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 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 MinnesotaMichigan — 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 DakotaDenver — 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 DenverMichigan Tech Denver Western Collegiate Hockey Association founded; tournament play begins 1960–61 Denver DenverMinnesota Denver 1961–62 Michigan Tech Michigan Tech Michigan Tech The WCHA begins awarding the MacNaughton Cup to the conference's tournament champion 1962–63 DenverNorth Dakota Denver North Dakota 1963–64 MichiganDenver Denver Michigan 1964–65 North Dakota Michigan Tech Michigan Tech 1965–66 Michigan Tech DenverMichigan State Michigan State The WCHA decides to once again award the MacNaughton Cup to the regular season champion 1966–67 North Dakota Michigan StateNorth Dakota Minnesota-Duluth joins the WCHA 1967–68 Denver DenverNorth Dakota Denver 1968–69 Michigan Tech DenverMichigan Tech Denver 1969–70 Minnesota Michigan TechWisconsin Wisconsin joins the WCHA 1970–71 Michigan Tech DenverMinnesota 1971–72 Denver DenverWisconsin Notre Dame joins the WCHA 1972–73 Denver DenverWisconsin Wisconsin 1973–74 Michigan Tech Michigan TechMinnesota Minnesota 1974–75 Minnesota Michigan TechMinnesota Michigan Tech 1975–76 Michigan Tech Michigan TechMinnesota Minnesota 1976–77 Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin 1977–78 Denver Colorado CollegeWisconsin 1978–79 North Dakota MinnesotaNorth Dakota Minnesota 1979–80 North Dakota MinnesotaNorth Dakota North Dakota Plan to split the conference into two divisions is rejected 1980–81 Minnesota Michigan TechMinnesota 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 MinnesotaNorth 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 CollegeDenver 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 Omaha join the WCHA 2011–12 Minnesota North Dakota 2012–13 St. Cloud StateMinnesotaWisconsin Final WCHA season for Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, 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 2015–16Minnesota StateMichigan Tech Ferris State 2016–17Bemidji State Michigan Tech 2017–18Minnesota State Michigan Tech 2018–19Minnesota State Minnesota State 2019–20Minnesota State Tournament cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic 2020–21Minnesota 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.
WCHA tournament champions Year Winning team(s) Coach Losing team Coach Score Location Venue 1960 Michigan Tech†Denver‡ North DakotaColorado College 9–7*12–3* Houghton, MichiganDenver, Colorado Dee StadiumDU Arena 1961 Minnesota†Denver‡ MichiganMichigan Tech 6–4*17–3* Minneapolis, MinnesotaDenver, Colorado Williams ArenaDU Arena 1962 Michigan Tech Michigan 6–4 Ann Arbor, Michigan Weinberg Coliseum 1963 Denver North Dakota 5–4 (OT) Denver, Colorado DU Arena 1964 Denver Michigan 6–2 Ann Arbor, Michigan Weinberg Coliseum 1965 Michigan Tech North Dakota 6–4 Grand Forks, North Dakota Winter Sports Building 1966 Michigan State†Denver‡ Michigan TechNorth Dakota 4–35–4 (OT) Houghton, MichiganDenver, Colorado Dee StadiumDU Arena 1967 Michigan State†North Dakota‡ Michigan TechDenver 2–1 (OT)3–2 Houghton, MichiganDenver, Colorado Dee StadiumDU Arena 1968 North Dakota†Denver‡ Michigan TechMinnesota 3–2*16–3* Houghton, MichiganDenver, Colorado Dee StadiumDU Arena 1969 Michigan Tech†Denver‡ MichiganColorado College 7–43–1 Ann Arbor, MichiganDenver, Colorado Weinberg ColiseumDU Arena 1970 Michigan Tech†Wisconsin‡ MinnesotaDenver 6–53–2 Duluth, MinnesotaDenver, Colorado Duluth Arena AuditoriumDU Arena 1971 Minnesota†Denver‡ North DakotaMinnesota-Duluth 5–29–3 Madison, WisconsinDenver, Colorado Dane County ColiseumDU Arena 1972 Wisconsin†Denver‡ North DakotaMichigan State 6–2*11–4* Madison, WisconsinDenver, Colorado Dane County ColiseumDU Arena 1973 Wisconsin†Denver‡ Notre DameMichigan Tech 8–7*7–3* Notre Dame, IndianaDenver, Colorado Edmund P. Joyce CenterDU Arena 1974 Michigan Tech†Minnesota‡ Michigan StateDenver 12–10*5–4* Houghton, MichiganMinneapolis, Minnesota Student Ice ArenaWilliams Arena 1975 Michigan Tech†Minnesota‡ Michigan StateMichigan 15–8*8–5* Houghton, MichiganMinneapolis, Minnesota Student Ice ArenaWilliams Arena 1976 Minnesota†Michigan Tech‡ Michigan StateMichigan 9–9*10–7* East Lansing, MichiganHoughton, Michigan Munn Ice ArenaStudent Ice Arena 1977 Wisconsin Michigan 9–4* Madison, Wisconsin Dane County Coliseum 1978 Wisconsin†Colorado College‡ Michigan TechDenver 11–7*9–7* Madison, WisconsinDenver, Colorado Dane County ColiseumDU Arena 1979 Minnesota†North Dakota‡ Minnesota-DuluthWisconsin 8–4*11–9* Minneapolis, MinnesotaGrand Forks, North Dakota Williams ArenaRalph Engelstad Arena 1980 Minnesota†North Dakota‡ Colorado CollegeNotre Dame 13–4*17–8* Minneapolis, MinnesotaGrand Forks, North Dakota Williams ArenaRalph Engelstad Arena 1981 Michigan Tech†Minnesota‡ Colorado CollegeMichigan 13–4*17–8* Houghton, MichiganMinneapolis, Minnesota Student Ice ArenaWilliams Arena 1982 Wisconsin North Dakota 12–1* Grand Forks, North Dakota Ralph Engelstad Arena 1983 Wisconsin Minnesota 8–3* Minneapolis, Minnesota Williams Arena 1984 Minnesota-Duluth North Dakota 12–6* Minneapolis, Minnesota Williams Arena 1985 Minnesota-Duluth Minnesota 10–8* Duluth, Minnesota Duluth Arena Auditorium 1986 Denver Minnesota 6–2* Denver, Colorado DU Arena 1987 North Dakota Minnesota 10–6* Grand Forks, North Dakota Ralph Engelstad Arena 1988 Wisconsin Minnesota 3–2 St. Paul, Minnesota Civic Center 1989 Northern Michigan Denver 9–4 St. Paul, Minnesota Civic Center 1990 Wisconsin Minnesota 7–1 St. Paul, Minnesota Civic Center 1991 Northern Michigan Minnesota 4–2 St. Paul, Minnesota Civic Center 1992 Northern Michigan Minnesota 4–2 St. Paul, Minnesota Civic Center 1993 Minnesota Northern Michigan 5–3 St. Paul, Minnesota Civic Center 1994 Minnesota St. Cloud State 3–2 (OT) Milwaukee, Wisconsin Bradley Center 1995 Wisconsin Colorado College 4–3 (OT) St. Paul, Minnesota Civic Center 1996 Minnesota Michigan Tech 7–2 Milwaukee, Wisconsin Bradley Center 1997 North Dakota Minnesota 4–3 (OT) St. Paul, Minnesota Civic Center 1998 Wisconsin North Dakota 3–2 Milwaukee, Wisconsin Bradley Center 1999 Denver North Dakota 4–3 Minneapolis Target Center 2000 North Dakota Wisconsin 5–3 Minneapolis, Minnesota Target Center 2001 St. Cloud State North Dakota 6–5 (OT) St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2002 Denver Minnesota 5–2 St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2003 Minnesota Colorado College 4–2 St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2004 Minnesota North Dakota 5–4 St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2005 Denver Colorado College 1–0 St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2006 North Dakota St. Cloud State 5–3 St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2007 Minnesota North Dakota 3–2 (OT) St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2008 Denver Minnesota 2–1 St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2009 Minnesota-Duluth Denver 4–0 St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2010 North Dakota St. Cloud State 5–3 St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2011 North Dakota Denver 3–2 (2OT) St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2012 North Dakota Denver 4–0 St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2013 Wisconsin Colorado College 3–2 St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2014 Minnesota State Ferris State 4–1 Grand Rapids, Michigan Van Andel Arena 2015 Minnesota State Michigan Tech 5–2 St. Paul, Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 2016 Ferris State Minnesota State 2–1 Grand Rapids, Michigan Van Andel Arena 2017 Michigan Tech Bowling Green 3-2 (2OT) Houghton, Michigan MacInnes Student Ice Arena 2018 Michigan Tech Joe Shawhan Northern Michigan Grant Potulny 2–0 Marquette, Michigan Berry Events Center 2019 Minnesota State Mike Hastings Bowling Green Chris Bergeron 3–2 (OT) Mankato, Minnesota Mankato Civic Center 2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Lake Superior State Damon Whitten Northern Michigan Grant Potulny 6–3 Mankato, Minnesota Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center † East regional champion‡ West regional champion* Champion decided by a total goal sum in multiple games
Championships by school