The annual NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament is a college ice hockey tournament held in the United States by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to determine the top men's team in Division I.[1] Like other Division I championships, it is the highest level of NCAA men's hockey competition. This tournament is somewhat unique among NCAA sports as many schools which otherwise compete in Division II or Division III compete in Division I for hockey.
Since 1999, the semi-finals and championship game of the tournament have been branded as the "Frozen Four"—a reference to the NCAA's long-time branding of its basketball semi-finals as the "Final Four".
The NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Championship is a single elimination competition that has determined the collegiate national champion since the inaugural 1948 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament. The tournament features 16 teams representing all six Division I conferences in the nation. The Championship Committee seeds the entire field from 1 to 16 within four regionals of 4 teams. The winners of the six Division I conference championships receive automatic bids to participate in the NCAA Championship. The tournament begins with initial games played at four regional sites culminating with the semi-finals and finals played at a single site.[1]
In setting up the tournament, the Championship Committee seeks to ensure "competitive equity, financial success and likelihood of playoff-type atmosphere at each regional site." A team serving as the host of a regional is placed within that regional. The top four teams are assigned overall seeds and placed within the bracket such that the national semifinals will feature the No. 1 seed versus the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed versus the No. 3 seed should the top four teams win their respective regional finals. Number 1 seeds are also placed as close to their home site as possible, with the No. 1 seed receiving first preference. Conference matchups are avoided in the first round; should five or more teams from one conference make the tournament, this guideline may be disregarded in favor of preserving the bracket's integrity.
Broadmoor Ice Palace in Colorado Springs, Colorado hosted the tournament for the first ten years and has hosted eleven times overall, the most of any venue.[2] The Denver Pioneers have won the most tournaments with ten, while Vic Heyliger has coached the most championship teams, winning six times with Michigan between 1948 and 1956.[3][4]
The 2020 championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6][7]
^1 Participation in the tournament vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.
– 10 championships, – 9 championships, – 8 championships, – 6 championships, – 5 championships, – 3 championships, – 2 championships, – 1 championship
– 5 championships, – 1 championshipThe code in each cell represents the furthest the team made it in the respective tournament:
Starting in 2003, the 4 teams seeded No. 1 in the regions are shown with single underline.
* Was not a member of the winning team.
† Natural hat-trick.
‡ Tournament participation later vacated.
Minimum 2 tournaments
The following is a list of teams that have not made an NCAA tournament anytime in the last 10 seasons.
† Alaska's only appearance in 2010 was later vacated due to NCAA rules violations.[10]
‡ St. Lawrence received an automatic bid in 2021, however, the team had to decline the invitation due to a positive COVID-19 test from their head coach.[11]
At the conclusion of each tournament both an all-tournament team and 'Most Outstanding Player in Tournament' is named. Both achievements have been in effect since the inaugural championship in 1948
