NCAA announces off day added to Division I men’s hockey regionals schedule starting in 2022

The NCAA announced Friday that teams advancing in the regional rounds of the Division I men’s NCAA tournament will have a day off before the regional final, starting with the 2022 tournament.

The Division I Competition Oversight Committee approved the change recommended by the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee.

The rationale for making the modification includes the need for additional time for the student-athletes to rest and recover as the season comes to its conclusion.

Along with the necessary rest, this provides more equity for all the teams when it comes to the game times. With the day off, a team playing the later game on the first day of the regionals has additional time to recover instead of turning around and playing again the next day, which it did under the previous format.