Great Lakes Invitational
| 175px | |
| Sport | college ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1965 |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Venue(s) | Joe Louis Arena (1979–2012, 2014–present) Comerica Park (2013) Olympia Stadium (1965–1978) |
| Most recent champion(s) | Michigan |
| Most titles | Michigan (17) |
| TV partner(s) | Fox Sports Detroit |
| Founder | John MacInnes, Jack Paterson, Jack Tompkins |
The Great Lakes Invitational (GLI) is a four-team NCAA men's ice hockey tournament held annually at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit between Christmas and New Year as part of College Hockey at The Joe.
The tournament was born out of a conversation between the general manager of Olympia Stadium, Lincoln Cavalieri, Michigan Tech's legendary coach, John MacInnes, and Detroit Red Wings scout Jack Paterson. The three men were discussing the lack of American-born players in the National Hockey League and concluded that a prestigious collegiate tournament could make a difference by promoting interest in hockey among young athletes, as well as the general public. Jack Tompkins, American Airlines vice president, former University of Michigan goalie, and a member of the Detroit Red Wings organization, championed their vision as well, and together in 1965, they founded the Great Lakes Invitational hockey tournament.
The GLI has grown into one of the premier college and holiday sporting events in the country, originating at Detroit's Olympia Stadium. Michigan Tech, the host for the tournament since its inception, added Michigan as a co-host in 1976[citation needed] and moved into its present home, Joe Louis Arena, in 1979.
Michigan State University is traditionally selected as a third participant while the fourth is a different team each season. Western Michigan University will participate in 2016, with Bowling Green State University participating in 2017 in the first GLI at the new Detroit arena.
The 2012 edition of the invitational was originally scheduled to take place at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI on December 27–28. The cancellation of the 2013 NHL Winter Classic meant the NHL would not build the additional rink at Comerica Park, therefore the GLI was moved into Joe Louis Arena where it is traditionally played.[1] Because the lockout prevented 2012's guest, Western Michigan, from playing outdoors at Comerica Park as originally promised, they were invited again in 2013, when the GLI was finally held at Comerica. In a rematch from 2012's Championship game, Western defeated Michigan Tech 1–0 in overtime.
The GLI will move to the new unnamed Detroit Events Center in 2017, as Joe Louis Arena will be demolished following the 2016-17 hockey season.
Yearly results
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Third place | Fourth place | Jack Tompkins Trophy (MVP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Michigan | Michigan Tech | Northern Michigan | Michigan State | Kyle Connor, UM |
| 2014 | Michigan | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Ferris State | Steve Racine, UM |
| 2013 | Western Michigan | Michigan Tech | Michigan State | Michigan | Lukas Hafner, WMU |
| 2012 | Michigan Tech | Western Michigan | Michigan | Michigan State | Pheonix Copley, MTU |
| 2011 | Michigan | Michigan State | Boston College | Michigan Tech | Kevin Clare, UM |
| 2010 | Michigan | Colorado College | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Luke Glendening, UM |
| 2009 | Michigan State | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Michigan | Michigan Tech | Brett Perlini, MSU |
| 2008 | Michigan | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | North Dakota | Louie Caporusso, UM |
| 2007 | Michigan | Michigan Tech | Providence | Michigan State | Billy Sauer, UM |
| 2006 | Michigan State | Michigan | Harvard | Michigan Tech | Bryan Lerg, MSU |
| 2005 | Colorado College | Michigan State | Michigan | Michigan Tech | Joey Crabb, CC |
| 2004 | Michigan State | Michigan | New Hampshire | Michigan Tech | Jim Slater, MSU |
| 2003 | Boston College | Michigan State | Michigan | Michigan Tech | Joe Pearce, BC |
| 2002 | Boston University | Michigan | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Sean Fields, BU |
| 2001 | North Dakota | Michigan State | Michigan | Michigan Tech | Tim Skarperud, UND |
| 2000 | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Boston College | Michigan | Ryan Miller, MSU |
| 1999 | Michigan State | Michigan | Michigan Tech | Lake Superior State | Shawn Horcoff, MSU |
| 1998 | Michigan State | Michigan | Northern Michigan | Michigan Tech | Mike Gresl, MSU |
| 1997 | Michigan State | Michigan | Michigan Tech | St. Lawrence | Mike Weaver, MSU |
| 1996 | Michigan | Lake Superior State | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Brendan Morrison, UM |
| 1995 | Michigan | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Northern Michigan | Brendan Morrison, UM |
| 1994 | Michigan | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Cornell | Brendan Morrison, UM |
| 1993 | Michigan | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Notre Dame | David Oliver, UM |
| 1992 | Michigan | Northern Michigan | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Cam Stewart, UM |
| 1991 | Michigan | Michigan Tech | Michigan State | Harvard | Steve Shields, UM |
| 1990 | Michigan | Maine | Michigan Tech | Michigan State | Steve Shields, UM |
| 1989 | Michigan | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Northern Michigan | Warren Sharples, UM |
| 1988 | Michigan | North Dakota | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Todd Brost, UM |
| 1987 | Wisconsin | Michigan State | Michigan | Michigan Tech | Dean Anderson, UW |
| 1986 | Western Michigan | Michigan | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Bill Horn, WMU |
| 1985 | Michigan State | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Michigan | Michigan Tech | Don McSween, MSU |
| 1984 | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Michigan | Bowling Green | Bob Essensa, MSU |
| 1983 | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Northern Michigan | Michigan | Dan McFall, MSU |
| 1982 | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Michigan | Notre Dame | Dale Krentz, MSU |
| 1981 | Notre Dame | Michigan Tech | Michigan, Michigan State | Dave Laurion, ND | |
| 1980 | Michigan Tech | Michigan | Michigan State | Harvard | Paul Fricker, UM |
| 1979 | Michigan Tech | Michigan | Wisconsin | Michigan State | Murray Eaves, UM |
| 1978 | Michigan Tech | Ohio State | Boston University | Michigan | John Rockwell, MTU |
| 1977 | Michigan Tech | Michigan | Lake Superior State | Western Michigan | Dave Joelson, MTU |
| 1976 | Michigan Tech | Michigan | Brown | Bowling Green | Greg Hay, MTU |
| 1975 | Michigan | Michigan Tech | Boston University | Pennsylvania | Stu Ostlund, MTU |
| 1974 | Michigan Tech | Michigan | Harvard | Yale | Robbie Moore, UM |
| 1973 | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Boston College | Pennsylvania | Tom Ross, MSU |
| 1972 | Harvard | Michigan Tech | Boston University | Michigan | Dave Hynes, Har |
| 1971 | Michigan Tech | Michigan State | Dartmouth | Notre Dame | Ian Williams, ND |
| 1970 | Michigan Tech | Michigan | Colgate | Brown | Mike Usitalo, MTU |
| 1969 | New Hampshire | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Princeton | Larry Smith, UNH |
| 1968 | Michigan Tech | Wisconsin | Michigan State | Michigan | Bill Watt, MSU |
| 1967 | North Dakota | Michigan Tech | Michigan State | Western Ontario | Roger Bamburak, UND |
| 1966 | Michigan | Michigan State | Michigan Tech | Western Ontario | Mel Wakabayashi, UM |
| 1965 | Toronto | Michigan Tech | Boston University | Colorado College | Henry Monteith, UT |
Team records
| Team | Titles | Runner-up | Third place | Fourth place | Years participated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 17 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 46 |
| Michigan State | 12 | 14 | 11 | 5 | 42 |
| Michigan Tech | 10 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 51 |
| Western Michigan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| North Dakota | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Toronto | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Colorado College | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Boston College | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Boston University | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Harvard | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Maine | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Lake Superior State | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Northern Michigan | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Colgate | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Dartmouth | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Providence | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Brown | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Cornell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ferris State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Princeton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| St Lawrence | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Yale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Bowling Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Western Ontario | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Gallery
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Michigan State and Northern Michigan before the 2015 consolation game
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Michigan Tech and Michigan before the 2015 championship game
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A face-off during the 2015 championship game
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Michigan with the MacInnes Cup after winning the 2015 GLI
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Michigan posing with the GLI banner after winning the 2015 tournament
