Editor's note: This season marks the 25th anniversary of the Hockey East Tournament, and in celebration of the quarter-century mark, we have ranked the 24 championship games from 1985-2008. From now until this year's championship game, we will count down the most memorable championships in Hockey East history.
6. 2006: Boston University 2, Boston College 1 (OT)
Boston University entered the Hockey East Tournament as the No. 1 seed, dispatching UMass Amherst in the first round via a sweep. The Terriers moved on to the semis to face UNH, where they embarrassed the Wildcats 9-2.
Meanwhile on the other side of the tournament, Boston College was making quick work of Vermont and Maine to set up a finals between rivals in the Hockey East Championship.
Boston University came out on top, winning the title game 2-1 on a Brandon Yip goal in overtime, and senior David van der Gulik was awarded MVP.
That season proved to be odd however, as the Terriers went 4-1 against the Eagles, including wins in the Beanpot and Hockey East Championships, only to lose in the NCAA Tournament.
5. 1991: Boston University 4, Maine 3 (3 OT)
It was the first season the tournament semis and championship were played at the Boston Garden, and it just makes sense that the most notable Boston-area school would take home the hardware.
No. 3 Boston University smoked Merrimack 7-1 in the quarterfinals before beating Providence 7-5 at the Garden. With Maine moving past UMass Lowell and Northeastern, it would be a Terriers-Black Bears finals on Causeway Street.
BU added some drama to the first Garden finals, but the hometown crowd went home happy as the Terriers edged the Black Bears 4-3 in overtime. BU sophomore forward Shawn McEachern earned MVP honors, and he would go on to net 256 goals in the NHL.
4. 2003: New Hampshire 1, Boston University 0 (OT)
The '03 tournament was all about overtime for Boston University with three of its four games extending past regulation. After dropping 12 goals on Providence in the quarters, BU would meet a familiar foe in Boston College in the semis.
The Commonwealth Ave. rivals squared off in the semis and BU came out on top with a 6-5 win in double overtime at the FleetCenter. While BU was enjoying a nice ride through the conference playoffs, UNH was busy scoring 20 goals in its first three games, setting up a highly anticipated championship game against BU.
The Wildcats shut out the Terriers in the finals 1-0 after Tyson Teplitsky scored the game-winner in overtime. Even in a losing effort, BU junior goalie Sean Fields was named the MVP of the tournament after making 86 saves between the semis and finals.
3. 2004: Maine 2, UMass Amherst 1 (3 OT)
The 2004 finals had all the drama you could ask for with a triple-overtime championship, including a combined 125 shots on goal in the game.
Maine and UMass Amherst met in an unlikely finals game after No. 1 Boston College was stopped in the quarterfinals by No. 8 Boston University.
The Black Bears were able to win the title in third extra period with a 2-1 over the Minutemen. Maine goalie Jimmy Howard made 63 saves in the championship and was awarded the MVP for the tournament.
Maine would go on to win its first three games of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Denver 1-0 in the NCAA Championship.
2. 1989: Maine 5, Boston College 4
In the fifth season of Hockey East play, the championship game for quite the story.
No. 1 Boston College and No. 2 Maine received byes into the semifinals for their regular season performances, but BC would need two overtimes to get past No. 4 Providence 6-5, and Maine would need an extra period as well to squeak by Northeastern 3-2.
With the finals at Boston College, the Eagles seemed to have an advantage over the Black Bears heading into the game, but that is not how it would play out.
Maine upset the top-ranked Eagles in the championship, winning 5-4 at Boston College. Maine senior defenseman Bob Beers was named the tournament MVP before going on to a lengthy NHL career.
1. 1985: Providence 2, Boston College 1 (2 OT)
And finally the greatest Hockey East Championship game ever played.
1985 was a special season as it was the first season that Hockey East was a conference. And surprisingly, it wasn't a team from Boston that was the last team standing.
No. 3 seed Providence College rolled through the Hub schools on their way to Hockey East history.
PC took down No. 6 Northeastern in the quarterfinals, sweeping the Huskies by scores of 3-2 and 3-0. Then it was on to the semis where the Friars knocked off another Beantown college, by dropping Boston University 5-2 at the Providence Civic Center.
In the championship Providence looked to complete the Boston sweep with Boston College joining PC in the title game. The Friars took down the Eagles 2-1 in two overtimes to win the first Hockey East Championship ever.
Chris Terreri, who would go on to play 18 seasons in the NHL, captured the tournament MVP after his monumental performance in goal against BC in the finals.
