Chart: 2012 NCAA men's hockey tournament

Qualifying teams: 16 (field will be announced at 11 a.m. today on ESPNU and ESPN3)

Automatic qualifiers: Conference tournament champions from WCHA (North Dakota), CCHA (Western Michigan), ECAC (Union), Hockey East (Boston College) and Atlantic Hockey Association (Air Force), plus 11 at-large bids

Friday-Saturday regionals: East in Bridgeport, Conn.; Midwest in Green Bay, Wis.

Saturday-Sunday regionals: West at Xcel Energy Center; Northeast in Worcester, Mass.

Frozen Four: April 5 and 7 at Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.

2011 champion: Minnesota Duluth

USCHO PAIRWISE RANKINGS (*-automatic bid)
The Pairwise Rankings mimic the formula the NCAA uses to select its tournament field.

2. Michigan: 29,24-12-4,.6500
3. Union*:28,24-7-7,.7237.

4. North Dakota*: 27,25-12-3,.6625

5. Miami(Ohio): 26,24-14-2,.6250

6. Ferris State:25,23-11-5, .6538

7. Minnesota Duluth:23,24-9-6,.6923

9t. Maine: 21,23-13-3,.6282

11. Denver: 20,25-13-4, .6429

12t. Massachusetts Lowell:19,23-12-1,.6528

12t. Cornell: 19,18-8-7,.6515

14. Western Michigan*: 18,21-13-6, .6000

15t. Northern Michigan:15,17-14-6, .5405

15t. Merrimack: 15,18-12-7, .5811

18. Notre Dame: 13, 19-18-3,.5125

19. Ohio State: 11, 15-15-5, .5000

20t. Harvard: 10, 13-10-11,.5441

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