2012 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament

The 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament involved sixteen schools in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey for the 2011–12 season. The tournament began on March 23, 2012 with regional semifinals and ended on April 7 with the national championship game. The Boston College Eagles won their third national championship in five years, beating the Ferris State Bulldogs, 4–1, in the championship game. BC won nineteen consecutive games to end the season. It is the fifth title for both the program and head coach Jerry York – York previously coached Bowling Green to a championship in 1984.
==Tournament procedure==
The four regionals are officially named after their geographic areas. The following are the sites for the 2012 regionals:
;March 23 and 24
:East Regional, Webster Bank Arena – Bridgeport, Connecticut (Hosts: Yale University and Fairfield University)
:Midwest Regional, Resch Center – Green Bay, Wisconsin (Host: Michigan Technological University)
;March 24 and 25
:Northeast Regional, DCU Center – Worcester, Massachusetts (Host: College of the Holy Cross)
:West Regional, Xcel Energy Center – Saint Paul, Minnesota (Host: University of Minnesota)
Each regional winner will advance to the Frozen Four:
;April 5 and 7
:Tampa Bay Times Forum – Tampa, Florida (Hosts: University of Alabama in Huntsville and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission)
==Qualifying teams==
The at-large bids and seeding for each team in the tournament were announced on March 18. The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) had five teams receive a berth in the tournament, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and Hockey East had four teams receive a berth, ECAC Hockey had two teams receive a berth, and Atlantic Hockey had one team receive a berth.
East Regional – Bridgeport 	East Regional – Bridgeport 	East Regional – Bridgeport 	East Regional – Bridgeport 	East Regional – Bridgeport 	Midwest Regional – Green Bay	Midwest Regional – Green Bay	Midwest Regional – Green Bay	Midwest Regional – Green Bay	Midwest Regional – Green Bay
Seed 	School 	Conference 	Record 	Berth type 	Seed 	School 	Conference 	Record 	Berth type
1 	Union (3) 	ECAC Hockey 	24–7–7 	Tournament champion 	1 	Michigan (2) 	CCHA 	24–12–4 	At-large bid
2 	Miami (OH) 	CCHA 	24–14–2 	At-large bid 	2 	Ferris State 	CCHA 	23–11–5 	At-large bid
3 	Massachusetts–Lowell 	Hockey East 	23–12–1 	At-large bid 	3 	Denver 	WCHA 	25–13–4 	At-large bid
4 	Michigan State 	CCHA 	19–15–4 	At-large bid 	4 	Cornell 	ECAC Hockey 	18–8–7 	At-large bid
Northeast Regional – Worcester	Northeast Regional – Worcester	Northeast Regional – Worcester	Northeast Regional – Worcester	Northeast Regional – Worcester	West Regional – Saint Paul 	West Regional – Saint Paul 	West Regional – Saint Paul 	West Regional – Saint Paul 	West Regional – Saint Paul
Seed 	School 	Conference 	Record 	Berth type 	Seed 	School 	Conference 	Record 	Berth type
1 	Boston College (1) 	Hockey East 	29–10–1 	Tournament champion 	1 	North Dakota (4) 	WCHA 	25–12–3 	Tournament champion
2 	Minnesota–Duluth 	WCHA 	24–9–6 	At-large bid 	2 	Minnesota 	WCHA 	26–13–1 	At-large bid
3 	Maine 	Hockey East 	23–13–3 	At-large bid 	3 	Boston University 	Hockey East 	23–14–1 	At-large bid
4 	Air Force 	Atlantic Hockey 	21–10–7 	Tournament champion 	4 	Western Michigan 	CCHA 	21–13–6 	Tournament champion
Number in parentheses denotes overall seed in the tournament.
==Regionals==
===East Regional – Bridgeport, Connecticut===
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
All times are local (UTC−4).
====Regional Semifinals====
====Regional Final====
===Midwest Regional – Green Bay, Wisconsin===
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
All times are local (UTC−5).
====Regional Semifinals====
====Regional Final====
===West Regional – Saint Paul, Minnesota===
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
All times are local (UTC−5).
====Regional Semifinals====
====Regional Final====
===Northeast Regional – Worcester, Massachusetts===
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
All times are local (UTC−4).
====Regional Semifinals====
====Regional Final====
==Frozen Four – Tampa, Florida==
===National Semifinals===
===National Championship===
==Media==
===Television===
ESPN had US television rights to all games during the tournament. For the eighth consecutive year ESPN aired every game, beginning with the regionals, on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU, and ESPN3. They also streamed them online via WatchESPN.
====Broadcast Assignments====
Regionals
*East Regional: John Buccigross & Barry Melrose – Bridgeport, Connecticut
*Midwest Regional: Ben Holden & Sean Ritchlin – Green Bay, Wisconsin
*Northeast Regional: Joe Beninati & Billy Jaffe – Worchester, Massachusetts
*West Regional: Clay Matvick & Dave Starman – St. Paul, Minnesota
Frozen Four & Championship
*Gary Thorne, Barry Melrose, & Clay Matvick – Tampa, Florida
===Radio===
Dial Global Sports used exclusive radio rights to air both the semifinals and the championship, AKA the "Frozen Four."
*Sean Grande & Cap Raeder
==All-Tournament Team==
===Frozen Four===
*G: Parker Milner* (Boston College)
*D: Brian Dumoulin (Boston College)
*D: Chad Billins (Ferris State)
*F: Kyle Bonis (Ferris State)
*F: Paul Carey (Boston College)
*F: Steven Whitney (Boston College)
* Most Outstanding Player(s)
==See also==
*2012 Frozen Four
==References==
Category:2012 in ice hockey
Category:NCAA Tournaments