1977 WCHA men's ice hockey tournament

The 1977 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 18th conference playoff in league history. The tournament was played between March 9 and March 17, 1977. All games were played at home team campus sites including the championship series. By reaching the finals both Wisconsin and Michigan were invited to participate in the 1977 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

This was the first year that the WCHA had named one tournament champion in twelve years. After this championship the conference would revert to awarding two teams the postseason title for an additional four years.

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 advancing to the championship series, again a two-game, total goal match.

Conference standings

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

ConferenceOverall
GPWLTPTSGFGAGPWLTGFGA
Wisconsin†*32265153192122453771264161
Notre Dame3219103411641273822133191147
Michigan3220120401831514528170260211
Denver3216142341541514021172206187
North Dakota3216160321681583819190202184
Michigan Tech3215161311431503819181177178
Minnesota3213163291351444117213177202
Colorado College3211201231561704013252194209
Michigan State3211201231221713614211145189
Minnesota-Duluth32624214119192379262148219
Championship: Wisconsin
indicates conference regular season champion
* indicates conference tournament champion

[3]

Bracket

[4]Teams are reseeded after the first round

First Round
March 9–10
Semifinals
March 12–13
Championship
March 16–17
               
1Wisconsin336
8Colorado College112
1Wisconsin9817
7Minnesota538
2Notre Dame527
7Minnesota1910
1Wisconsin459
3Michigan044
3Michigan6511
6Michigan Tech527
3Michigan61117
4Denver448
4Denver8715
5North Dakota325

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

First round

(1) Wisconsin vs. (8) Colorado College

March 9Wisconsin3 – 1Colorado CollegeDane County Coliseum
March 10Wisconsin3 – 1Colorado CollegeDane County Coliseum
Wisconsin won series 6–2


(2) Notre Dame vs. (7) Minnesota

March 9Notre Dame5 – 1MinnesotaEdmund P. Joyce Center
March 10Notre Dame2 – 9MinnesotaEdmund P. Joyce Center
Minnesota won series 10–7


(3) Michigan vs. (6) Michigan Tech

March 9Michigan6 – 5Michigan TechYost Ice Arena
March 10Michigan5 – 2Michigan TechYost Ice Arena
Michigan won series 11–7


(4) Denver vs. (5) North Dakota

March 9Denver8 – 3North DakotaDU Arena
March 10Denver7 – 2North DakotaDU Arena
Denver won series 15–5


Semifinals

(1) Wisconsin vs. (7) Minnesota

March 12Wisconsin9 – 5MinnesotaDane County Coliseum
March 13Wisconsin8 – 3MinnesotaDane County Coliseum
Wisconsin won series 17–8


(3) Michigan vs. (4) Denver

March 12Michigan6 – 4DenverYost Ice Arena
March 13Michigan11 – 4DenverYost Ice Arena
Michigan won series 17–8


Championship

(1) Wisconsin vs. (3) Michigan

March 16Wisconsin4 – 0MichiganDane County Coliseum
March 17Wisconsin5 – 4MichiganDane County Coliseum
Wisconsin won series 9–4


Tournament awards

None

See also

References