1981 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament
| Teams | 8 |
|---|---|
| Finals site | |
| Champions | Wisconsin Badgers (3rd title) |
| Runner-up | Minnesota Golden Gophers (8th title game) |
| Semifinalists |
|
| Winning coach | Bob Johnson (3rd title) |
| MOP | Marc Behrend (Wisconsin) |
The 1981 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament was the culmination of the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, the 34th such tournament in NCAA history. It was held between March 19 and 27, 1981, and concluded with Wisconsin defeating Minnesota 6-3. All Quarterfinals matchups were held at home team venues while all succeeding games were played at the Duluth Arena in Duluth, Minnesota.
1981 was the first year that the tournament guaranteed 8 teams to be selected for the championship as opposed the policy put in place in 1977 that gave the selection committee the ability to choose up to 4 additional teams at its discretion (two was the maximum the committee ever choose).