Broncos accept NCHC invitation

WMU Press Release

Western Michigan University has announced it is accepting an invitation to join the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (The National), which will begin play in the 2013-14 season.

The Broncos will join Colorado College, University of Denver, Miami University, University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of Nebraska-Omaha, University of North Dakota and St. Cloud State University.

“We are extremely excited to formally announce to the hockey and Bronco Nation we are honored to accept membership into the National Collegiate Hockey Conference,” said WMU director of athletics Kathy Beauregard. “This is truly another great day to be a Bronco and a historic moment for our hockey program and is another validation of how truly special our university, Western Michigan University, and our community really are. For us to align ourselves with the some of the most storied programs in Division I college hockey provides the opportunities for our student-athletes, coaches, and our terrific fan base, collectively our hockey Broncos, to be at the forefront of the sport that allows us to pursue our goal of competing and winning at the highest level. With its membership the NCHC boasts 16 national championships and 48 Frozen Four appearances.

“As you might suspect, there are a great many people to thank for their efforts, assistance and consideration culminating in this announcement. While it would take considerable time to thank each party who played a positive role in this process, I would like to express, on behalf of our university, our gratitude to the existing membership of the NCHC for their careful consideration and ultimate inclusion of Western Michigan into The National. Further, on behalf of our hockey team and our athletic department, I’d like to recognize and thank our president, John Dunn, and our Board of Trustees for their guidance and vision in seeing what we want our hockey program to be.”

“This is a significant day for our hockey program, our university and our community,” said Dunn. “Today’s announcement is another positive demonstration of what is right about Western Michigan University and is a clear indicator of why our university and Kalamazoo are a wonderful place to call home. We are proud to carry the flag for WMU and represent the great State of Michigan in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.”

The National officially invited Western Michigan and St. Cloud State on Wednesday.

“Both universities fit perfectly with the established goals of our conference membership,” said Brian Faison, director of athletics at North Dakota and spokesperson for the conference’s athletic directors committee. “Their programs are highly competitive and produce quality student-athletes. Each institution has made significant commitments to the continued success of their hockey programs and they are both located in tradition-rich hockey states. St. Cloud State and Western Michigan, with their passionate fans, will add a great deal to The
National and we look forward to welcoming them.”

This will be only the second conference WMU hockey has played in during its 38-year history. The Broncos remain a part of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association for the coming two seasons and look forward to returning to the challenge of earning another trip to Joe Louis Arena in 2012.

“My primary concern is making sure that the Broncos play well in the CCHA this year and next year,” said first-year head coach Andy Murray. “I am excited about the prospect of playing on a nightly basis against some of the best teams in the country.”

Excitement is already buzzing about the upcoming Bronco hockey season as WMU has seen an increase in season ticket sales by 45 percent. The Broncos open the 2011-12 regular season on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. against Alabama-Huntsville. WMU hosts and exhibition game against the University of Toronto on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. at L.C. Walker Arena in Muskegon.

Western Michigan to join NCHC?

WMU Press Release

Western Michigan will officially announce its future plans for a hockey conference tomorrow during a press conference to be held in the W Club Room of the Seelye Center at 10 a.m.

The landscape in the sport of college hockey has been one of change and decision making recently, and more specifically for the WMU hockey program over the past 30 days. Over the past six months, WMU has been very proactive in positioning itself to be a player on the national level.

The official announcement regarding WMU hockey’s future comes with that in mind, as well as weighing how the conference offers we have received fit in with our strategic plan moving forward.

University president Dr. John M. Dunn, director of athletics Kathy Beauregard and head coach Andy Murray will be on hand for the announcement as well as members of both the university and Kalamazoo communities.

According to USCHO, the Broncos will be joining the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

LSSU to also leave CCHA for WCHA

Lake Superior State Press Release

Lake Superior State president Tony McLain and director of athletics Kris Dunbar confirmed Thursday that LSSU will accept the WCHA’s invitation to join the league for the 2013-2014 season.

Conference realignments are the result of the recent formation of the six-team Big Ten Conference for men’s ice hockey and the newly-established National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

“Without fully knowing the final outcome, if everything realigns as we have it on paper today, I think this will be a better conference for Lake Superior State hockey long-term than the CCHA was, and I thought the CCHA was pretty good,” said McLain.

“This will be a great step for our program – to find a league with teams that are similar to ours,” Dunbar said. “We will be in a conference with similar schools and good hockey traditions. This should be appealing to fans, alumni and recruits. Our fans will continue to see good college hockey played in Taffy Abel Arena for years to come.”

Conference realignments go into effect for the 2013-14 season. Schedule scenarios can’t take shape until all of the Division I hockey programs decide which route they wish to take. Some schools must wait for a vote from their trustees. And other schools, such as BGSU, WMU and Notre Dame of the CCHA, are considering moves to the NCHC.

“We hope for the chance to still play teams like Michigan, Notre Dame and Michigan State,” Dr. McLain said. “We’re expecting that to be part of our future.”

Dunbar said that Dr. McLain’s role in the negotiations was to contact college presidents of CCHA and WCHA schools and help find LSSU a stable home for its hockey program.

“I spoke to eight different university presidents over the last three weeks trying to position Lake Superior State so that no matter what happened around us, we felt we had a strong conference in which to play,” Dr. McLain said. “But most of the work was really done by our athletics director, Kris Dunbar. In my mind, she positioned us well to be in this realignment. Her role was 90 percent of the positioning, the negotiations, selling Lake Superior State’s hockey tradition. She talked to other ADs and representatives from the CCHA and WCHA.”

“I couldn’t have done this without his support and involvement,” Dunbar added.

McLain, who spent most of his professional career in the Upper Peninsula, looks forward to LSSU continuing a conference rivalry with NMU and building one with Michigan Tech. The Huskies were members of the CCHA for three seasons between 1982 and 1984.

This will be LSSU’s third hockey conference affiliation. Laker hockey began in 1966-67, and LSSU was part of the International Collegiate Hockey Association with Lakehead, Bemidji State and Wisconsin from 1967 to 1973. LSSU joined the CCHA in 1972-73, which was the league’s second year of existence.

“We’ve caught wind of what people thought was the best option for us, and I think this will be well-received by hockey alumni and fans,” Dr. McLain said. “We found our best avenue to position Laker hockey was not through the public arena, but through private negotiations. Right from the start, we were committed to remaining a Division I team and positioning us into a conference that would allow us to compete at a high level. Unfortunately we couldn’t always come out and say what we were doing, as we feared that would jeopardize our chances of getting into the new conference.”

Bulldogs accept WCHA invitation Friday

Ferris State Press Release

Ferris State University has accepted an invitation to join the six-team Western Collegiate Hockey Association beginning with the 2013-14 season.

Ferris was one of five members of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association extended invitations to join the WCHA. The acceptance of this WCHA invitation for the university's Division I college hockey program was approved by the Board of Trustees and announced by Ferris president David L. Eisler.

Ferris' acceptance of the WCHA's invitation is the result of collaborative efforts that the university's administration has undertaken with peer institutions during these past few months.

"Hockey is a very important sport to Ferris State University and to our fans," Eisler said. "In joining the WCHA, Ferris remains firmly committed to a program of the highest standards of national competition with continued great success by our student-athletes and coaches. The unanimous support of the presidents in the WCHA in extending this invitation is sincerely appreciated. We look forward to working with them and our CCHA colleagues to make this a conference that builds on the great traditions of our programs and institutions."

Ferris joins the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Bowling Green State University, Lake Superior State University and Western Michigan University as CCHA members that were invited to join current WCHA members University of Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State University, Minnesota State University, Michigan Tech University, Northern Michigan University and St. Cloud State University. As a condition of this potential membership process moving forward, the WCHA-member presidents established a 30-day response timeline for acceptance.

Ferris is pleased to accept the invitation and looks forward to its WCHA membership.

"This is an outstanding day for Ferris State Bulldog hockey and college hockey in general. The uncertainty of the past five months has caused some genuine angst and instability on hockey playing campuses across the country," FSU athletics director Perk Weisenburger said. "Through the vision, leadership and cooperative spirit of the institutions in these two tradition-rich conferences there is a renewed sense of stability, excitement and a new direction for hockey programs in both the CCHA and WCHA."

Today's announcement by Ferris is the product of a series of discussions between representatives of the CCHA and WCHA, including a recent meeting that took place in Chicago on Tuesday. The two leagues have also agreed to continue to hold regular talks to address topics such as by-laws, scheduling, tournament scenarios, finances and additional membership.

"We're very flattered that the WCHA has extended this invitation to the Ferris State hockey program to join its conference," said head coach Bob Daniels, who is entering his 20th season on the Bulldogs' bench. "This is a very good opportunity and we're excited about what this means for our program."

Ferris has competed in college hockey since the 1975-76 season and became an NCAA Division I program during the 1979-80 season. In more than 30 seasons as a Division I program, the Bulldogs have had nine student-athletes earn All-American honors, a CCHA Player of the Year, a CCHA Coach of the Year and made 29 national television appearances since 2006. Ferris has had a number of players compete in the National Hockey League, including Chris Kunitz, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and current member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

This future partnership with the WCHA continues Ferris' tradition of student-athletes competing against high-level competition in Division I ice hockey.

"We are happy for the student-athletes that play the game, for hockey fans everywhere and we couldn't be more pleased at becoming a part of this new hockey alliance and partnership," Weisenburger said.

Five CCHA schools offered WCHA spots

CCHA Press Release

Five CCHA member institutions - the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Bowling Green State University, Ferris State University, Lake Superior State University and Western Michigan University - have been extended invitations to join the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for the 2013-14 season.

The offer was made today on behalf of the presidents of the six WCHA teams that will comprise Western Collegiate Hockey Association membership following the 2012-13 season. It comes on the heels of a meeting with representatives of the 11 schools from the two leagues on August 23 in Chicago.

As it stands currently, the six teams that will constitute the WCHA following the 2012-13 season are University of Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State University, Michigan Technological University, Minnesota State University, St. Cloud State University and Northern Michigan University, which accepted an offer to join the WCHA beginning in 2013-14 back on July 20.

“This invitation represents a tremendous opportunity for the remaining members of both leagues,” said CCHA commissioner Fred Pletsch. “Their collective commitment to Division I hockey was evident in Chicago and the synergy created by last Tuesday’s meeting will help all involved chart a course that is right for their respective program and provide further stability to college hockey’s evolving landscape.”

The joint WCHA and CCHA meeting in Chicago worked from an agenda that included the sharing of institutional and hockey program information (including financial, facilities, community support, staffing and travel), scheduling and championship scenarios, and membership and league affiliation (including league size, automatic qualifiers, etc).

“On behalf of those presidents who remain committed to the WCHA in 2013-14 and beyond, I am excited to announce that we have unanimously voted to invite these five CCHA members to join our conference,” said Dr. Richard Davenport, President of Minnesota State University. “These schools bring a proud history and tradition with them from the CCHA that will only serve to enhance the already strong reputation of the WCHA.

“We are committed to creating stability for the conference and believe by inviting these institutions we will create one of the strongest conferences in the nation,” added Dr. Davenport. “This is one of the main reasons presidents voted today to invite CCHA member institutions to join our conference. Also, as presidents, we are committed to providing the best college hockey opportunities in the country for our student-athletes.”

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said that he couldn’t be more excited and pleased to extend these invitations to CCHA member schools.

“This is truly a significant and quite remarkable twist in what has been a period of great consternation and transition in the college hockey world,” said McLeod.

“During what were very informative and productive meetings in Chicago, and as we worked our way through the agenda, it became clear that all of these great institutions share a commonality in that every one of them is 100% committed to the sport of collegiate ice hockey and that they also share a great deal philosophically both athletically and academically. From there, the idea of coming together was a natural progression.”

As a condition of this potential membership process moving forward, the WCHA-member presidents set a 30-day response timeline for acceptance. The WCHA and CCHA have also agreed to continue to hold regular talks to address such topics as by-laws, scheduling, tournament scenarios, finances and additional membership.

WCHA, CCHA schools meet in Chicago

CCHA Press Release

Members of the WCHA and the CCHA met jointly today in Chicago, working from an agenda that included sharing information about each other, engaging in productive discussions about the challenges that each institution and each conference face, and seeking common ground to work together for the betterment of the parties involved and of college hockey in general.

In issuing a joint statement, WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod and CCHA commissioner Fred Pletsch said, “This was an important and productive meeting, for all involved parties. We asked everyone in attendance to be open, honest and frank in discussing their concerns, hopes and visions for the future of their respective programs. We recognize that where there is change there is also opportunity. We plan to continue our discussions in the future and to continue to explore all options.

“One crucial thing that came out of the joint meeting today was the word ‘commitment.' All of these institutions are totally committed to fielding the most competitive and successful programs possible and to provide the best possible experience for their student-athletes.”

Topics discussed in the joint meeting agenda included sharing of institutional and hockey program information (including financial, facilities, community support, staffing and travel), scheduling and championship scenarios, and membership and league affiliation (including league size, automatic qualifiers, etc).

In attendance at the joint meeting were administrators from the University of Alaska-Anchorage, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Bemidji State University, Bowling Green State University, Ferris State University, Lake Superior State University, Michigan Tech University, Minnesota State University, Northern Michigan University, St. Cloud State University and Western Michigan University.

NMU granted full approval to join WCHA

WCHA Press Release

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) announced today that former conference member Northern Michigan University will be re-joining the association family effective with the 2013-14 season.

The Wildcats were unanimously approved for membership in a conference call of league members held earlier today.

The Wildcats, who won the Division I men’s national championship in 1991 while a member of the WCHA, were admitted into the Association as an eighth league member for the 1984-85 season and remained through the 1996-97 campaign when they left for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).

“We couldn’t be more excited about welcoming back Northern Michigan University to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association family,” said WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod. “We were naturally disappointed when the Wildcats left the WCHA in 1997 after a successful 13-year partnership, but it’s wonderful to again have them on board as a sixth association member beginning with the 2013-14 season.

“Northern Michigan is a first-class institution with a great college hockey tradition, enthusiastic fans and a supportive community in Marquette. This is a great fit for both of us – again – and we all look forward to NMU’s highly-skilled, tenacious style of hockey further enhancing an already-great brand of WCHA hockey.”

Said Northern Michigan University president Les Wong, “NMU is honored that the WCHA approached us with the idea of rejoining its hockey conference. The schools that will be in the WCHA in 2013-14 share many similarities with Northern. We all have similar locations with hometowns that passionately support their hockey programs. We also all offer similar academic offerings and have similar student bodies. We all have strong NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic programs but a Division I hockey program. Having our hockey team travel west also compliments our recruiting footprint for not just athletics, but the university as a whole.”

Said NMU interim athletic director Steve Reed, “We share many natural rivalries with the new WCHA programs and the league offers geographical balance for us. With the changing landscape in college hockey in 2013-14, it was important for us to consider all options and choose the one we felt works best for NMU hockey at this time.”

Northern Michigan head coach Walt Kyle, no stranger to the WCHA, said, “This is a time of change for college hockey and that doesn’t worry me. I think when the dust settles, college hockey will be in as good, if not better shape – it will just look a little different.

“I’ve been saying all along that I know NMU will be in a great hockey conference over the next two years – in the CCHA and then in the WCHA. It’s important that people know that we value our current CCHA members and hope to continue strong relationships with them in the future as part of our non-conference schedule. However, playing in the same conference as Michigan Tech, our next-door U.P. neighbor, will boost that ongoing rivalry. It’s always special to play the Huskies and I know the Upper Peninsula hockey fans will be excited that NMU-MTU battles will take on even greater importance being league games. Our recent history with St. Cloud State – going into double overtime in the NCAA Tournament against them two years ago – is also something we can build into a good rivalry. We do a lot of recruiting west of the U.P., so increasing our playing exposure in that direction is a plus.”

During their first tenure in the league, Northern Michigan competed for 13 seasons, winning the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular season champions in 1990-91, capturing three WCHA playoff titles and Broadmoor Trophies in 1988-89, 1990-91 and 1991-92, and as mentioned previously, taking home the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four crown in 1990-91 when they forged a noteworthy 38-5-4 overall record and 25-3-4 WCHA mark.

Included on that stellar 1990-91 club, guided by WCHA Coach of the Year Rick Comley, were the likes of All-American forward Scott Beattie (WCHA MVP, WCHA Scoring Champion), All-American defenseman and WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year Brad Werenka and Second Team All-American goaltender Bill Pye.

The Wildcats competed in the NCAA tournament while in the WCHA in 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993 while other top finishes by NMU in the league standings were second in 1988-89 and third in 1991-92.

WCHA votes to accept Northern Michigan

WCHA Press Release

The chief executive officers of the five member teams that will make up the men’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association as of the 2013-14 season are supportive of Northern Michigan University’s entrance into the conference.

WCHA men’s membership in 2013-14 will include Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State.

Formal approval of Northern Michigan’s application for membership in the WCHA will occur next week.

NMU to seek admission to WCHA

Northern Michigan Press Release

At its meeting Thursday, the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees endorsed the administration’s recommendation that NMU’s Division I Wildcat hockey program pursue membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) beginning with the 2013-14 season.

Northern currently competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). Membership in the WCHA would require a formal invitation and vote by that league’s institutions, which has not yet taken place.

This summer’s announcement of two new college hockey league – the Big Ten and National Collegiate Hockey Conferences – will drastically change both the CCHA and the WCHA in 2013-14. The 11-team CCHA will possibly lose five teams (Miami, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State and possibly Notre Dame) while the 12-team WCHA will lose seven teams (Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota and Wisconsin).

With the shake up to the CCHA and WCHA conferences, NMU President Les Wong said he asked Wildcat intercollegiate athletics staff and the hockey coaches to consider the benefits of membership in each league, especially since NMU hockey has been a member of both at some point in its history – in the WCHA from 1984-97 and in the CCHA from 1977-78 until 1983-84 and again beginning with the 1997-98 season. As a WCHA member, NMU won the 1991 regular season conference title and three league tournament titles (1989, ’91 and ’92). The Wildcats were a WCHA member when they won the 1991 NCAA Championship.

“I felt the schools that will be in the WCHA in 2013-14 share many similarities with Northern,” said Wong. “We all have similar locations with hometowns that passionately support their hockey programs. We also all offer similar academic offerings and have similar student bodies. We all have strong NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic programs but a Division I hockey program. Having our hockey team travel west also compliments our recruiting footprint for not just athletics, but the university as a whole.”

Members of the WCHA moving forward in 2013-14 will be Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State. Members of the CCHA moving forward are Alaska-Fairbanks, Bowling Green, Lake Superior State and Western Michigan.

"We share many natural rivalries with the new WCHA programs and the league offers geographical balance for us," interim athletic director Steve Reed said about the possible change. "With the changing landscape in college hockey in 2013-14, it is important for us to consider all options and choose the one we feel works best for NMU hockey at this time."