For the last 44 years, the Women’s Beanpot Championship has been held in a rotating selection of on-campus rinks while the men battle it out under the lights of TD Garden.
But next winter, the women will also lace up their skates on Boston’s biggest stage as TD Garden announced on Monday that the tournament’s championship and consolation games will be played at the Garden on Jan. 23, 2024.
The 2024 edition of the tournament will also mark the first year of the Women’s Beanpot’s partnership with Dunkin’, as the championship game will be officially named the Dunkin’ Women’s Beanpot Championship.
“The Beanpot represents the best of the best in college hockey and we are thrilled to have the 45th women’s championship game played at TD Garden,” Boston College Athletics Director Blake James said in a release from BC Athletics. “This is an outstanding opportunity to showcase our program and will provide our student-athletes with an amazing experience.”
As part of the announcement, TD Garden and the Boston Bruins invited players from Boston College women’s hockey, Harvard, Northeastern, and Boston University to attend the Bruins’ Tuesday night game against the Ottawa Senators. The game was the Bruins’ Women in Sports Night and included a celebration of the 2023 Women’s Beanpot champion, Northeastern.
Northeastern defeated BC in the 2023 Women’s Beanpot Championship, marking the Eagles’ second championship game appearance in two years. BC lost to Harvard 5–4 in 2022.
“We’re thrilled to be able to bring the Women’s Beanpot and women’s college hockey to a storied venue like TD Garden,” BC head coach Katie Crowley wrote in the release. “This is an amazing opportunity for these four schools to showcase women’s college hockey in front of the great fans and supporters in the Boston hockey community.”
Each year, the Beanpot attracts a cult following of hockey fans from across the New England area, and seats for men’s Beanpot games at TD Garden regularly sell out. Though the games count towards regular season records, the historical tournament’s trophy and the bragging rights associated with the tournament are coveted across the participating schools.
“We are thrilled to announce that TD Garden will be the proud home of the Dunkin’ Women’s Beanpot Championship in 2024,” Amy Latimer, president of TD Garden, said. “As a former collegiate athlete, a fan, and an executive in the sports industry, I am so excited for aspiring female hockey players, the current student-athletes, and the fans, to have this unforgettable experience.”
