2016-17 American Collegiate Season

This is the 2016-17 American collegiate hockey season.

Membership Changes
No division I schools changed conferences for the 2016-17 season.


 * But the Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's hockey program announced that it would become an associate member of the Big Ten Conference for men's ice hockey only for the 2017-18 season.
 * On July 13, 2016 the Minnesota State University, Mankato president Richard Davenport announced the school had filed an application to join the National Collegiate Hockey Conference in July of 2016 as the school was exploring all options available for the good of the school and the hockey program.  The WCHA acknowledged the school's intentions and respected the fact that the school kept the WCHA in the loop on the process.  The team is believed to be joining the NCHC for the 2018-19 season along with the Arizona State Sun Devils Men's Ice Hockey program.  Both teams were denied admission at this point in time to the NCHC.
 * An ongoing budget crisis in the state of Alaska had created the possibility of the state's two division I schools Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks and Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves either having funding drastically cut, the programs being merged into one, one program being eliminated, or both programs being eliminated for the 2017-18 season.  Both programs were spared from the chopping block in early November when it was announced that Alaska-Fairbanks would cut its cross country ski teams and that Alaska-Anchorage would cut its ski and indoor track programs.
 * On March 29, 2017; the University of North Dakota announced that the school is cutting the women's ice hockey program effective the end of the 2016-17 academic year. The reason stated was a $1.3 million budget shortfall due to the school attempting to meet minimum standards of the Summit League which most of the school's athletic teams are moving to for 2017-18. The men's and women's swimming and diving programs were also cut at the school. The school announced UND will honor all athletic scholarships for the discontinued sports “at their present equivalencies for returning student-athletes."

Coaches challenge

 * The Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP) also approved coaches challenges to offsides on a goal or too many men on the ice calls when a goal is scored.
 * The challenges are not allowed in the last two minutes of regulation or overtime as those reviews can only be initiated by the officials.
 * Coaches challenges are not used in the post season as all post tournament plays are reviewed anyway

Other changes

 * The PROP approved the use of 3-on-3 play in overtime after 5 minutes of 5-on-5 play. (any game that goes to overtime or shootout is and has been viewed as a tie by the NCAA for record purposes)
 * The Ice Hockey Rules Committee (IHRC) had recommended the use of 4-on-4 play for five minutes of overtime then 5 minutes of 3-on-3 play but the motion was tabled by the PROP
 * Officials and players must wear helmets on ice except for the playing of the National Anthem

Men's

 * 2016-17 Atlantic Hockey Season
 * 2016-17 Big Ten Season
 * 2016-17 ECAC Men's Season
 * 2016-17 Hockey East Men's Ice Hockey Season
 * 2016-17 NCHC Season
 * 2016-17 WCHA Men's Season


 * 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament

Independent

 * Arizona State University (added varsity hockey to its athletic program for the 2015-16 season) they played a hybrid schedule between the ACHA and NCAA for 2015-16, they are playing an independent Division I schedule for 2016-17 and are hoping to join a conference for 2017-18.  The team was hoping to be approved for membership in the  National Collegiate Hockey Conference for either the 2017-18 or 2018-19 season but the conference had declined to expand at this time. The school ended up with a record of 5-22-2 against NCAA D-I and D-III schools for 2015-16.  The team had a 10-19-3 record for the 2016-17 season.

Women's

 * 2016-17 College Hockey America Season
 * 2016-17 ECAC Women's Season
 * 2016-17 Hockey East Women's Ice Hockey Season
 * 2016-17 WCHA Women's Season

Independent

 * Sacred Heart Pioneers women's ice hockey


 * 2017 NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

Division III

 * The men's ECAC Northeast conference was renamed the Commonwealth Coast Conference for the 2016-17 season.


 * The men's and women's programs of Daniel Webster College were scheduled to be playing their final season as the school was being absorbed into Southern New Hampshire University. The school was forced out of existence at the start of the school year when the owner of the of the for-profit school (ITT Technical Institute) went bankrupt and the land was sold in bankruptcy to Southern New Hampshire University. The two schools are on a teach out agreement as part of DWC being absorbed over the 2016-17 school year. The women's program ran into problems with being able to put enough players on the ice to safely field a team. The men's program has been able to make it through the issue and will be able to compete in its' last season. SNHU is actually sponsoring both schools hockey programs for the year to keep the disruption to the students as minimal as possible.


 * On October 7, 2016 Bryn Athyn College announced they were moving their men's hockey program (Bryn Athyn Lions) to Division III varsity status. The school has been competing at the ACHA Men's Division III level. The school already has an on-campus rink in the Jungé Ice Rink. Nicknamed the Lion's Den, the facility is an open to air facility.
 * In early October 2016 the United Collegiate Hockey Conference was announced as forming for the 2017-18 season.  The conference is composed of the present members of the men's members of ECAC West conference and all but the all sport members of the State University of New York Athletic Conference in the Women's conference of the ECAC West.  The conference would cease to exist at the end of the season and be replaced by the Northeast Women's Hockey League which had the same leader as the SUNYAC but would be run seperately
 * In mid-October of 2016 the Middle Atlantic Conferences announced that they would sponsor men's and women's ice hockey at the Division III level starting with the 2017-18 academic year as five all-sport members of the conference has announced they would sponsor both men's and women's ice hockey. For more information on the programs involved please see the MAC page.  The league is apparently using the also newly formed United Collegiate Hockey Conference regular season games to determine a MAC champion and not be a real conference at this point per se; rather it will use the same format as the Ivy League using the ECAC Hockey schedule to determine its champion.
 * On January 24, 2017 Hobart University announced that the school was withdrawing from the United Collegiate Hockey Conference and would instead join the New England Hockey Conference for the 2017-18 season.
 * On January 26, 2017 it was announced that the New England Hockey Conference would be adding the Johnson and Wales Wildcats and Suffolk Rams men's and women's teams as well as the Salem State Vikings women's team for the 2018-19 season. the two men's teams are joining from the Commonwealth Coast Conference and the existing women's teams are joining from the Colonial Hockey Conference. The Suffolk Rams women's team is a new program starting play with the 2018-19 season.

Men's

 * 2016-17 CCC Season
 * 2016-17 ECAC West Men's Season
 * 2016-17 MASCAC Season
 * 2016-17 MIAC Men's Season
 * 2016-17 NCHA Men's Season
 * 2016-17 NEHC Men's Season
 * 2016-17 NESCAC Men's Season
 * 2016-17 NE10 Season
 * 2016-17 SUNYAC Season
 * 2016-17 WIAC Men's Season
 * 2016-17 NCAA D-III Men's Independents


 * 2017 NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Tournament

Women's

 * 2016-17 CHC Season
 * 2016-17 ECAC West Women's Season
 * 2016-17 MIAC Women's Season
 * 2016-17 NCHA Women's Season
 * 2016-17 NEHC Women's Season
 * 2016-17 NESCAC Women's Season
 * 2016-17 WIAC Women's Season
 * 2016-17 NCAA D-III Women's Independents


 * 2017 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Tournament