The NCAA presently does not sponsor a national championship at the Division II level. Many of the teams that represent Division II schools have either played up to the Division I level in several hockey only conferences or have played down to the Division III level. The teams playing in the Division III level are not eligible for the the NCAA tournament or post season opportunities in Division III, even though they schools play under the same recruiting, scholarship, and playing season rules as the Division III teams.
The only conference that has played at the Division II level in recent years has been the Northeast-10 conference. Several of the teams in the conference have also played in Division III conferences while playing a lighter schedule in the NE-10. This may be changing with the 2017-18 season as the New England Hockey Conference, which contains the most schools that play down, has notified the Division II schools that they would not be in the league after the 2016-17 season as the NCAA has not considered games against the Division II schools for at-large bids to the NCAA tournament, and has refused to change that policy after several request from the NEHC.
The Men's Division II hockey championship was canceled following the 1998-99 season. The tournament had been held from 1978 to 1984 and from 1993 to 1999. Division II at this point was down to eleven teams with the Northeast-10 conference and a few independents, Five of the teams were elevating to Divison I status within two seasons in newly formed conferences or playing down to the Division III level while staying in the Northeast-10 conference.
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