ST. LOUIS -- The American Collegiate Hockey Association announced Monday that it has selected St. Louis as the site for the 2024 ACHA National Championships, to be held at the Centene Community Ice Center for the second time in three years.
The ACHA will also once again use Maryville University Hockey Center in Chesterfield for overflow of games and practices.
"The St. Louis Sports Commission and the St. Louis Blues were such gracious hosts last season and we are thrilled to be bringing the ACHA National Championships back to St. Louis in 2024," ACHA executive director Craig Barnett said in a statement. "The Centene Community Ice Center is a first class facility and the Maryville University Hockey Center is an excellent venue, both perfect for our event. We are looking forward to another tremendous ten days of hockey in St. Louis in 2024."
"Maryville University is excited to help host the 2024 ACHA National Championships in St. Louis," John Hogan, Maryville University Director of Hockey, said in a statement. "Along with the St. Louis Sports Commission and the Centene Community Ice Center, we hope we can build from the great ACHA National Championships we held in town in 2022. With two new state-of-the-art facilities in a centrally located city, we believe St. Louis can be a reoccurring destination for this great ACHA event. We look forward to providing the ACHA’s student athletes, friends, families, and fans a once-in-a-life time experience."
The ten-day event, to he played March 7-17, will be hosted by the St. Louis Sports Commission and the Blues.
"Our experience hosting the ACHA National Championships earlier this year was tremendous and we look forward to bringing the event back to the Heartland of Hockey again so soon," Blues president and CEO Chris Zimmerman said in a statement. "Securing marquee hockey events like this and the 2024 NCAA Men’s D1 Hockey Regionals at Centene Community Ice Center are a testament to our vision for the building and its impact on the local community. The grassroots hockey development and economic activity from these events will provide legacy benefits for the venue and our region for years to come."
Centene Community Ice Center hosted the 2022 ACHA National Championships in March.
"In 2022, St. Louis had the privilege of hosting the ACHA National Championships showcasing two wonderful venues in Centene Community Ice Center and Maryville University Hockey Center,” St. Louis Sports Commission vice president Chris Roseman said in a statement. "Along with the local hockey community, we look forward to welcoming the return of great men’s and women’s collegiate hockey to our region."
Players from 78 teams across all five ACHA divisions -- Men’s Division 1, 2, and 3 and Women’s Divisions 1 and 2 -- will converge upon Maryland Heights to compete in more than 110 games over the course of the event.
Twenty ACHA Men’s Division I teams will compete for the National Championship from March 7-12, as will sixteen teams from ACHA Men’s Division III. Sixteen ACHA Men’s Division II teams will compete for the title from March 11-15; ten ACHA Women’s Division I teams will play for a shot at the National Championship from March 13-17, while sixteen ACHA Women’s Division II teams will compete from March 12-16.
"We are so happy to welcome the return of the ACHA National Championships to Centene Community Ice Center in 2024," Dave Otto, Chairman of the St. Louis Legacy Ice Foundation, said in a statement. "As we experienced last March, our complex is the perfect venue to host these championships and provides an incredible experience for the thousands of student-athletes, coaches, and fans that will create another $3 million in economic impact for our community."
"We are tremendously excited to welcome back the ACHA National Championships to Centene Community Ice Center for a second time," Jeremy Huelsing, general manager of Centene Community Ice Center, . “It is an honor to host such a great event that brings thousands of student athletes, coaches, and fans to the St. Louis region. We look forward to once again providing a great experience and showcasing our world-class facility to the collegiate hockey community."