The Division I AHCA All-American Teams are an annual honor bestowed by the
1947–48 after the conclusion of either the regular season or the conference tournaments.[2]
Initially the All-American teams weren't named by ACHA. in the first ten years of the teams the players were selected by some combination of media members and team officials. In some years only players from teams that participated in the NCAA tournament were eligible.
1971–72 it would only provide one player to the All-American teams until a conference realignment in 1981–82[6] when it became considered on par with the major conferences. The ECAC would continue to dominate the eastern teams until an internal schism split the conference and Hockey East was formed in 1984–85.[7] Due in part to an influx of member teams to fill the rolls of the four major conferences as well as increased inter-conference competition for recognition, the AHCA began to name two teams for each region (first- and second-teams) which it has continued to do since 1983–84.[8]
As of 2013–14 the conferences that comprise the east region are Atlantic Hockey, the ECAC and Hockey East while the western region contains the Big Ten, NCHC and the WCHA.