Merrimack was selected No. 4 in the Hockey East Writers and Broadcasters Association preseason poll and No. 6 in the annual Hockey East coaches poll for the 2026-27 season.
In the history of the coaches poll, No. 6 is the second-lowest ranking for a defending Hockey East champion.
The only defending champion ranked lower was UMass Lowell in 2014. The River Hawks won the 2014 Hockey East championship before being picked No. 7 in the following season’s coaches poll.
That Lowell team, however, lost several significant players from its championship roster, including Connor Hellebuyck, Derek Arnold and Joe Pendenza.
The Warriors are in the remarkable position of returning nearly every player who was part of last season’s championship run.
The only players who dressed in both the Hockey East title game and the NCAA Tournament game against North Dakota who are not returning are Mark Hillier (graduation), Max Lundgren (NHL contract), Filip Nordberg (transfer) and Hunter Mayo (injury). Mayo was limited by injury and played just 7:49 against North Dakota.
Merrimack opens the regular season Oct. 3 on the road at Quinnipiac. The Bobcats joined the Warriors in the Sioux Falls regional last season.
The night before, on Oct. 2, Merrimack will play an exhibition game against Sacred Heart.
The home opener — which will also feature the raising of the Hockey East championship banner — is set for Oct. 8 against New Hampshire.