1976 WCHA men's ice hockey tournament

The 1976 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 17th conference playoff in league history. The tournament was played between March 10 and March 15, 1976. All games were played at home team campus sites, including each of the two regional final series. By winning the regional tournaments, both Minnesota and Michigan Tech were invited to participate in the 1976 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

Though not official designations, Minnesota is considered as the East Regional Champion† and Michigan Tech as the West Regional Champion‡.

Format

The top eight teams in the WCHA, according to their final conference standings, were eligible for the tournament and were seeded No. 1 through No. 8. In the first round the first and eighth seeds, the second and seventh seeds, the third and sixth seeds and the fourth and fifth seeds were matched in two-game series where the school that scored the higher number of goals was declared the winner. After the first round the remaining teams were reseeded No. 1 through No. 4 according to their final conference standings and advanced to the second round. In the second round the first and fourth seeds and the second and third seeds competed in an additional two-game, total goal series with the winners of each being declared as co-conference champions.

Conference standings

[5]Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against

ConferenceOverall
GPWLTPTSGFGAGPWLTGFGA
Michigan Tech†*32257050190134433490255177
Michigan State3220120401541394023152193176
Minnesota*3218131371291194428142190158
Michigan3217150341571413921180196176
Notre Dame3215152321431403819172171173
Colorado College3215161311311333815221151181
Wisconsin3211192241371513812242153177
Denver3212200241201403916230165175
Minnesota-Duluth3212200241321603615210159179
North Dakota3212200241191553615210142168
Championship: Minnesota, Michigan Tech
indicates conference regular season champion
* indicates conference tournament champion

Bracket

[6]Teams are reseeded after the first round

First Round
March 10–11
Second Round
March 13–15
        
1Michigan Tech58
8Denver46
1Michigan Tech46
4Michigan25
2Michigan State66
7Wisconsin44
3Minnesota75
6Colorado College41
2Michigan State26
3Minnesota27***
4Michigan84
5Notre Dame35

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

First round

(1) Michigan Tech vs. (8) Denver

March 10Michigan Tech5 – 4DenverStudent Ice Arena
March 11Michigan Tech8 – 6DenverStudent Ice Arena
Michigan Tech won series 13–10


(2) Michigan State vs. (7) Wisconsin

March 10Michigan State6 – 4WisconsinMunn Ice Arena
March 11Michigan State6 – 4WisconsinMunn Ice Arena
Michigan State won series 12–8


(3) Minnesota vs. (6) Colorado College

March 10Minnesota7 – 4Colorado CollegeWilliams Arena
March 11Minnesota5 – 1Colorado CollegeWilliams Arena
Minnesota won series 12–5


(4) Michigan vs. (5) Notre Dame

March 10Michigan8 – 3Notre DameYost Ice Arena
March 11Michigan4 – 5Notre DameYost Ice Arena
Michigan won series 12–8


Second round

(1) Michigan Tech vs. (4) Michigan

March 14Michigan Tech4 – 2MichiganStudent Ice Arena
March 15Michigan Tech6 – 5MichiganStudent Ice Arena
Michigan Tech won series 10–7


(2) Michigan State vs. (3) Minnesota

March 13Michigan State2 – 2MinnesotaMunn Ice Arena
March 14Michigan State6 – 73OTMinnesotaMunn Ice Arena
Minnesota won series 9–8


Tournament awards

None

See also

References