The 2020–21 Princeton Tigers Men's ice hockey season would have been the 119th season of play for the program and the 60th season in the ECAC Hockey conference. The Tigers represent the Princeton University and played their home games at the Hobey Baker Memorial Rink.
Season
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the entire college ice hockey season was delayed. Despite the issues, Princeton and most of ECAC Hockey were expecting to start playing some time in November. After the teams had assembled and began practicing, however, a sizable number of Yale's players tested positive for coronavirus. On October 16, Yale raised the campus alert status from green to yellow when the 18th member of the men's ice hockey team tested positive.[1] Less than a month later, the Ivy League, Princeton's primary conference, announced that it was cancelling all winter sports for 2020–21. Additionally the schools would not be participating in any Spring sports until the end of February.[2] The announcement was not particularly surprising, considering that, unlike other conference, the Ivy League does not rely on revenue generated from its athletic programs.
Because the NCAA had previously announced that all winter sports athletes would retain whatever eligibility they possessed through at least the following year, none of Princeton's players would lose a season of play.[3] However, the NCAA also approved a change in its transfer regulations that would allow players to transfer and play immediately rather than having to sit out a season, as the rules previously required.[4] Because of this, players who would have been members of Princeton for the 2021 season had a pathway to leave the program and immediately play for another university.
