Previewing the Top Matchups in the EHL & EHLP for the 2026-27 Season
HAVERHILL, MA – As the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) prepares to release the schedule for its 14th season, the EHL and Eastern Hockey League Premier (EHLP) are pleased to announce its top fourteen matchups to watch for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
09/24/26: EHL Hershey Cubs @ Pennsylvania Huntsmen – Who doesn’t love a debut? The Hershey Cubs pounce into action against the Pennsylvania Huntsmen, making their EHL debut on the league’s opening day. The Huntsmen, after missing the postseason in 2025-26, will be on the hunt for a strong start.
09/24/26: EHL Elite Golden Knights @ East Coast Wizards – The Cubs aren’t the only fresh faces, with the Elite Golden Knights also kicking off their EHL tenure on opening day. The Connecticut-based squad will have their hands full with the ever-impressive East Coast Wizards.
09/24/26: EHLP Valley Jr. Warriors @ Connecticut Nor’Easter – After a year hiatus, the Valley Jr. Warriors return to EHLP action under the leadership of Head Coach Dylan Farrell-Reny. On the other side are the Connecticut Nor’Easter, who will boast several returners. Mike Cichy will be behind their bench in his first game as EHLP Head Coach.
10/01/26: EHL Seahawks Hockey Club @ Philadelphia Hockey Club – The defending playoff champion Seahawks Hockey Club will have to wait until they take on the defending South Division regular season champions to commence their first game of the season. Philadelphia Hockey Club handed the Seahawks their first loss at this event last year, and will hope to do the same yet again.
10/01/26: EHLP New Jersey 87’s @ New Hampshire Avalanche – The opening showcase will boast another “big boy matchup,” this time in the EHLP. The New Hampshire Avalanche defeated the New Jersey 87’s in three games to win the EHLP Championship last season. In this championship rematch, emotions will be high for those who played in Providence this past April.
10/03/26: EHL Seahawks Hockey Club @ New Jersey Bears – Just two days after they open their season against the South Division’s regular season champions, the Seahawks Hockey Club square off against the South’s playoff champs. The New Jersey Bears will have revenge on their minds, being denied the EHL Championship in three games against the Seahawks.
10/17/16: EHL New Jersey Bears @ Philadelphia Hockey Club – Only one team defeated Philadelphia Hockey Club at Hollydell Ice Arena last season: the New Jersey Bears. Their second victory ended PHC’s season in the second round of the playoffs last year, propelling the Bears on a Frozen Finals run. PHC will look to settle that score.
12/03/26: EHL Connecticut Nor’Easter @ Providence Capitals – These two teams do not like each other. With a plethora of returners on both sides and a three-game playoff series in the rearview mirror, emotions will be high between these two Central Division rivals. By December, there will be no love lost between the Nor’Easter and the Capitals.
12/12/26: EHLP New Jersey 87’s @ Atlantic City Seals – After a 5-3 regular season series victory for the Atlantic City Seals, and 2-1 Regional Finals victory for the New Jersey 87’s, a new rivalry has emerged in the EHLP. The Seals impressed in their inaugural season, winning the Mid-Atlantic Division in the regular season after the race came down to the wire with the second-place 87’s.
01/21/27: EHL East Coast Wizards @ New Hampshire Avalanche – The EHL possibly got its best hockey when the East Coast Wizards and New Hampshire Avalanche went toe-to-toe. The defending regular season champion Avalanche conceded games to no team more than the Wizards last season. Their second-round playoff series featured two overtime games, and by January, both teams will be in mid-season form.
02/25/27: EHL New Jersey Bears @ New Jersey 87’s – With the new division alignment featuring a nine-team Mid-Atlantic Conference, points will be at a premium in the latter weeks of the EHL season. For the last three years, the New Jersey 87’s and New Jersey Bears have jockeyed for seeding until the final games of the regular season. In addition, the Bears swept the 87’s (First Round) en route to their Frozen Finals appearance in April.
03/04/27: EHLP New Hampshire Avalanche @ Seahawks Hockey Club: From the early goings of the 2025-26 season, the New Hampshire Avalanche and the Seahawks Hockey Club seemed star-crossed to meet at the EHLP Regional Finals. Another series that went the distance, Regionals have left a bad taste in the Seahawks’ mouth for the past two seasons, and they’ll be looking for a key win against the defending champs late in the year.
03/09/27: EHL Express Hockey Club @ Seahawks Hockey Club – There’s nothing better than a playoff race that comes down to the very last day. That’s exactly what happened last year as the Seahawks Hockey Club shored up the number one spot in the East Division by winning their last regular season game. The Express Hockey Club, who decisively won the regular season series, fell to the Seahawks in three in the postseason. Always an emotionally charged meeting, this one will likely have some playoff implications too.
03/12/27: EHL H.C Rhode Island @ New Hampshire Avalanche – Last year’s regular season title race came down to three teams, two of which are in this game. The New Hampshire Avalanche ended up securing it, winning a key game against H.C Rhode Island in mid-March. However, it was Rhode Island defeating the Avalanche at the Mid-Season Snowdown that helped continue HRI’s historic win streak last year. Another showcase standoff this year, it deserves an “X” on the calendar.