This was the final year the Hockey East championship was decided at a home venue to one of its member teams (as of 2014).
By winning the tournament, Northeastern received the Hockey East's automatic bid to the 1988 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The team that finishes in seventh place is ineligible for tournament play.
In the semifinals, the first seed and lowest remaining quarterfinalist and second seed and highest remaining quarterfinalist each play additional two-game series with the winners advancing to the single-elimination championship game.
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against [4] Teams are reseeded after the quarterfinals Note: * denotes overtime period(s)