Hockey East playoffs

2012 tournament

Format: Top eight teams (of 10) in the standings qualify.

First round: Best-of-three series, March 8-11 at campus sites. Seed 8 at 1, 7 at 2, 6 at 3, 5 at 4. Schedule/results

Championship: At TD Garden, Boston. March 16: Semifinals, 5 and 8 p.m. EDT. March 17: Semifinal winners, 8 p.m. EDT. Schedule/results

Quarterfinal

Semifinal

Final

Champion

March 8-11*

March 16

March 17

(6) New Hampshire

(3) Boston University

(7) Providence

(2) Mass.-Lowell

(5) Merrimack

(4) Maine

(8) Massachusetts

(1) Boston College

Maine

Boston University

Providence

Boston College

Maine

Boston College

Notes: Teams are reseeded after the first round. The series between Massachusetts-Lowell and Providence will be played Thursday, Friday and, if necessary, Sunday.