The 1967 NHL amateur draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. It took place Wednesday, June 7, 1967, and consisted of three rounds. It was notable in that it was the first NHL draft where a team selected an active NCAA hockey player. Al “Olle” Karlander from Michigan Tech was selected 17th overall at the end of the second round by the Detroit Red Wings. While Karlander was the first active college hockey player taken in the NHL entry draft, it’s worth noting there were NHL draft picks before him who would later go on to play college hockey after being drafted. For instance, three years earlier in the 1964 amateur draft, Brian Watts was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings. Watts ended up being a Michigan Tech teammate of Karlander’s before launching his professional career.
Karlander was born in British Columbia and had recently finished his first varsity season with the Huskies when he was drafted. The center had scored five goals and assisted on 12 more throughout his sophomore season. By the time his college career was over, Karlander was an alternate captain and had scored a total of 83 points in three varsity seasons in Houghton, Michigan. He was a Second Team All-WCHA selection in 1968. The following year in 1969 he became a First Team West All-American, First Team All-WCHA, and Second Team All-Tournament Selection during his senior year at Michigan Tech. He led the Huskies to a fourth-place finish in the NCAA tournament that season. At the end of both his junior and senior years, his school presented him with the Merv Youngs Award (for team MVP) and Gary Crosby Leading Scorer Award; earning both trophies in back-to-back seasons. On October 20, 1990, Karlander was inducted into the Michigan Tech Athletics Hall of Fame.
Throughout his professional career, Al Karlander played in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings as well as the New England Whalers and Indianapolis Racers of the WHA. He was presented with the 1969-70 Detroit Rookie of the Year Award by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association. After his playing days, he coached the Cincinnati Stingers of the Central Hockey League during the 1979-80 season. He had a hockey career that spanned numerous leagues where he earned some impressive awards, but on top of everything, he will always hold the title of the first active college player to be drafted by an NHL team.
The four-year streak of a new NCAA men’s hockey team joining Division I was snapped this year. However, one conference expanded. Arizona State found a home in the NCHC during the 2024-25 season after spending nine seasons as a DI independent. The program won its first Division I conference game when the Sun Devils beat Omaha at home 3-2 on November 16, 2024. Later that month, the Sun Devils defeated Denver 3-2 to earn its first win over a top-ranked team in the nation. This win snapped Denver’s 21-game unbeaten streak in the process. Arizona State would later win its first conference playoff game and series after sweeping UMD in the opening round at home. The Sun Devils participated in the Frozen Faceoff and were defeated by Denver 4-2. The Pioneers, in turn, lost the following night when Western Michigan took down Denver in double overtime. Western Michigan won its first Frozen Faceoff title in the final NCHC championship game to take place in Saint Paul. Beginning next season, the entire NCHC playoffs will be played on campus.
The NCHC announced in the off-season that it would add another new member in St. Thomas in 2026-27. With the news of the Tommies’ future exit from its current conference, the CCHA, in turn, announced Augustana would become a full member in 2024-25; a year earlier than scheduled. Due to an unbalanced conference schedule for Augustana compared to the rest of the CCHA, the conference switched to points percentage this season to determine the standings. The Vikings finished second to Minnesota State in the standings. A unique situation occurred during the 2025 CCHA Mason Cup playoffs. When St. Thomas defeated Bowling Green in the semifinals, it ensured that the winner of the other semifinal between Minnesota State and Bemidji State would receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. This was because St. Thomas was not eligible for the tournament due to a mandatory four-year waiting period after transitioning from Division III to Division I. In a semifinal with unexpectedly high postseason ramifications, the Mavericks downed the Beavers 4-0 to earn the bid. The Mavericks put an exclamation point on the tournament the following week with a 4-2 win in the championship game, thus regaining the Mason Cup for the third time in four years.
The Lindenwood men’s hockey team defeated the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison October 11, 2024. It was the first program win over a top ten ranked opponent as well as its first win over a Big Ten team. Two weeks later in Indiana, LIU defeated Notre Dame for the program’s first road win over a ranked opponent. LIU finished the season with a record of 20-12-2; the first time the program hit the 20-win plateau in a season.
Denver hosted UNLV for a holiday-season exhibition game on December 28, 2024. UNLV, an ACHA Division I hockey program, shocked the hockey world by defeating the Pioneers in a shootout 7-6. Granted, Denver was without head coach, David Carle, and star defenseman, Zeev Buium, but this was historic. It’s safe to say this was the first time an ACHA (club) team defeated the defending Division I men’s hockey team who also owns the record for most NCAA Division I hockey titles. In April, the Skatin’ Rebels capped its historic season with the school’s first-ever ACHA Division I national hockey championship.
Two Division I men’s conference championship games went to double overtime. This was just the second time this ever happened in the same season; the only other occurrence took place in 2017. In addition to the aforementioned NCHC title game when Western Michigan outlasted Denver, the Michigan State Spartans defeated Ohio State in double overtime by a score of 4-3 to earn its second Big Ten tournament title in a row. Elsewhere, Bentley won the Atlantic Hockey America tournament. The Falcons hoisted the Riley Trophy for the first time, granting the program its first-ever berth in the NCAA hockey tournament. Within Hockey East, Maine won its first Hockey East tournament since 2004 after defeating UConn in the title game. UConn, however, earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament; its first time ever participating in the national tournament. Within the ECAC, Quinnipiac won the regular season title for the fifth season in a row. However, the Bobcats lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Quinnipiac has not won any of the five conference tournaments throughout this five-peat run.
During the 2025 NCAA Division I men’s tournament, Denver and Boston College met in the Manchester Regional Final for a rematch of the 2024 title game. Since 1949, there have been seven instances of a title game rematch happening in the following season’s tournament. In all seven instances, the runner up from the season before avenged the loss. History did not repeat itself in 2025 as Denver beat Boston College 3-1 to earn a trip back to the Frozen Four.
The men’s Frozen Four took place in St. Louis for the first time since 2007. Of the four teams that made it, two are considered college hockey blue bloods in Denver and Boston University and two are first-time participants in Western Michigan and Penn State. Western Michigan defeated Denver in double overtime in the early semifinal. It was the second time the Broncos defeated the Pioneers in double overtime in 21 days. Also, the only other time these two teams met in the NCAA tournament, that too ended in double overtime. But Denver was on the winning side of that 2011 first round contest. The late semifinal game saw Boston University defeat Penn State; thus, ending the Cinderella run for the 13th overall seed. Western Michigan defeated Boston University two days later and claimed the program’s first NCAA hockey title. It was the third time in five years that a first-time winner was crowned for the Division I men. The Broncos are also the first champion to win two double overtime games in the NCAA tournament en route to a title. Western Michigan is the first men’s team to pull off the trophy trifecta (conference regular season title, conference tournament title, NCAA title) since Union in 2014. A Michigan-based team has won all three Frozen Fours hosted in the city of St. Louis (Western Michigan in 2025, Michigan State in 2007, and Michigan Tech in 1975).
The women’s Frozen Four was held at Ridder Arena. It was the seventh time it took place on the University of Minnesota campus. Two WCHA powerhouses met in the championship game yet again. In fact, it was the third year in a row that Ohio State and Wisconsin faced off for the championship trophy; the first time that has ever happened in the NC women’s hockey tournament. Wisconsin won two years ago, and Ohio State won the previous season. The two previous title games were decided by one goal and this year wasn’t any different. Wisconsin tied the game on a Kirsten Simms penalty shot with just 19 seconds left in regulation. The Badgers then won the game 4-3 in overtime on another goal by Simms. It was the fourth championship trophy for the Badgers in six seasons. Wisconsin has now won the hockey championship in the last four odd-numbered years. The Badgers increased their lead in the overall title count by adding this eighth trophy. This was also the 22nd women’s hockey championship for the WCHA.
In Division III men’s hockey, Hobart completed a three-peat after defeating Utica 2-1 in overtime during the championship game of the 40th NCAA hockey tournament for Division III. The Statesmen have defeated three different teams in the three consecutive championship games. The last time there was a three-peat in Division III men’s hockey, Middlebury (Vermont) won three in a row from 2004 to 2006.
The longest women’s hockey game in Division III history took place during the MIAC tournament. Augsburg (Minnesota) defeated Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota by a score of 3-2 when Aunna Schulte scored eight minutes and six seconds into the fourth overtime. The field for the NCAA Division III women’s tournament was expanded from 11 to 12 teams this year. For the second year in a row the semifinals and title game were held in River Falls, Wisconsin. It was held there in 2024 because Wisconsin-River Falls was the highest remaining seed. However, it was chosen as a predetermined site prior to this 2024-25 season. But as luck would have it, Wisconsin-River Falls made another tournament run and ended up back in the championship game at home. The Falcons defeated Amherst 3-1 to claim back-to-back titles.
For more than five decades, if a hockey prospect played in one of the Major Junior leagues in Canada or even signed a contract with one of the teams, it rendered a player automatically ineligible from NCAA hockey. In fact, NCAA hockey did not accept players who had even played in a game against a professional player. However, this changed November 7, 2024, when a vote was passed that allowed NCAA Division I teams to recruit prospects who participated in Major Junior hockey or professional teams. The caveat was that the players must never have received payments more than the actual and necessary expenses as part of their participation on the team. Players who accepted additional expenses or gifts, or signed NHL contracts are still deemed ineligible in the eyes of the NCAA. It was determined that eligible players would be able to begin play within the 2025-26 season. Division III was excluded from this ruling. Braxton Whitehead was the first Canadian Hockey League player to commit to an NCAA team. Whitehead, an alternate captain for the Regina Pats of the WHL, verbally committed to Arizona State on September 13, 2024. He did so due to a class action suit filed against the NCAA to allow CHL players to be deemed eligible. The NCAA voted less than two months later to allow it. The fact that NCAA players currently earn scholarships and money from name, image, and likeness (NIL) helped fuel this change.
We previously highlighted the Division I women’s regular season champions. Now that the Division I men’s conference playoffs are in motion, it’s time to cover the 2024-25 regular season conference champions. Below is a look at the seven teams that ended the regular season on top of the six conferences and the historical implications for each. (No, there was not a typo in that last sentence.)
Holy Cross – The Crusaders won the regular season title in the first season after the Atlantic Hockey Association rebranded to Atlantic Hockey America. This marked the first regular season crown for Holy Cross since 2006. Minnesota Gophers fans will never forget what Holy Cross did in the NCAA tournament that season.
Michigan State and Minnesota – For the first time in Big Ten Hockey history, there are co-champions for the regular season title. It came down to the final weekend and both teams ended up tied at 50 points. The Spartans became back-to-back champs – the team won the Big Ten for the first time in 2023-24. Minnesota’s most recent title before this was in 2023. This year’s feat is Minnesota’s conference-leading seventh time doing so. Fun Fact: Michigan is the only team yet to win a regular season Big Ten title, yet it leads the field in conference tournament wins with three.
Minnesota State – A year after the MacNaughton Cup traveled 269 miles north, it found its way back to Mankato this season. The Mavericks ended with a .781 points percentage and 56 points on the season. The conference tracked points percentage this season because Augustana – the newest member of the CCHA – had far fewer conference games compared to the other teams. The Vikings ended up in second place with 30 points – yet a .625 points percentage. This is an impressive seventh time Minnesota State has brought home the MacNaughton Cup in the last eight seasons. (Three in CCHA and four in the now-defunct WCHA men’s hockey conference.)
Quinnipiac – It’s a five-peat for the Bobcats. Yes, you read that right. Quinnipiac has dominated the ECAC in the past ten-plus seasons – winning the Cleary Cup nine times since 2012-13. In addition to the regular season titles, Quinnipiac won the Whitelaw Cup once for winning the conference tournament in 2016, a national championship in 2023, and was NCAA runner-up in 2013 and 2016.
Boston College– The Eagles won the Hockey East regular season title for the second time in a row. It was the 19th time in Boston College history. The Eagles finished the season on a tear, winning six in a row to close it out and 14-2-1 overall in the last 17 games. The team is looking to win the Hockey East men’s tournament again to sweep the titles for the second year in a row.
Western Michigan – The 50th season was the charm. Western Michigan’s first season in Division I was 1973-74 and this year the Broncos won its first regular season title. Western Michigan is only the fourth school to lift up the Penrose Trophy in the 12-year history of the NCHC. (Fighting Hawks, Pioneers, and Huskies are the other three.) Western Michigan looks to win its first NCHC Frozen Faceoff this year as well – the last one being held in Saint Paul.
It’s worth noting that of the five independent teams in Division I men’s hockey, LIU finished with the best record at 20-12-2. It’s the first time the Sharks have hit the 20-win plateau since the program began five years ago.
This is the next installment in our On Location series where we live tweet a college game (or games) that we attend in person and then later post an article here on the site. This is a special instance in that it’s in essence a combination of our On Location and Relevant Rewind series because the game took place November 19, 2022, and we’re just pulling it out of the vault and posting it now.
The St. Thomas men’s hockey program hosted Michigan Tech for a weekend CCHA series in November 2022. Heading into the weekend, the Tommies held an overall record of 2-10 while the Huskies were sitting at 6-3-2. At the time, Michigan Tech led the all-time series 12-4-2; one that dated back to 1922. The majority of these games took place before St. Thomas joined Division I prior to the 2021-22 season.
The St. Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, is the current home to both the men’s and women’s hockey teams at St. Thomas. It’s also home ice for St. Thomas Academy boys hockey. The Lee and Penny Anderson Arena will open on the St. Thomas campus in St. Paul next season and will be the new home of the Tommies’ hockey and basketball programs. The new arena is expected to seat 4,000 hockey fans; more than quadruple the number of fans that the current rink can accommodate.
The inside lobby of the arena includes a lot of history. There are three large photos over the main entrance showcasing teams from the past, including an action shot of an outdoor game from many decades ago. There are also banners hanging throughout the lobby of St. Thomas Academy alumni who went on to play Division I hockey.
The visiting Huskies defeated the Tommies in the Friday night game after a big third period. We attended the second game on Saturday night. The St. Thomas faithful were on hand but there was also a good amount of Michigan Tech fans in attendance. Michigan Tech looked to put the Tommies away early to earn a sweep. The Huskies scored six minutes into the game and then again just over a minute later to make it 2-0. They would add a third goal less than three minutes after that. But the Tommies responded. The home team took advantage of a five-minute power play and scored with just under five minutes to play in the opening frame. And then again just 13 seconds later. The high-scoring first period ended with Michigan Tech up 3-2.
After a five-goal first period, no teams scored throughout the second period. That carried over to the first seven minutes and twenty-seven seconds of the final period until Tim Piechowski scored for St. Thomas to tie the game. He picked a great time to score his first goal of the season. At the end, the Tommies found themselves with a power play in the final three minutes of regulation. But Ryland Mosley of Michigan Tech flipped the script and scored a shorthanded goal to take a late lead. The Tommies closed out regulation on a power play and pulled the goalie but came up short with the two-man advantage.
The Huskies won the game 4-3 to sweep the weekend series. Michigan Tech led in the number of shots as well 29-18. This win put Michigan Tech at 5-0-1 over St. Thomas since the Tommies arrived in Division I. This was already the eighth time St. Thomas lost by just one goal in the young season. The Tommies would end the 2022-23 season with a record of 11-23-2. Michigan Tech would make it to the semifinals of the CCHA tournament and then receive an at-large bid to the NCAA national tournament to face off against Penn State. It ended up being a tough one for Michigan Tech as the Nittany Lions won 8-0 as part of the group of big ten teams that rained fire in the opening round that season.
St. Thomas and Michigan Tech shake hands after a 4-3 Huskies win in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.
Michigan Tech will visit Mendota Heights this weekend in the final CCHA regular season series. It’s a pivotal set of games that will decide home ice between teams that are separated by just two conference points (or 0.028 percentage points). Saturday’s game will be the final regular season hockey game played at St. Thomas Arena for the Tommies. They’re just trying to ensure it won’t be the last one they play there.
The first time Michigan and Minnesota State faced one another was on a neutral sheet of ice within Bulldog country in northern Minnesota. The UMD Bulldogs hosted the 2021 West Ice Breaker Tournament at AMSOIL Arena early in the 2021-22 season. All four participating teams were ranked within the top 10 to begin the season. The #10 Providence Friars rounded out the field in addition to the #3 Wolverines, #1 Mavericks, and #5 host Bulldogs. There were two Ice Breaker Tournaments in the fall of 2021 to make up for the canceled 2020 Ice Breaker Tournament. The East version was held the week before and had a predetermined schedule unlike this seeded tournament.
The Wolverines easily skated by Minnesota Duluth on its home ice by a score of 5-1 on Friday, October 15. The Mavericks defeated Providence 5-2 in the other game that day. This set the stage for an early top 3 contest on neutral ice the following night. The first period of the championship game of the in-season tournament was evenly matched. The scoreless tie was broken in the second period on a power play goal from Wolverine Nick Blankenburg. Minnesota State answered with two goals before the end of the period but Michigan came back strong in the third with two goals of their own. Brendan Brisson scored the game winner for Michigan with less than five minutes to go in regulation.
This was the Wolverines fourth win in a row over a #1 ranked team in the nation. Michigan and Minnesota State would both ultimately end up in the 2022 Frozen Four in Boston at the end of the season. The teams never got a chance to bookend the season because eventual champion Denver defeated Michigan in the semifinals and then took down Minnesota State to win the championship trophy.
Flash ahead three years and Minnesota State and Michigan are set to face one another for the first time since that Ice Breaker Tournament. The teams will hit the ice early in the season once again. Michigan will host Minnesota State this weekend in Ann Arbor for the second and third games in the young series. Michigan is ranked #7/8 in the preseason polls.
The 2023-24 season saw the return of Robert Morris to Division I men’s and women’s hockey. The program had been on hiatus since the end of the 2020-21 season. The university announced it was eliminating both hockey programs May 26, 2021, just months after the women’s team won its conference title. The school reversed the decision December 17, 2021, due in large part to the efforts from the hockey community, students, alumni, and men’s head coach, Derek Schooley, to raise funds to revive the program.
For the fourth season in a row, a new school added Division I men’s hockey. On October 5, 2021, Augustana University formally announced a new Division I hockey program to begin play in the 2023-24 season. The following May the CCHA announced Augustana would be its ninth conference member. The Vikings would start off with two seasons of a transitional schedule followed by a full schedule beginning in the 2025-26 season. Augustana’s first game was in Madison, Wisconsin, against the Badgers October 7, 2023. It was official: Augustana was the first Division I hockey team from the state of South Dakota.
The 2024 men’s Frozen Four included four college hockey blue bloods with a combined 96 Frozen Fours and 28 NCAA titles between them heading into the final weekend of the season. It was the 11th time Minnesota hosted a men’s Frozen Four and seventh time in Saint Paul. Denver defeated Boston University 2-1 in overtime in the first semifinal game. It was the first time these teams played one another in the Frozen Four since 1971. Boston College faced Michigan in the nightcap. These two teams met in the semifinals of the very first national tournament in 1948. Michigan won the game 76 years ago by a score of 6-4 but the Eagles would win this contest 4-0. This set the stage for the first championship game to be played between Boston College and Denver. The two teams have been around since 1917 and 1949, respectively, yet had never met in the championship game until 2024. In this final game of the season, Denver shut out Boston College 2-0 to put the Pioneers in the sole Division I championship lead with its 10th NCAA title. With Denver’s win, this was the third Minnesota city where the Pioneers were crowned NCAA champions (Minneapolis in 1958, Duluth in 1969, and Saint Paul in 2024). Of the 11 times Minnesota hosted the men’s Frozen Four, only one Eastern team has won (Harvard in 1989). This also meant the first time the Xcel Energy Center has hosted a Frozen Four where a team not based in Minnesota won. Previous teams to win the championship trophy at the arena include Minnesota in 2002 and Minnesota Duluth in both 2011 and 2019.
Seventeen-year-old freshman phenom Macklin Celebrini of Boston University won the 2024 Hobey Baker Award and became the youngest player to do so. Celebrini was the fourth freshman to win it and second in a row. In his freshman season, he broke the record for most college goals by a 17-year old with 32. He also added 32 assists. Celebrini was the first freshman to record at least 30 goals and 30 assists in the same season since 2005-06.
The Women’s Frozen Four took place in Durham, New Hampshire, for the fourth time. A Minnesota-based team was crowned champion at the Whittemore Center in each of the three previous title games New Hampshire hosted. The field in 2024 ensured that wouldn’t happen this time. Two teams represented the WCHA and two represented the ECAC. The championship game became an all-WCHA affair after Ohio State defeated Clarkson 4-1 and Wisconsin defeated Colgate 3-1 in the semifinals. It was the Buckeyes third title game in a row. This set the stage for the first championship rematch since 2007-2008 when Wisconsin met Minnesota Duluth back to back. The 2024 title game was scoreless until Joy Dunne of Ohio State netted a goal a little over halfway through the third period. The Buckeyes held on to win 1-0 and secured the program’s second NCAA title in three seasons. This was the 21st women’s hockey championship for the WCHA.
In Division III men’s hockey, the Dubuque Spartans debuted in Dubuque, Iowa. This marked the first NCAA hockey program based in the state of Iowa. In the national tournament, Hobart defeated Curry College 4-3 in 4OT within the quarterfinals to win the second longest Division III men’s hockey game of all time. Curry College may have lost the game but its goalie, Shane Soderwall, made 98 saves to tie the all-time record for most saves in a game. This overtime thriller propelled the Hobart Statesman throughout the playoffs and ultimately to the program’s second NCAA title in a row after Hobart defeated Trinity 2-0 in the championship game in Hartford, Connecticut.
In Division III women’s hockey, the Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons won its first NCAA hockey championship in impressive fashion. The Falcons finished the season undefeated at 31-0-0 and set the Division III women’s hockey record for most wins in a season.
The 50th annual Great Lakes Invitational tournament took place at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit in 2014. The participating teams in this event were Michigan, Michigan State, Ferris State and Michigan Tech. The Wolverines and Huskies faced off in the first game of the tournament with Michigan upsetting the Huskies 2-1 despite being outshot 41-21.
The second game of the tournament kicked off that same night. It was the third game of the season between the Spartans and Bulldogs after the teams split a series just two months earlier. There was no scoring in the first frame yet both teams saw plenty of time in the penalty box. Six penalties were awarded in the period with each team receiving two roughing calls. Brent Darnell started off the scoring for the Spartans with a goal early in the second period. The rest of the game went scoreless until Thomas Ebbing scored an empty netter to seal the game for Michigan State.
Old foes Michigan and Michigan State met in the championship game the next night. The game took place after the Huskies defeated the Bulldogs in the consolation game. Andrew Copp scored for the Wolverines in the first period of the nightcap to jump out to a 1-0 lead. Zach Hyman added to the lead in the second period. Michigan State sophomore Rhett Holland cut the lead in half in the third but it wasn’t enough as the Wolverines claimed the 2014 Great Lakes Invitational tournament title. It was the team’s sixth win in a row at Joe Louis Arena and the Wolverines improved their record in the tournament’s championship games to 8-5.
The 2022 Great Lakes Invitational begins this week and will take place at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is the first time the arena and city has hosted the holiday tournament. Ferris State will take on Michigan State in the second game of the tournament. This will be the third time Ferris State has participated in the tournament and the Bulldogs are looking for the first tournament win. Both of these teams also faced one another in the 2019 Great Lakes Invitational Tournament. The Spartans are 49-39-4 all time during the tournament and will be looking to capture the first tournament title since 2009.
The Minnesota State Mavericks elevated its men’s hockey program to Division I prior to the 1996-97 season. The Mavericks were known as the Mankato State University Mavericks at the time. While still considered an independent team the following season, MSU was scheduled to join the WCHA in 1999. The first time the Mavericks traveled up highway 169 to meet the Minnesota Golden Gophers was January 2, 1998.
The second year Division I program was facing a Minnesota team that was coming off a 28-13-1 season that ended in a tie for first place in the WCHA. The Mavericks posted a 17-14-3 record the previous season against a mix of Division I and III teams. The favored home team welcomed the Mavericks to Mariucci by defeating them 6-2. The following night was a closer affair with the Gophers victorious once again; this time in a one-goal game 4-3. The Mavericks would end up with a 15-17-6 record in the first-ever season against only Division I opponents. While not technically a part of the WCHA during the 1997-98 season, the Mavericks were invited to play in the WCHA playoffs due to the future admission of the team. At 17-22-0, the Gophers ended with a surprising losing record that season as well. It was the Gophers first losing season since 1976-77. Both teams would lose in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.
Fast forward twenty-four years and both of these hockey programs have ascended to the top of Division I men’s hockey. While this is relatively new success for Minnesota State, it’s a return to glory for the Gophers. Minnesota State won the first NCAA tournament game in program history last season and rode the momentum to the 2021 Frozen Four. In fact, the Mavericks shut out the Gophers 4-0 to reach the Frozen Four last year in the first-ever meeting in the NCAA tournament between these programs. The same two teams will play Thursday, April 7, in the second semifinal of the night in Boston. The Gophers are out for revenge while the Mavericks hope to make the leap to the NCAA title game for the first time.
In the featured photo, Mavericks goalie Des Christopher blocks a shot January 2, 1998, in the first-ever meeting between these two teams.
The team we all know as the Minnesota State Mavericks went by a different name in 1995. Mankato State University transferred to the newly created Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system in 1995. However, the school didn’t change its name until 1998. The Mankato State Mavericks hosted a team from the Twin Cities January 27, 1995. The St. Thomas Tommies made their way to southern Minnesota that Friday to take on the Mavericks in the first game of a home-and-home series that weekend. While both programs are currently playing Division I hockey, the Mavericks were Division II and the Tommies were Division III during the 1994-95 season.
The Mavericks had a 16-5 record going into the Friday night game. The Tommies held a lead going into the third period that night thanks to stellar play by goalie Brian Volp. Mark Zacharias scored 8:50 into the period to tie it for the home team. Then with 24 seconds remaining, Brian Amundson scored the power play game winner for the Mavericks. The two teams would play the next night in St. Paul where the Mavericks won again by a one-goal margin. This time in a higher-scoring affair: 6-5.
This January 27, 1995, game is historic for Minnesota State in that it was the last men’s hockey game played at All Seasons Arena in Mankato. The men’s team played the first game at the new Mankato Civic Center (now known as the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center) the following weekend. The Mavericks defeated Alabama-Huntsville 6-3 February 3, 1995, to christen the new arena. The Minnesota State men’s team still practices at All Seasons Arena and the women’s hockey team plays home games there.
The same two teams will meet for a best-of-three series this weekend in Mankato at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center during the opening weekend of the playoffs for the revived CCHA. Minnesota State is the top-seed in the conference. These two teams – along with all other CCHA teams – are looking to win the famed Mason Cup in this first season of the reforged CCHA. This is also the first season St. Thomas is participating in Division I hockey.
In the featured image, Aaron Broten of Mankato State takes a shot against St. Thomas goalie Brian Volp at All Seasons Arena.
Photo Credit: Mankato State Reporter, Vol. 66, No. 41, January 31, 1995.
The Great Lakes Invitational tournament began in 1965 with Michigan Tech as the host team. The Huskies were the only Michigan-based team that participated that year. At least three of the four teams that have participated each year since the 1979 tournament have been Michigan-based Division I men’s teams. The champion is awarded the MacInnes Cup.
The 2013 edition of the tournament was unique in that it took place outdoors at Comerica Park in Detroit. It was held the final weekend in December and included four Michigan teams: Michigan Tech, Western Michigan, Michigan and Michigan State. This was the third time this grouping of teams had faced off against one another in the tournament. However, it was the first time this tournament was played outdoors.
This 49th edition of the tournament was included as part of the festivities around the 2014 NHL Winter Classic that took place on New Year’s Day. In that game, the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in a shootout at Michigan Stadium. The NHL game at Michigan Stadium was originally scheduled to occur the previous year – along with an outdoor Great Lakes Invitational tournament – but everything was pushed back due to the 2012 NHL lockout that season.
The first game of the 2013 Great Lakes Invitational was between Michigan State and Michigan Tech. The announced crowd was more than 25,000 on December 27. The Spartans came into the game with a 5-9-1 record in the first year of Big Ten Hockey. Michigan Tech had already swept the Spartans in Houghton, Michigan, the previous month. The Huskies also had a losing record of 6-9-5 in the new-look WCHA. Michigan State scored two early goals in the third period to go up 2-1. But Alex Petan of Michigan Tech scored the equalizer 8:13 into the period and that’s how it remained until the end of regulation. A shootout was needed to determine which team would advance to the tournament championship the following day. Michigan Tech’s Ryan Furne scored the shootout winner in the fifth round to send the team to the championship.
The second game of the Day 1 was between Michigan and Western Michigan. Sitting at a 10-2-2 record, the Wolverines were the favorite to win the tournament. Western Michigan sported a 7-8-3 record and represented the brand-new NCHC conference. The Broncos were the runner-up in the previous year’s Great Lakes Invitational. The two teams had yet to face one another that season prior to the tournament. The Wolverines got on the board first with a shorthanded goal by JT Compher in the second period. But the Broncos bounced back and scored two of their own before the second frame was over. The Wolverines tied the score in the third and that’s how it remained at the end of regulation. With just nineteen seconds left in overtime, Josh Pitt scored the game winner for Western Michigan to send the Broncos to the title game.
The MacInnes Cup would be awarded to either Michigan Tech or Western Michigan on December 28. But first the consolation game would be played between Michigan and Michigan State. The two rivals had yet to play that season. The Spartans surprised the college hockey world by shutting out Michigan 3-0. With many people picking Michigan to win the tournament, the team ended up in 4th place out of four teams.
More than 26,000 fans were in attendance to see which team would be the first to hoist the MacInnes Cup outdoors. It was a rematch of the previous year’s Great Lakes Invitational championship game that saw the Huskies blank the Broncos 4-0. In this rematch, the teams were evenly matched and both had great scoring chances. At one point in the second period Daniel Holmberg of Michigan Tech hit the cross bar for no goal. By the end of the game, shots were 33-31 in favor of Michigan Tech yet no goals had been scored. The game would be decided in overtime. It only took two minutes and one second for Justin Kovacs to score the game-winning goal. It was the second time the Broncos won the Great Lakes Invitational and first time since 1986.
The same four teams will participate in this year’s Great Lakes Invitational. It will be the fifth time this grouping of teams will participate in the tournament (with the fourth being in 2016.) However, it will be a showcase tournament with games being held at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing and Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor. The first two games will be held December 29 when Michigan State will host Western Michigan and Michigan will host Michigan Tech. The two visiting teams are scheduled to swap ice arenas the following night with Michigan State hosting Michigan Tech on Saturday and Michigan hosting Western Michigan. Unfortunately, Michigan announced December 27 that the team is cancelling the game on Saturday against Western Michigan. The official release stated health and welfare protocols but it sounds like it is not due to COVID but instead to prevent wear and tear on a roster that is missing five players to the IIHF World Junior Championship in Canada. This tournament will look different than previous iterations and no champion will be crowned for the second year in a row since last year’s tournament was canceled due to COVID. But the bright spot is that college hockey will be showcased again this holiday season in the state of Michigan.
