Yale's men's hockey program will have a new look behind the bench this season.
Longtime coach Keith Allain announced his retirement on Friday after 18 seasons as head coach of the Bulldogs, who will begin the 2025-26 season on Nov. 2 at Dartmouth.
"It is with profound gratitude that I announce my retirement from Yale Hockey," Allain said. "My wife, Mi, our three children and I have been truly blessed by our time with the Bulldogs. I want to thank each of my players, who inspired and challenged me to be at my best; the coaches and administrators who became like family as we worked toward a common goal; and our alumni and fans, whose unwavering support in both good times and bad made Ingalls Rink a true home for all of us. Serving as Yale's head hockey coach has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Thank you."
Since taking over as coach in 2006, Allain, 66, compiled a 282-254-54 (192-176-36 ECAC) record. Yale went 6-21-3 (5-14-3 ECAC) this past season.
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Allain (Worcester, Mass.) helped guide the Bulldogs to six NCAA tournament appearances and a national championship in 2013, when Yale defeated cross-state rival Quinnipiac, 4-0. His staff in 2013 included the late Red Gendron (Boston, Mass.) and newly hired Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Muse (Canton, Mass.). It was the program's first national championship appearance and its second Frozen Four appearance, the first of which came in 1952.
The Bulldogs entered the 2013 national tournament as the 15th overall seed. They upset No. 2 seed Minnesota in overtime, 3-2, in the regional semifinals before upending North Dakota, 4-1, in the regional final. In the Frozen Four, Yale upset UMass Lowell, 3-2, in overtime before getting revenge against Quinnipiac in a rematch of the ECAC third-place game in which QU took down the Bulldogs, 3-0.
Under Allain, Yale also claimed two ECAC regular season titles (2009 and 2010), two ECAC tournament titles (2009 and 2011) and seven Ivy League titles.
His personal accolades include the 2009 Tim Taylor Award as ECAC Coach of the Year, as voted on by the conference's coaches. He was also back-to-back Ivy League Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2016. Allain also holds Yale's single-season wins record (28).
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"Keith's legacy at Yale extends far beyond wins and championships," Yale athletic director Vicky Chun said in the release. "His vision and passion for the game has shaped Yale Hockey. We are profoundly grateful for all he has contributed to Yale and to the lives of so many within our community. Please join me in celebrating Coach Allain's remarkable career and wishing him and his family all the best in this next chapter."
As a player, Allain was a goaltender at Yale for four seasons from 1976-1980. He played professionally in Sweden for two seasons before sustaining a career-ending injury. He holds the fourth-most career wins (31) and the fourth-most career saves (2,337) among Yale goaltenders.
After his playing days, he served as a scout with the Nashville Predators from 1997-1998, an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals from 1993-1997 and goaltending coach with the St. Louis Blues from 1998-2006. Allain was also an assistant coach with Team USA in the Olympics in 1992, 2006 and 2018; the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 (champions) and 2004; and the IIHF World Championships in 2005 and 2006. He was also head coach of Team USA at the World Juniors in 2001, 2002 and 2011. The U.S. took home bronze in 2011 under Allain.
Allain's assistant coach, Joe Howe, will serve as interim coach this season, alongside assistants Rob O'Gara, Arlen Marshall and Bill Maniscalco (Milford, Conn.). The Bulldogs will begin a national search for a new head coach after the upcoming 2025-26 season.
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Howe is entering his fifth season on Yale's staff. He was an assistant coach at Alaska-Fairbanks from 2018-2021. Before his time in Fairbanks, Howe spent four seasons with Denver, serving as a volunteer assistant and goalie coach from 2015-2017 and director of hockey operations in 2017-18, helping the Pioneers to a national championship in 2017. He's also an assistant coach with the U.S. Under-18 Men's Select Team at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup after serving as an assistant with the Under-17 Men's Selects that won the 2024 Five Nations Tournament.
As a player, Howe was a goaltender at Colorado College for four seasons from 2009-2013 before a professional career that included stops in the ECHL and AHL.
