Weekend tickets for return of Friendship Four US college ice hockey tournament on sale now

Held annually at The SSE Arena, Belfast since 2015, the Friendship Four is the first and only National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One men’s ice hockey tournament to take place outside of North America.

The high-profile two-day event, which has seen 24 games played across six tournaments to date, is designed to promote education, social welfare, and community interaction, building on the sister cities agreement between Belfast and Boston, which was signed a decade ago.

Scheduled to take place at The SSE Arena, Belfast on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 November 2024, Harvard University, Boston University, Merrimack College, and the University of Notre Dame will face off for the coveted Belpot Trophy, last won by Quinnipiac University in 2022.

Steve Thornton, group head of commercial and Hockey at The Odyssey Trust, said: “Having played for Boston University, I know first-hand how exciting college hockey is. To date, 45 players have gone on to play in the NHL after playing in the Friendship Four. The opportunity to bring high-quality NCAA teams to Northern Ireland, which allows people to watch the stars of tomorrow, is incredible and something that I feel very proud to be a part of.”

For local ice hockey and sports fans, the Friendship Four provides a rare opportunity to see top North American college teams go head-to-head in the heart of Belfast.

With a reputation for providing a pipeline of top talent into the National Hockey League (NHL) and other top leagues around the world, NCAA hockey is renowned and loved for its high energy, fast pace.

Historically, the tournament has also proven to be a strong scouting opportunity for the Belfast Giants, with current members of the 2023/24 roster, Kohei Sato, Jeff Baum, Miles Gendron, Charlie Curti, and Greg Printz, all taking to the ice in Northern Ireland for the first time during the Friendship Four.

Four-game weekend passes are available to purchase at here. A service charge and facility fee will apply. Individual game tickets will be available to purchase at a later date.