Preview: Merrimack opens 2025-26 season tonight at Lowell

Merrimack opens the men’s hockey season tonight down Route 495 in Lowell, taking on the UMass Lowell River Hawks.

This isn’t your garden-variety opener. In fact, it’s only the second time in 14 years that Merrimack has opened the season with a conference game. The last time came on Oct. 7, 2021, when the Warriors stumbled out of the gate in Providence, falling 5-2 to the Friars.

The Particulars

Puck Drop: 7:15 p.m. ET
Where: Lowell, Mass.
Venue: Tsongas Center (cap. 6,500)
TV/Stream: ESPN+ (U.S.) / Stretch (Int’l)

By the Numbers

These are season-total statistics from the 2024-25 season

Keys to the Game/Things to Watch

KEY: Let’s start with the penalty kill, because that unit simply has to be better than it was last season. The Warriors posted a 72.8% success rate last season. At even strength, Merrimack’s goaltenders were excellent, posting a .913 save percentage. But when down a man? That number cratered to .815, emphasizing the number of scoring chances they were allowing down a man. Some of the newcomers — both transfers and freshmen — should help stabilize things. If they can walk out of Tsongas Arena tonight with Lowell’s power play stuck on zero, that’s a massive first step.