The tournament format changed this year because the Connecticut Huskies left the league for Hockey East, leaving 11 teams.
In the first round the sixth and eleventh, seventh and tenth, and eighth and ninth seeds, as determined by the conference regular season standings, will play a best-of-three series with the winners advancing to the quarterfinals.
The top five teams from the conference regular season standings receive a bye to the quarterfinals.
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against RIT and Bentley finished tied for third place; RIT is the third seed based on the third tiebreaker (head-to-head goal differential).
Air Force and Holy Cross finished tied for sixth place; Holy Cross is the sixth seed based on the first tiebreaker (head-to-head results).