I’m just going to come out and say it.
Over the last three weeks, the Merrimack men’s hockey team has proven it can win a national championship.
That’s a bold statement — I’m aware. But as I’ve been saying for well over a month now, there’s just something about this group.
College sports aren’t what they used to be. Ten years ago, a team dominated by freshmen and sophomores that won Hockey East and reached the NCAA Tournament would have been a lock for preseason Top 10 lists the following year.
Now, the transfer portal looms large. And let’s be honest, Max Lundgren — along with others — may have opportunities to sign NHL contracts. Even if Lundgren does sign an NHL deal — I never blame players for fulfilling their life’s dream — the Warriors have one of the top goalies in the USHL, who starred for Latvia at the World Juniors, slated to join the program next season alongside Nils Wallstrom and Ryan Keyes.
But if the people inside that locker room feel the same way I feel as an outside observer, maybe there’s a pull to come back and take another run at the ultimate prize.
Because, honestly, they aren’t that far away.
I’ve covered college hockey nationally for the last 20 years. I have watched programs like Providence, UMass, Western Michigan, and more build themselves into national powers. All of those stories started with a group like Merrimack has right now.
Less than a week ago, the Warriors raised the Lamoriello Trophy at TD Garden as Hockey East champions. On the way, they knocked off No. 1 Providence, No. 2 UMass, and No. 3 UConn.
Two of those teams joined Merrimack in the NCAA Tournament this week.
The postseason is different. Iron sharpens iron. The margin for error disappears. It demands something extra.
This version of Merrimack has that something extra.
Thursday night didn’t go their way. The 3-0 loss to North Dakota put a sour ending on what was otherwise a remarkable season — one of the best in program history.
But don’t let the final score fool you. The Warriors went toe-to-toe with the No. 2 team in the nation.
In many respects, Merrimack carried play.
For instance, the Warriors generated more expected goals than the Fighting Hawks. They were on the wrong end of a familiar script. All season, opponents watched Lundgren steal games. On this night, it was Jan Špunar turning aside chance after chance.
Look at some of the analytics from Thursday night (from SportsLogiq):
North Dakota entered the game allowing the second-fewest shots in the nation (23.2 per game). Merrimack not only outshot the Fighting Hawks, but dictated possession for long stretches — particularly in the second half — against one of the premier possession teams in college hockey.
Merrimack outshot North Dakota 20-6 over the final 32 minutes of the game.
And that doesn’t even account for Ryan O’Connell’s disallowed goal in the second period, wiped out by an early whistle.
If that one counts, does the game unfold differently?
Entering this week’s NCAA Tournament, the Warriors were tied with Western Michigan for the most wins in the country since Dec. 12 (16 wins).
This group spent the second half of the season trading statistical punches with the sport’s elite. They were one of the best teams in the nation over a 24-game span.
That’s why it’s fair to believe that if this core stays intact, the ceiling rises well beyond Hockey East.
We’re talking about more than a conference title defense. We’re talking about a legitimate push for the program’s first trip to the Frozen Four — and maybe even more.
This wasn’t a small-sample size, either. Over a 24-game stretch, the Warriors went 16-6-2.
Merrimack finished No. 19 nationally in the NPI rankings. Strip away early-season losses to Long Island and Notre Dame — games played while a young roster was still searching for its identity — and they would have been No. 12 this season.
That’s knocking on the door of the Top 10 … right now.
For years, the idea of Merrimack winning a Hockey East championship lived more as a dream than something felt actually attainable.
Last Saturday, it became a reality.
A Frozen Four berth? A national championship?
Those used to feel like distant, almost unreachable outcomes — even within the program.
Not anymore. Not with this group.
The next month will shape what comes next. Roster decisions will matter. Opportunities will present themselves.
But if the Warriors emerge with their core intact, there’s reason to believe this is only the beginning.
You thought this season was fun?
They could be just getting started.