I would second Mike Machnik's suggestion to return the tournament
to a field of 8 and to return the quarter final (2 of 3) to campus sites.
Half full rinks at neutral sites do nothing to advance the sport.
 
I would also like to suggest something from the days of the 4 team
tournament.  Two teams from each conference and the seeding done
for maximum inter conference and east west play putting two
quarter finals in the east and two in the west.  I also think each
conferences top seed should host a quarterfinal to increase exposure
and interest in the sport but this may be too much for some.  If the
two best team in the country happen to be one conference or one
region the seeds need to be set up so that they do not play until the
championship game.  I know this will not be perfect seeding in that
the top 4 teams in RPI may not get home ice for the quarter final and
the pairing in the semifinal may not follow RPI.  I would contend
that we do not want to have BU and Maine or LSSU and Michigan or
Harvard and UNH or Wisconsin and Michigan State meeting in a
quarterfinal or semifinal if we want to promote interest in the sport.
The match ups should be the inter regional games that never had a
chance to occur in the regular season or conference playoffs.
 
I know people will want to play the lowest surviving seed if they are
the highest surviving seed.  However, with only 8 in the tournament
and two out of three elimination for the quarterfinal the difference
in the surviving seeds should be minimal.  No low seeds should be
getting in by virtue of another teams off night.  Granted one
conferences third team might be better than another conference
second team but the best we can aim for is to get the top two teams
from one conference to play for the championship if they prove it on
the ice in the quarterfinal and the semifinal.  It is better to test them
against a team they have not played than to give that third best
team yet another shot at them.
 
Steve Rockey