golden Griffins’ last six games alternated wins and losses, which accurately matched their record for the year – .500 in the conference and one game over .500 overall.

Needless to say, if head coach Trevor Large and his team can play more like the peaks than the valleys, they could far exceed their preseason poll standing of tied for eighth place. To do so they will look to assimilate 15 new players, including two new goaltenders.

Success will likely depend on those goalies and team defense generally. “Defense I hope is upgraded, in terms of team defense,” Large said. “That’s something that we still have a sour taste in our mouth in terms of the way the season ended. We were able to score as much as we wanted but we weren’t able to keep it out of our net as much as we wanted.”

One to Watch: Walter Zacher (Buffalo, N.Y.) scored 19 goals in 2025-26, second in the AHA behind only Sacred Heart’s Felix Trudeau (25), the league Player of the Year and a Hobey Baker Award finalist. In the last 15 games of last season the hometown product totaled 12 goals and 20 points, a stretch that included four three-point games.

Series to Circle: The Battle of the Bridge between Canisius and Niagara has a fascinating five-day span scheduled for the leadup to Thanksgiving. That stretch that has the teams play a home-and-home on November 20-21, take two days off, then return to Niagara’s Dwyer Arena on Tuesday, November 24. The fourth and final meeting in the series will be on the next-to-last night of the regular season, February 26 at LECOM Harborcenter.

Did You Know?: Zacher leads a group of 10 seniors on the Canisius roster, the largest senior class in the country. They will provide necessary leadership and will be supported by a sophomore class that is actually larger – 11 players – and could prove even more talented over time, led by defenseman FJ Buteau (Montreal, Que.) and Lindenwood transfer Louis-Philippe Fontaine (Chambly, Que.).

NIAGARA
2025-26 Record (Conference): 13-23-1 (9-16-1, eighth place)
Preseason Poll: Tied for eighth
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Niagara returns the bulk of a balanced attack from last season, with five of its top six scorers back in the fold. 

Team captain and graduate student Noah Hackett (Ponoka, Alta.) has hit double digits in goals each of the last two seasons and is among the players head coach Jason Lammers will look to for increased production with another year of experience. The sophomore and junior classes provide talent and depth as well.

One to Watch: Forward Jack Richard (Stoney Creek, Ont.) returns to Niagara, having transferred to Merrimack following a 10-goal and 21-point freshman year in 2023-24. “I think [his return] shows the culture of our program and how much people want to be here,” Lammers said. “We are excited about him as a person, as a student and as a player. He’s going to bring a real asset in terms of his ability to score.”

Series to Circle: Niagara and RIT waste no time in jumping into conference play, with a home-and-home series set for this Friday and Saturday, starting at Dwyer Arena. Lammers is eager to replace the preseason poll, which has the Purple Eagles tied for eighth, with regular-season standings. “We realize the underdog mentality that has been presented to us on this journey this year,” Lammers said. “We are excited about that, we look forward to shocking the world. We are ready to go through it and not around it.” 

Three of the four meetings between these teams last year were decided by one goal, and the exception was one plus an empty-netter.

Did You Know?: Niagara’s team save percentage of .888 in conference games last season ranked last in Atlantic Hockey America, but is an area where Lammers expects marked improvement. Sophomore Tomas Anderson (Stillwater, Minn.) and junior Deivs Rolovs (Riga, Latvia) return with the benefit of experience, while Mercyhurst transfer Charles-Edward Gravel (Levis, Que.) will also compete for time between the pipes.