Decades after a controversial administrative cut silenced the Quakers' Division I ambitions, an existing historic arena and a dedicated endowment offer hope for a varsity hockey revival.
The pool of eligible players for NCAA Division I hockey swelled last fall with the addition of CHL players. Despite the increase, the number of teams at the Division I level has dropped to 62, with Mercyhurst University discontinuing their program for 2026-27. Restoring The Rink examines programs that have gone defunct and their viability in today’s market.
History:
Hockey at the University of Pennsylvania has existed since before the turn of the 20th century! The first Quaker hockey team first laced up in 1898 on the Schuylkill River. After many iterations over the next 50 years, the Penn a Division I Independent Program in 1965 before joining the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) two seasons later.
The program had an incredible support system early on. Alumni from the Class of 1923 raised money that went to having the University build a cutting edge ice rink and facility aptly named Class of 1923 Arena. This rink still stands today, and could easily host some level of NCAA hockey based on photos from its own website.
However, less than ten years after the rink was announced in 1968, Penn's Division I program would be gone. An abrupt announcement was made to the team in February 1978, that the Quaker hockey would not continue past the current 1977-78 campaign. A theater and other sports teams were among the other items on the University's chopping block
This decision caused much public outcry at the apparent lack of communication and student voices in the University's choices, resulting in a near four day sit in at College Hall, home to many administrative offices. Eventually, all proposed cuts were restored-except the hockey team.
Currently, there is a club team that was established in 1997 which currently plays in the ACHA Division II. Their home rink remains Class of 1923 Arena.
Hockey Impact:
The Flyers have had great success in the market of Brotherly Love. Their expansion into the NHL came two years after the Division I Penn Quakers in 1967. Since their inception, the "Broad Street Bullies" have had a cult following. Philadelphia has two back-to-back Stanley Cups to their name coming in 1974 and 1975.
Apr 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers goalie Dan Vladar (80) reacts with teammates against the Pittsburgh Penguins after game six of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn ImagesRenowned players like the late Bernie Parent, Bobby Clarke, Eric Lindros and Claude Giroux have donned the Orange and Black. At the time of publication, Philadelphia is battling against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Market Viability:
There was a university supported endowment announced in July 2019, with a roadmap to have Division I Hockey by this past 2025-26 NCAA Season. However, there have been little to no updates since 2019.
It feels like the people of Philadelphia, and the wider hockey community, were robbed of what could have been. Former Head Coach Bob Finke summed it up best in his interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian saying, “I still haven’t gotten over the way they treated the players. … I mean, these guys are 18, 19 year-olds that were far from home and trusted all of us, and they didn’t treat them with much respect."
Editors Note: For further reading, I HIGHLY recommend diving into the "The Story of Men's Hockey at Penn," by The Daily Pennsylvanian. This longform article is the first of a two series on the subject with the second half being released this summer.