ECAC Hockey has announced changes to the postseason tournament format for its men’s and women’s conferences.
Effective March 2023, the men’s tournament will feature a single-game first-round format the weekend of March 4-6 with seed Nos. 5-8 hosting seed Nos. 9-12. The four winners of the first-round games will advance to the league quarterfinals March 11-13 to face seed Nos. 1-4 in best-of-three-game series. The quarterfinals winners will advance to the semifinals and championship March 18-19 in Lake Placid, N.Y., where they will play for the Scotty M. Whitelaw Cup as league champion.
The adoption of the single-game format in the first round is a change from the best-of-three games format that has been utilized in the men’s league since the 2002-03 season.
The women’s league will feature all 12 teams in the postseason beginning with the 2024 championship.
In 2023, the women’s tournament format will remain the same as in past years, with quarterfinals action showcasing the top four seeds hosting the first-round winners the weekend of Feb. 24-26. The four quarterfinal winners will then advance to the semifinals and championship game March 4-5 on the campus of the highest remaining seed.
The winners of the men’s and women’s tournaments will receive the conference’s automatic bid into their respective NCAA tournaments.
