CCHA Tournament
Encyclopedia
The CCHA Tournament is the conference tournament for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
(CCHA). The winner of the tournament receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament
. The winner of the tournament also receives the Mason Cup
, which began in 2001. In other years, the trophy was simply known as the CCHA Tournament Championship Trophy.
The tournament was first held in 1972, the first year of conference play. It was held at The Arena
in St. Louis, Missouri
from 1972–77. From 1978–81, the CCHA Tournament was held at the rink of the higher seed. Starting in 1982, the CCHA Tournament first round was held at the rink of the higher seed with Joe Louis Arena
in Detroit, Michigan
hosting the CCHA Tournament semifinals and finals. From 1993–94 and 2002–05, the CCHA championship format had six teams competing at Joe Louis Arena with the bottom four teams competing for the third and fourth spots in the semifinals.
The CCHA Tournament format begins as a single-game elimination two-round format.
1973
A round-robin championship format was adopted. Although not a member of the CCHA's Division I, Western Michigan
is invited as the fourth team in the CCHA Tournament.
1974–75
The single-game elimination format returns. Western Michigan is invited for a second year as the fourth team in the CCHA Tournament.
1976
Championship game is changed to a two-game, total-goals series.
1977–81
All tournament rounds are changed to a two-game, total-goals series.
1982–85
First round series remain a two-game, total-goals series. Semifinals and finals are changed to single-game elimination format. The CCHA Tournament is expanded from four teams to eight teams in a three-round format.
1986
First round series changed to a best two-of-three format. Semifinals and finals remain single-game elimination.
1990
After Bowling Green
is selected for the NCAA tournament over Michigan
despite the Wolverines victory over the Falcons in the consolation game, the CCHA eliminates the consolation game.
1993–94
With the addition of Kent State
and Notre Dame
to the league and Alaska
as an affiliate member, tournament expanded to 12 teams. A quarterfinal at Joe Louis Arena narrows the field from six to four. Alaska is placed in the tournament by team choice. In order, the top six teams select their opponent for the first round among the bottom five teams and Alaska.
1995
The tournament retracts to 10 teams. A highest seed-hosts, midweek play-in game narrows the field from five to four.
1996–99
Tournament format returns to eight teams.
2000–01
The tournament field expands back to 10 along with the midweek play-in game.
2002–05
All 12 teams qualify for the tournament with a quarterfinal at Joe Louis Arena narrowing the field from six to four. The consolation game returns to boost records and rankings for NCAA Tournament selection.
(Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech
and Notre Dame) defected to the CCHA. The four teams brought their long, storied history with 12 combined NCAA National Championships giving the young, up-start league instant credibility. The tournament championship was moved from small on-campus rinks to Joe Louis Arena, home of the NHL's
Detroit Red Wings
. These events give the league a distinct turning point at which the "Modern Era" of the CCHA Tournament begins.
Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship...
(CCHA). The winner of the tournament receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship tournament determines the top men's ice hockey team in NCAA Division I and Division III. The semi-finals and finals of the Division I Championship are branded as the Frozen Four, a passing nod to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - known...
. The winner of the tournament also receives the Mason Cup
Mason Cup
The Mason Cup is awarded annually to the champion of the CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.On October 3, 2000, a unanimous vote among CCHA head coaches and athletic directors renamed the CCHA championship trophy the Mason Cup in honor of Ron Mason...
, which began in 2001. In other years, the trophy was simply known as the CCHA Tournament Championship Trophy.
The tournament was first held in 1972, the first year of conference play. It was held at The Arena
St. Louis Arena
The St. Louis Arena was an indoor arena located in St. Louis, Missouri, that stood from 1929 to 1999...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
from 1972–77. From 1978–81, the CCHA Tournament was held at the rink of the higher seed. Starting in 1982, the CCHA Tournament first round was held at the rink of the higher seed with Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed The Joe and JLA is a hockey arena located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. It is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
hosting the CCHA Tournament semifinals and finals. From 1993–94 and 2002–05, the CCHA championship format had six teams competing at Joe Louis Arena with the bottom four teams competing for the third and fourth spots in the semifinals.
CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament champions
Tournament format
All eleven league members qualify for the tournament. A four-round format was introduced beginning in 2006 with the top five seeds receiving byes and the remaining six teams playing in an on-campus best two-of-three first round series. After the first round, the field is reseeded for the quarterfinal round for an on-campus best two-of-three series. The remaining four teams are reseeded for the CCHA Championship at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Two semifinals are played on Friday afternoon and night. The championship game is played the following night, and is preceded by the consolation game.2011 tournament bracket
- Re-seeding takes place at the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds so the highest seed plays the lowest seed, the second-highest seed plays the second-lowest seed, and so on.
Previous formats
1972The CCHA Tournament format begins as a single-game elimination two-round format.
1973
A round-robin championship format was adopted. Although not a member of the CCHA's Division I, Western Michigan
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
is invited as the fourth team in the CCHA Tournament.
1974–75
The single-game elimination format returns. Western Michigan is invited for a second year as the fourth team in the CCHA Tournament.
1976
Championship game is changed to a two-game, total-goals series.
1977–81
All tournament rounds are changed to a two-game, total-goals series.
1982–85
First round series remain a two-game, total-goals series. Semifinals and finals are changed to single-game elimination format. The CCHA Tournament is expanded from four teams to eight teams in a three-round format.
1986
First round series changed to a best two-of-three format. Semifinals and finals remain single-game elimination.
1990
After Bowling Green
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
is selected for the NCAA tournament over Michigan
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
despite the Wolverines victory over the Falcons in the consolation game, the CCHA eliminates the consolation game.
1993–94
With the addition of Kent State
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
and Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
to the league and Alaska
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....
as an affiliate member, tournament expanded to 12 teams. A quarterfinal at Joe Louis Arena narrows the field from six to four. Alaska is placed in the tournament by team choice. In order, the top six teams select their opponent for the first round among the bottom five teams and Alaska.
1995
The tournament retracts to 10 teams. A highest seed-hosts, midweek play-in game narrows the field from five to four.
1996–99
Tournament format returns to eight teams.
2000–01
The tournament field expands back to 10 along with the midweek play-in game.
2002–05
All 12 teams qualify for the tournament with a quarterfinal at Joe Louis Arena narrowing the field from six to four. The consolation game returns to boost records and rankings for NCAA Tournament selection.
By school
| No. | School | Record | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Michigan State | 11–4 | |
| 15 | Michigan | 9–6 | |
| 12 | Lake Superior State | 4–8 | |
| 7 | Bowling Green State | 8–2 | |
| 7 | Ohio State | 2–6–1 | |
| 6 | Saint Louis | 3–5–1 | |
| 4 | Northern Michigan | 2–2 | |
| 3 | Western Michigan | 1–2–1 | |
| 3 | Miami | 0–2 | |
| 2 | Notre Dame | 1–1 | |
| 2 | Ferris State | 0–3 | |
| 1 | Nebraska-Omaha | 0–1 |
By coach
| No. | Coach | Record | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Ron Mason | 16–4 | .800 |
| 15 | "Red" Berenson | 9–6 | .650 |
| 7 | Jeff Jackson | 5–2 | .714 |
| 6 | Rick Comley | 4–3–1 | .563 |
| 6 | Bill Selman | 3–5–1 | .389 |
| 4 | Frank Anzalone | 0–4 | .000 |
| 3 | John Markell | 1–2 | .333 |
| 3 | Jerry York | 1–2 | .333 |
| 2 | Bill Wilkinson | 1–1 | .500 |
| 2 | Jerry Welsh | 0–3–1 | .125 |
| 2 | Enrico Blasi | 0–1 | .000 |
| 1 | Dave Chambers | 1–0 | 1.000 |
| 1 | Jack Vivian | 1–0 | 1.000 |
| 1 | Bill Neal | 0–1–1 | .250 |
| 1 | Bob Daniels | 0–1 | .000 |
| 1 | George Gwozdecky | 0–1 | .000 |
| 1 | Mike Kemp | 0–1 | .000 |
| 1 | Walt Kyle | 0–1 | .000 |
| 1 | "Lefty" Smith | 0–1 | .000 |
| 1 | Rick Duffett | 0–2 | .000 |
"Modern Era"
In 1981–82, four teams from the WCHAWestern Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
(Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University is a public research university located in Houghton, Michigan, United States. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake...
and Notre Dame) defected to the CCHA. The four teams brought their long, storied history with 12 combined NCAA National Championships giving the young, up-start league instant credibility. The tournament championship was moved from small on-campus rinks to Joe Louis Arena, home of the NHL's
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. These events give the league a distinct turning point at which the "Modern Era" of the CCHA Tournament begins.