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

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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

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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

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References

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  • "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.