NCHC announces expanded playoff format
In three years time the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) will expand their postseason tournament.
The NCHC announced Thursday that a 10 team tournament format has been approved for 2027. That is the year that St. Thomas University will officially join the conference as its 10th member.
Teams will be seeded 1 through 10, with the first round featuring a best-of-three series. The five remaining teams will then be re-seeded. Seeds 1-3 earn a semifinal spot, with four and five battling in a single-game quarterfinal.
The 2025 and 2026 NCHC playoffs will remain eight team tournaments.
Also, the NCHC reinstated travel partners. The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) men’s hockey team has been paired with the University of North Dakota. They are guaranteed to face-off in four games (two home/two away), with their second series the final week of the regular season.
NCHC PLAYOFF MODEL SUMMARY
- 2025 – 8 teams qualify, 2 weeks, neutral-site championship
- 2026 – 8 teams qualify, 3 weeks, all on campus sites
- 2027 – 10 teams qualify, 3 weeks, all on campus sites