The Great Plains Athletic Conference men's ice hockey tournament was an annual conference championship held between member teams.
History In 1972, the Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Association (WCIAA) decided to divide itself into two separate conferences due to the sizable area that the conference covered. The Great Plains Athletic Association (GPAA) was created and contained teams from the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba. Four years on, then called the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), Regina joined and expanded the league's footprint. The Conference did not hold a tournament until 1978. Prior to that, the league's automatic bid went to the regular season champion.
Unfortunately, the conference proved to rather unsuccessful. From its founding, the GPAC champion received a berth in the University Cup tournament, however, the league was by far the least successful of any in Canada. Over the course of 13 tournaments, all GPAC teams combined to go 3–27 in tournament play.
Though the lackluster play on the national state was an issue, a bigger problem for the conference was the poor play from two of its member teams. Winnipeg finished last in the standings seven times in twelve years and never one made a playoff appearance. By the mid-80s, the school was fed up by the Wesmen's ineptitude on the ice and they suspended their program in 1984. A year later, Lakehead cancelled its program after going winless in 24 games. With just three member teams left, the ice hockey division of the conference was in jeopardy of losing its automatic bid. That summer, Canada West, the other conference that had been spawned from the WCIAA, agreed to absorb all three programs. The GPAC continued on for another 16 years before dissolving in 2001.
Canada's Great Plains Athletic Conference is not be confused with the two American conferences of the same name. Neither of which have ever supported ice hockey.
Tournaments
1973 Seed School Standings 1 Lakehead 9–3–0 2 Winnipeg 8–4–0 3 Manitoba 4–8–0 4 Brandon 3–9–0 No playoff
1974 Seed School Standings 1 Brandon 11–7–0 2 Winnipeg 10–8–0 3 Manitoba 9–9–0 4 Lakehead 6–12–0 No playoff
1975 Seed School Standings 1 Brandon 17–5–0 2 Manitoba 13–8–1 3 Lakehead 7–9–1 4 Winnipeg 3–18–0 No playoff
1976 Seed School Standings 1 Manitoba 11–7–0 2 Brandon 10–8–0 3 Lakehead 8–10–0 4 Winnipeg 7–11–0 No playoff
1977 Seed School Standings 1 Manitoba 17–6–0 2 Regina 13–9–0 T–3 Lakehead 9–12–1 T–3 Winnipeg 9–12–1 5 Brandon 8–16–0 No playoff
1978 Seed School Standings 1 Regina 18–4–0 2 Lakehead 16–6–0 3 Manitoba 13–11–0 4 Winnipeg 8–15–1 5 Brandon 2–21–1
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
1979 Seed School Standings 1 Regina 18–4–0 2 Manitoba 18–5–1 3 Brandon 8–16–0 4 Lakehead 7–14–1 5 Winnipeg 6–18–0
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
1980 Seed School Standings 1 Brandon 13–6–1 2 Manitoba 12–7–1 3 Regina 12–8–0 4 Lakehead 5–15–0 5 Winnipeg 1–19–0 Note: The GPAC played an interlocking schedule with Canada West.
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
1981 Seed School Standings 1 Brandon 23–1–0 2 Manitoba 16–8–0 3 Regina 13–11–0 4 Winnipeg 6–18–0 5 Lakehead 2–22–0
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
1982 Seed School Standings 1 Regina 21–3–0 2 Brandon 18–5–1 3 Manitoba 8–13–3 4 Lakehead 7–15–2 5 Winnipeg 3–21–0
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
1983 Seed School Standings 1 Brandon 16–6–2 2 Manitoba 15–7–2 3 Regina 13–11–0 4 Lakehead 10–14–0 5 Winnipeg 3–19–2
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
1984 Seed School Standings 1 Manitoba 19–4–1 2 Brandon 18–6–0 3 Regina 10–14–0 4 Lakehead 9–14–1 5 Winnipeg 3–21–0
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
1985 Seed School Standings 1 Manitoba 17–3–4 2 Regina 15–8–1 3 Brandon 12–9–3 4 Lakehead 0–24–0 Note: Brandon was barred from the playoffs for making illegal payments to its athletes.
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Championships SchoolChampionships 4 4 4 1
See also WCIAU men's ice hockey tournament WCIAA men's ice hockey tournament Canada West men's ice hockey tournament
References Canada West Men's Hockey History