The tournament featured three rounds of play. The team that finishes ninth in the conference is not eligible for tournament play. In the first round, the first and eighth seeds, the second and seventh seeds, the third seed and sixth seeds, and the fourth seed and fifth seeds played a best-of-three with the winner advancing to the semifinals. In the semifinals, the highest and lowest seeds and second-highest and second-lowest seeds play a single elimination game, with the winners advancing to the championship game and the losers meeting in a third-place game. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the 1997 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
Conference standings
Note: GP = Games Played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against
|
|
Conference |
|
Overall |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
PTS |
GF |
GA |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GF |
GA |
Boston University†* | 24 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 116 | 71 | | 41 | 26 | 9 | 6 | 178 | 115 |
New Hampshire† | 24 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 36 | 130 | 76 | | 39 | 28 | 11 | 0 | 204 | 129 |
Maine^ | 24 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 33 | 120 | 76 | | 35 | 24 | 10 | 1 | 162 | 109 |
Providence | 24 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 25 | 101 | 88 | | 36 | 15 | 20 | 1 | 141 | 137 |
Merrimack | 24 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 24 | 88 | 98 | | 36 | 15 | 19 | 2 | 127 | 146 |
Boston College | 24 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 21 | 96 | 112 | | 38 | 15 | 19 | 4 | 145 | 170 |
Massachusetts–Lowell | 24 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 19 | 83 | 113 | | 38 | 15 | 21 | 2 | 126 | 163 |
Massachusetts | 24 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 69 | 117 | | 35 | 12 | 23 | 0 | 119 | 167 |
Northeastern | 24 | 3 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 66 | 118 | | 36 | 8 | 25 | 3 | 103 | 160 |
Championship: Boston University † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion ^ Maine was ineligible for the post season due to NCAA investigations Final rankings: USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Coaches Poll Top 10 Poll |
Bracket[4]
Teams are reseeded after the quarterfinals
|
Quarterfinals March 6–8 |
|
Semifinals March 14 |
|
Championship March 15 |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
Boston University |
6 |
7 |
— |
|
1 |
Boston University |
3 |
|
|
8 |
Northeastern |
2 |
1 |
— |
|
6 |
Massachusetts-Lowell |
2 |
|
|
|
2 |
New Hampshire |
5 |
8 |
— |
|
7 |
Massachusetts |
1 |
2 |
— |
|
|
1 |
Boston University |
4 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
New Hampshire |
2 |
|
|
3 |
Providence |
2 |
5 |
— |
|
6 |
Massachusetts-Lowell |
6 |
6 |
— |
|
Third Place |
|
|
4 |
Merrimack |
6 |
3 |
— |
|
2 |
New Hampshire |
4 |
|
5 |
Boston College |
7 |
5 |
— |
|
5 |
Boston College |
0 |
|
|
5 |
Boston College |
2* |
|
6 |
Massachusetts-Lowell |
2 |
|
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Quarterfinals
(1) Boston University vs. (8) Northeastern
Boston University won series 2–0 |
|
|
|
(2) New Hampshire vs. (7) Massachusetts
New Hampshire won series 2–0 |
|
|
|
(3) Providence vs. (6) Massachusetts-Lowell
Massachusetts-Lowell won series 2–0 |
|
|
|
(4) Merrimack vs. (5) Boston College
Boston College won series 2–0 |
|
|
|
Semifinals
(1) Boston University vs. (6) Massachusetts-Lowell
March 14 |
Boston University |
|
3 – 2 |
|
Massachusetts-Lowell |
Fleet Center |
|
(2) New Hampshire vs. (5) Boston College
Third Place
(5) Boston College vs. (6) Massachusetts-Lowell
March 15 |
Boston College |
|
2 – 2 |
OT |
Massachusetts-Lowell |
Fleet Center |
|
Championship
(1) Boston University vs. (2) New Hampshire