With the addition of Kent State and Notre Dame to the league and Alaska as an affiliate member, the tournament expanded to 12 teams.
All 12 teams qualify for the tournament with a quarterfinal at Joe Louis Arena narrowing the field from six to four.
The consolation game returns to boost records and rankings for NCAA Tournament selection.
A four-round format was introduced beginning in 2006 with the top five seeds receiving byes and the remaining six teams playing in an on-campus best two-of-three first round series.
The revived CCHA tournament involves all eight members, seeded according to regular-season conference records.
The top four teams host best-of-three series in the opening round, matched in the standard format of 1–8, 2–7, 3–6, and 4–5.
The four teams brought their long, storied history with 12 combined NCAA National Championships giving the young, up-start league instant credibility.
The tournament championship was moved from small on-campus rinks to Joe Louis Arena, home of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings.
These events give the league a distinct turning point at which the "Modern Era" of the CCHA Tournament begins.
Commissioner Bill Beagan coined the phrase "Road to the Joe" in describing the CCHA Tournament in 1985–86.