According to a College Hockey News report, Hockey East's athletic directors approved the 12-team playoff format. R.I.P. #Octofinals.
The only notable change is the first round, which will now include a best-of-three playoff series, as opposed ot the single-elimination round in this past season's 11-team tournament.
All 12 programs will qualify, with the top-four receiving first-round byes.
Teams seeded fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth will host the first-round series.
Well, I suppose it's still technically the #Octofinals. More like #OctofinalsSeriesCup, or something.
The new format will look like this:
#OctofinalsSeriesCup - Best-of-Three (Campus sites)
#12 Connecticut at #5 seed
#11 seed at #6 seed
#10 seed at #7 seed
#9 seed at #8 seed
Quarterfinal Round - Best-of-Three (Campus sites)
Lowest Remaining Seed at #1 seed
Second-Lowest Remaining Seed at #2 seed
Second-Highest Remaining Seed at #3 seed
Highest Remaining Seed at #4 seed
The league's 12 coaches recommended the format change to the first round and the athletics directors obliged them. Personally, I'm not crazy about the top four teams having a week off that late in the season, but at least the leagues coaches and athletics directors did away with the ridiculousness of a single-elimination first-round game.