The rumors had been swirling for the past week and Wednesday it become official: Notre Dame will leave the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and join Hockey East beginning in the 2013-14 season.
The Fighting Irish announced the move Wednesday afternoon. They will become the 11th team in Hockey East and the only team to be located outside of New England.
Hockey East, already regarded as a highly competitive conference, will get even more competitive with the addition of the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, according to USCHO.com. The Fighting Irish have qualified for the NCAA tournament the last four years and made it to the Frozen Four last year, losing to eventual champion Minnesota-Duluth in the semifinals.
