The Ice Breaker was created by the Hockey Commissioners Association to celebrate the start of the hockey season each year. The annual tournament features four of the nation’s top teams, typically all from different NC women’s hockey conferences.
The Women’s Ice Breaker began in 2019, but missed two years in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19. The tournament resumed in 2022, and 2025 will be the fifth edition. The Ice Breaker follows a similar format to the Beanpot, where the winners of Games 1 and 2 face off in the championship on the second day, while the losers of the first two games play for third place.
This year, Union will host the tournament at its new rink, the M&T Bank Center in Schenectady, New York. No. 1 Wisconsin, Vermont and Saint Anselm will join Union for the tournament, with games scheduled for Oct. 17-18.
