Friendship Four

About

Held annually in Belfast since 2015, the Friendship For is the first and only National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 men’s ice hockey tournament to take place outside of North America. The high-profile four-game tournament is designed to promote education, social welfare, and community interaction, building on the sister cities agreement between Belfast and Boston.

Set to take place at The SSE Arena, Belfast on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 November 2025, the Rochester Institute of Technology, Sacred Heart University, Miami University, and Union College will go head-to-head for the coveted Belpot Trophy, which was last won by Boston University in 2024.

For local hockey and sports fans, the tournament provides a rare opportunity to see four top U.S. college teams go head-to-head in the heart of Belfast. With a reputation of providing a pipeline of top talent into the National Hockey League (NHL), and other top leagues around the world, NCAA hockey is known and loved for its high-energy and fast pace, which is guaranteed to impress local crowds.

Historically, the tournament has also proven to be a strong scouting opportunity for the Belfast Giants, with current members of the 2025/26 roster, Scott Conway and Patrick Grasso taking to the ice taking to the ice in Belfast for the first time during the Friendship Four.