Hockey Games Played in Season

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

Aren't there some rules on how many games may be played in a season?
I've taught, a team's record is based only on games against other Division I hockey schools which are eligible for the NCAA Tournament.

Why is there such a difference in # of games played, with 2 weekends before the NCAA's?
Top 6 PairWise teams games played:

ND            35
Mankato  38
Cornel      29
Duluth      34
Denver     36
BC            34

I seemed to remember there was a limit and UND tried to play up to the limit?
The Hall of Fame game was like a bonus game and was exempt from the limit?

[siouxforce19]

11 minutes ago, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

Aren't there some rules on how many games may be played in a season?
I've taught, a team's record is based only on games against other Division I hockey schools which are eligible for the NCAA Tournament.

Why is there such a difference in # of games played, with 2 weekends before the NCAA's?
Top 6 PairWise teams games played:

ND            35
Mankato  38
Cornel      29
Duluth      34
Denver     36
BC            34

I seemed to remember there was a limit and UND tried to play up to the limit?
The Hall of Fame game was like a bonus game and was exempt from the limit?

Games in Alaska, Hall of Fame, and Icebreaker tourney games are exempt. 
 

Ivies play less games than everyone else because they start later. 
 

So for the teams you listed, DU played 2 exempt games in Alaska, UND had the exempt Hall of Fame game, and Mankato played 2-4 games in Alaska that were exempt. And Cornell is Ivy. 

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

4 minutes ago, siouxforce19 said:

Games in Alaska, Hall of Fame, and Icebreaker tourney games are exempt. 
 

Ivies play less games than everyone else because they start later. 

Icebreaker at The Ralph sounds like a good idea.

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

Can you stack them, i.e. Alaska and HoF game? 

[Fighting Sioux 23]

1 minute ago, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

Can you stack them, i.e. Alaska and HoF game? 

Yep.

You get 34 regular season games, plus 1 exhibition game.

Games in Alaska (or Hawaii in other sports), Hall of Fame game, and Icebreaker Tournament are exempt from that 34 number.

Games against the US U-18 team are exempt from the 1 exhibition game.

So, a team could theoretically play 43 games in the regular season: 34 regular games, 4 exempt games at the Alaska schools, 1 HOF game, and 2 Icebreaker Tournament games, then 1 regular exhibition game, and 1 against the US U-18 team.

Then of course, a team could play as many as 8 conference tournament games, and 4 NCAA Tournament games. 

The Ivy League teams have their own restrictions to 29 regular season games.  That is why they start later.  The Non-Ivy ECAC teams do not have those same restrictions, which is why they start earlier and play more games.