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NCAA to proceed with 2021 national men’s college hockey tournament April 8-10 in Pittsburgh.
-> In a memo from the NCAA obtained by USCHO Tuesday, it has been learned that the NCAA intends to play the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh on April 8 and April 10 from the PPG Paints Arena.
All six conferences will receive one automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, even if that team plays fewer than 13 D-I games during the season.
As for choosing the tournament field, basically, the traditional PairWise formula will be used, but there will be significant flexibility and subjectivity used. The six criteria, outlined in the NCAA memo includes:
- Win/Loss Record
- Strength of Schedule
- Head-to-Head Results
- Results vs. Common Opponents
- Quality Wins
- Home/Away Weighting
Ultimately, the tournament will be selected by the six-member NCAA committee, But the advisory committee, used in many other NCAA sports and events, will be comprised of six coaches, three from both eastern and western conferences. They include Notre Dame’s Jeff Jackson (Big Ten), Bentley’s Ryan Soderquist (Atlantic Hockey), Lake Superior State’s Damon Whitten (WCHA), New Hampshire’s Michael Souza (Hockey East), Rensselaer’s David Smith (ECAC Hockey), and St. Cloud State’s Brett Larson (NCHC). <-