▁to ▁do ▁hence forward ▁( as ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 ). ▁By ▁winning ▁the ▁tournament , ▁Wisconsin ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Broad mo or ▁Tro phy ▁and ▁received ▁the ▁W CH A ' s ▁automatic ▁bid ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁NCAA ▁Division ▁I ▁Men ' s ▁Ice ▁Hockey ▁Tournament . ▁ ▁Additionally , ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁season ▁that ▁the ▁W CH A ▁named ▁a ▁tournament ▁M VP ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁an ▁All - T ourn ament ▁Team . ▁ ▁Format ▁The ▁first ▁round ▁of ▁the ▁post season ▁tournament ▁featured ▁a ▁best - of - three ▁games ▁format . ▁Teams ▁were ▁seed ed ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁through ▁No . ▁ 8 ▁according ▁to ▁their ▁final ▁conference ▁standing , ▁with ▁a ▁tie bre aker ▁system ▁used ▁to ▁seed ▁teams ▁with ▁an ▁identical ▁number ▁of ▁points ▁accum ulated . ▁The ▁top ▁four ▁seed ed ▁teams ▁each ▁earned ▁home ▁ice ▁and ▁hosted ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁lower ▁seed ed ▁teams . ▁ ▁The ▁w inners ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁series ▁advanced ▁to ▁the ▁semif inal ▁and ▁championship ▁r ounds ▁held ▁at ▁the ▁C iv ic ▁Center . ▁All ▁Final ▁Four ▁games ▁used ▁a ▁single - el im ination ▁format . ▁Teams ▁were ▁re - se eded ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁through ▁No . ▁ 4 ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁final ▁regular ▁season ▁conference ▁stand ings , ▁with ▁the ▁top ▁remaining ▁seed ▁matched ▁against ▁lowest ▁remaining ▁seed ▁in ▁one ▁semif inal ▁game ▁while ▁the ▁two ▁other ▁semif inal ists ▁meeting ▁with ▁the ▁w inners