Western Collegiate Hockey Association men's champions
(Redirected from WCHA Final Five)
The following is a list of men's champions of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, including champions of the conference's playoff tournament, the WCHA Final Five.
Championships by season
edit| Season | Regular Season Champion | Tournament Champion | NCAA National Champion | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951–52 | Colorado College | — | Michigan | Midwest Collegiate Hockey League play begins with Colorado College, Denver, Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota and North Dakota; first season the MacNaughton Cup is awarded to regular season champion |
| 1952–53 | Minnesota Michigan |
— | Michigan | |
| 1953–54 | Minnesota | — | League name changed to the Western Intercollegiate Hockey League | |
| 1954–55 | Colorado College | — | Michigan | |
| 1955–56 | Michigan | — | Michigan | |
| 1956–57 | Colorado College | — | Colorado College | |
| 1957–58 | North Dakota Denver |
— | Denver | |
| 1958–59 | — | — | North Dakota | No league play because Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State and Michigan Tech withdraw from the WIHL due to disagreement over the recruiting practices of University of North Dakota, Denver, and Colorado College. |
| 1959–60 | Denver | Denver Michigan Tech |
Denver | Western Collegiate Hockey Association founded; tournament play begins |
| 1960–61 | Denver | Denver Minnesota |
Denver | |
| 1961–62 | Michigan Tech | Michigan Tech | Michigan Tech | The WCHA begins awarding the MacNaughton Cup to the conference's tournament champion |
| 1962–63 | Denver North Dakota |
Denver | North Dakota | |
| 1963–64 | Michigan Denver |
Denver | Michigan | |
| 1964–65 | North Dakota | Michigan Tech | Michigan Tech | |
| 1965–66 | Michigan Tech | Denver Michigan State |
Michigan State | The WCHA decides to once again award the MacNaughton Cup to the regular season champion |
| 1966–67 | North Dakota | Michigan State North Dakota |
Minnesota-Duluth joins the WCHA | |
| 1967–68 | Denver | Denver North Dakota |
Denver | |
| 1968–69 | Michigan Tech | Denver Michigan Tech |
Denver | |
| 1969–70 | Minnesota | Michigan Tech Wisconsin |
Wisconsin joins the WCHA | |
| 1970–71 | Michigan Tech | Denver Minnesota |
||
| 1971–72 | Denver | Denver Wisconsin |
Notre Dame joins the WCHA | |
| 1972–73 | Denver | Denver Wisconsin |
Wisconsin | |
| 1973–74 | Michigan Tech | Michigan Tech Minnesota |
Minnesota | |
| 1974–75 | Minnesota | Michigan Tech Minnesota |
Michigan Tech | |
| 1975–76 | Michigan Tech | Michigan Tech Minnesota |
Minnesota | |
| 1976–77 | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | |
| 1977–78 | Denver | Colorado College Wisconsin |
||
| 1978–79 | North Dakota | Minnesota North Dakota |
Minnesota | |
| 1979–80 | North Dakota | Minnesota North Dakota |
North Dakota | Plan to split the conference into two divisions is rejected |
| 1980–81 | Minnesota | Michigan Tech Minnesota |
Wisconsin | |
| 1981–82 | North Dakota | Wisconsin | North Dakota | Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech and Notre Dame leave conference for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association; the Broadmoor Trophy replaces the MacNaughton Cup as the trophy for the regular season champion |
| 1982–83 | Minnesota | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | |
| 1983–84 | Minnesota-Duluth | Minnesota-Duluth | ||
| 1984–85 | Minnesota-Duluth | Minnesota-Duluth | Michigan Tech rejoins the WCHA and brings the MacNaughton Cup back to the conference; Northern Michigan joins the WCHA; interlocking schedule with Hockey East begins (interconference games counted in conference standings); first season the Broadmoor Trophy awarded to the tournament champion | |
| 1985–86 | Denver | Denver | ||
| 1986–87 | North Dakota | North Dakota | North Dakota | |
| 1987–88 | Minnesota | Wisconsin | Tournament changed to a single-site four team format | |
| 1988–89 | Minnesota | Northern Michigan | Last season of interlocking schedule with Hockey East | |
| 1989–90 | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | |
| 1990–91 | Northern Michigan | Northern Michigan | Northern Michigan | St. Cloud State joins the WCHA |
| 1991–92 | Minnesota | Northern Michigan | ||
| 1992–93 | Minnesota-Duluth | Minnesota | Tournament changed to five team format and renamed the Final Five | |
| 1993–94 | Colorado College | Minnesota | Alaska-Anchorage joins the WCHA | |
| 1994–95 | Colorado College | Wisconsin | ||
| 1995–96 | Colorado College | Minnesota | ||
| 1996–97 | Minnesota North Dakota |
North Dakota | North Dakota | |
| 1997–98 | North Dakota | Wisconsin | Northern Michigan leaves the conference for the CCHA; Mankato State (now Minnesota State-Mankato) participates in the WCHA tournament | |
| 1998–99 | North Dakota | Denver | ||
| 1999–00 | Wisconsin | North Dakota | North Dakota | Minnesota State joins the WCHA |
| 2000–01 | North Dakota | St. Cloud State | ||
| 2001–02 | Denver | Denver | Minnesota | |
| 2002–03 | Colorado College | Minnesota | Minnesota | |
| 2003–04 | North Dakota | Minnesota | Denver | |
| 2004–05 | Colorado College Denver |
Denver | Denver | |
| 2005–06 | Minnesota | North Dakota | Wisconsin | |
| 2006–07 | Minnesota | Minnesota | ||
| 2007–08 | Colorado College | Denver | ||
| 2008–09 | North Dakota | Minnesota-Duluth | ||
| 2009–10 | Denver | North Dakota | ||
| 2010–11 | North Dakota | North Dakota | Minnesota-Duluth | Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha join the WCHA |
| 2011–12 | Minnesota | North Dakota | ||
| 2012–13 | St. Cloud State Minnesota |
Wisconsin | Final WCHA season for Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, and St. Cloud State (all leaving for NCHC in 2013-2014) as well as Minnesota and Wisconsin (both leaving for Big Ten Conference) | |
| 2013–14 | Ferris State | Minnesota State | Northern Michigan rejoins WCHA; first WCHA season for Alabama-Huntsville, Alaska-Fairbanks, Bowling Green, Ferris State, and Lake Superior State | |
| 2014–15 | Minnesota State | Minnesota State | ||
| 2015–16 | Minnesota State Michigan Tech |
Ferris State | ||
| 2016–17 | Bemidji State | Michigan Tech | ||
| 2017–18 | Minnesota State | Michigan Tech | ||
| 2018–19 | Minnesota State | Minnesota State | ||
| 2019–20 | Minnesota State | Tournament cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic | ||
| 2020–21 | Minnesota State | Lake Superior State | At the conclusion of the season, 8 teams withdrew from the conference (Alabama–Huntsville, Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, Northern Michigan). The remaining two programs, Alaska and Alaska Anchorage, formally suspended the men's division of the WCHA. | |
Championships by school
edit| School | WCHA Regular Season Championships |
WCHA Tournament Championships |
NCAA National Championships |
Last WCHA Regular Season Championship |
Last WCHA Tournament Championship |
Last NCAA National Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama–Huntsville | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | |
| Alaska | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Alaska–Anchorage | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Bemidji State | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2017 | — | — |
| Bowling Green | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | — | 1984 |
| Colorado College | 9 | 1 | 2 | 2008 | 1978 | 1957 |
| Denver | 13 | 15 | 8 | 2010 | 2008 | 2022 |
| Ferris State | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2014 | — | — |
| Lake Superior State | 0 | 1 | 3 | — | 2021 | 1994 |
| Michigan | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1964 | — | 1998 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 2 | 3 | — | 1967 | 2007 |
| Michigan Tech | 7 | 11 | 3 | 2016 | 2018 | 1975 |
| Minnesota | 14 | 14 | 5 | 2013 | 2007 | 2003 |
| Minnesota–Duluth | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1993 | 2009 | 2019 |
| Minnesota State | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2021 | 2019 | — |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | 15 | 11 | 7 | 2011 | 2012 | 2016 |
| Northern Michigan | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1991 | 1992 | 1991 |
| Notre Dame | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| St. Cloud State | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2013 | 2001 | — |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 12 | 6 | 2000 | 2013 | 2006 |
Colorado College won its first NCAA national championship in 1950 prior to the founding of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League. Likewise, Michigan won its 1948 title prior to the start of league play. North Dakota won a national title in 1959 as an independent. The Wolverines won two additional national championships in 1996 and 1998 after leaving the WCHA for the CCHA. Michigan State also won its 1986 and 2007 national championships after leaving the WCHA. Two of the five schools that made their WCHA debuts in 2013, Bowling Green and Lake Superior State, won all of their national championships while in the CCHA (one for Bowling Green in 1984, and three for Lake Superior State in 1988, 1992, and 1994).
Location of Men's WCHA tournaments
edit- 1988 thru 1993: St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul MN
- 1994: Bradley Center, Milwaukee WI
- 1995: St. Paul Civic Center
- 1996: Bradley Center
- 1997: St. Paul Civic Center
- 1998: Bradley Center
- 1999 thru 2000: Target Center, Minneapolis MN
- 2001 thru 2013: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul MN
- 2014: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids MI[1]
- 2015: Xcel Energy Center
- 2016: Van Andel Arena
- 2017 thru 2019: Campus Sites
References
edit- "History of the WCHA". College Hockey Historical Archives. Archived from the original on 2006-12-06. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
- "Ice Hockey History - The Broadmoor". Colorado College. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
- "MacNaughton Cup". Gopher Hockey History. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
- 2006-07 Minnesota Men's Hockey Yearbook. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics.
- ^ "WCHA Announces Playoff Championship to be Played in Grand Rapids in 2014 & 2016, Saint Paul in 2015 & 2017," press release from WCHA.com, 3/23/2013