The tournament involved 16 teams in single-elimination play to determine the national champion at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the highest level of competition in college hockey.

The tournament's Frozen Four – the semifinals and finals – was hosted by Robert Morris University at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

[1] Robert Morris' bid to host was co-sponsored by VisitPittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

[2] Yale defeated Quinnipiac 4–0 in the championship game to win the program's first NCAA title.

This was the first time since 1978 that two teams from ECAC Hockey reached the national championship game.