For the last time, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association has announced their upcoming schedule.
The league – playing their “Celebrate The Legacy” final season in 2012-13 – features six Michigan teams: Michigan, Michigan State, Ferris State, Western Michigan, Northern Michigan, and Lake Superior State.
From the league’s press release:
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. — The Central Collegiate Hockey Association today announced the schedule for its 42nd and final season of play which includes 154 conference games.
For the league’s 2012-13 “Celebrate the Legacy” season, Alaska and Lake Superior join Miami, Northern Michigan and Ohio State to form a five-team group. These schools each play two games against the other 10 CCHA schools (20 games) and two additional games against the teams in their own group (eight games). Bowling Green/Michigan, Ferris State/Notre Dame and Michigan State/Western Michigan comprise a six-team group of “partners.” These teams will play two games against the other 10 CCHA schools (20 games) and two additional games against the remaining teams in their own group (8 games) except the team that they are partnered with.
Bowling Green is the first team to start regular-season play, as they travel to Niagara on Oct. 6. Lake Superior and Michigan are the next two CCHA teams to face non-conference opponents, with the Lakers hosting Michigan Tech and Michigan taking on RIT in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Oct. 11.
The other eight CCHA schools begin their regular season on Oct. 12 with non-conference contests: Alaska will face Air Force in the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage, Alaska while Notre Dame heads to the Ice Breaker Tournament in Kansas City to take on Maine. The Spartans travel to Minnesota, who fell in the Frozen Four a season ago, on Oct. 12-13, while Northern Michigan heads to Green Bay to battle Wisconsin at the Resch Center. RPI hosts reigning regular-season champion Ferris State and Ohio State heads to Minnesota-Duluth. Finally, Miami is set to take on Colgate at Steve Cady Arena while 2012 CCHA champion Western Michigan opens up their season at home against St. Lawrence.
Conference play begins on Oct. 26, with the Bulldogs playing host to Alaska. Meanwhile, Ohio State will travel to Bowing Green, Michigan State and Notre Dame will journey to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, as the Spartans battle Lake Superior and the Irish take on Northern Michigan. Also, Miami and Michigan will kick off CCHA play at Yost Ice Arena. Western Michigan will take part in their first conference series on Nov. 2 -4, travelling to South Bend, Ind. to compete against Notre Dame.
Six of the league’s 11 teams will be involved in tournaments over the holidays. Michigan, Michigan State and Western Michigan will participate in the 48th Great Lakes Invitational Dec. 27-28 along with Michigan Tech. This year’s tournament will be played outdoors at Comerica Park in Detroit, as a part of the 2012 Hockeytown Winter Festival. Miami and Ohio State head to Pittsburgh to compete at the Consol Energy Center, the site of the 2013 Frozen Four, along with Robert Morris and Penn State in the Pittsburgh Hockey Classic on Dec. 28-29. Also on Dec. 28-29, Ferris State, the 2012 national runner-up at the Frozen Four in Tampa, returns to Sunshine State to take part in the Florida College Classic, facing off against Cornell the first night and playing either Maine or Minnesota-Duluth the following evening. All four teams in the Florida College Classic earned bids to last season’s NCAA tournament.
The CCHA playoff format features two rounds of action at campus sites. The 2013 CCHA Tournament will commence with the first round during the weekend of March 8-10 when the teams placing 6-7-8 during the regular season play host to the squads finishing 11-10-9, respectively. The second round of the postseason, or quarterfinals, takes place March 15-17, with the top three regular-season finishers hosting the first-round winners and the fourth seed hosting the fifth seed. Four teams will then converge on Joe Louis Arena for the 32nd annual CCHA Championship.
The NCAA Regionals are scheduled for March 29-31 in Grand Rapids, Mich. (West), Manchester, N.H. (Northeast), Providence, R.I. (East) and Toledo, Ohio (Midwest). The season will come to an end with the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four April 11-13 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, home of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
Other schedule highlights include:
Notre Dame travels to defending national champions Boston College on Nov. 9. Michigan will look for some revenge on Nov. 24, as they travel to New York City to take on Cornell at Madison Square Garden, after losing to the Big Red in last season’s NCAA Tournament.
Miami and Notre Dame will take part in the Hockey City Classic on Feb. 17, featuring an outdoor doubleheader at Soldier Field in Chicago. The home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears will host hockey for the first time, as the CCHA’s RedHawks take on the Fighting Irish while Wisconsin and Minnesota of the WCHA will also take the ice.
The 2012 CCHA championship game last season featured Michigan and Western Michigan. This season, the Broncos and Wolverines will play a series at Yost Ice Arena on Dec. 14-15 and meet again on Jan. 25-26 at Lawson Ice Arena.
A full composite schedule accompanies this release. All dates and times are subject to change.
2012-13 CCHA Composite Schedule (as of 8/1/2012)
All times are local (Fairbanks is on Alaska Time)
All games are at 7:05 p.m. unless noted. All dates and times are subject to change.
* – Non-conference game. # – Exhibition.
Friday, October 5
Regina at Alaska #
Saturday, October 6
Bowling Green at Niagara, 4:05 p.m. *
Western Ontario at Western Michigan, TBD #
Ryerson University at Lake Superior, TBD #
Sunday, October 7
Brock University at Northern Michigan, 2:05 p.m. #
Ryerson University at Ferris State, 3:05 p.m. #
Ontario IT at Bowling Green, 5:05 p.m. #
U.S. NTDP at Notre Dame, 5:05 p.m. #
Western Ontario at Miami, TBD #
Waterloo at Ohio State, TBD #
Monday, October 8
Windsor at Michigan State, TBD #
Tuesday, October 9
Windsor at Michigan, 7:35 p.m. #
Thursday, October 11
Michigan Tech at Lake Superior, 7:35 p.m. *
RIT at Michigan, 7:35 p.m. *
Friday, October 12
Alaska vs. Air Force (Kendall Hockey Classic at Anchorage), 5:07 p.m. *
Notre Dame vs. Maine (Ice Breaker at Kansas City), 6:00 p.m. *
Michigan State at Minnesota, 6:07 p.m. *
Ferris State at RPI, 7:00 p.m. *
Union at Bowling Green *
Colgate at Miami, TBD *
St. Lawrence at Western Michigan *
Northern Michigan vs. Wisconsin (Resch Center at Green Bay) *
Ohio State at Minnesota-Duluth, 7:07 p.m. *
RIT at Michigan, 7:35 p.m. *
Saturday, October 13
Notre Dame vs. Army/Nebraska-Omaha (Ice Breaker at Kansas City), 3:30/6:30 p.m. *
Alaska vs. Canisius (Kendall Hockey Classic at Anchorage), 4:07 p.m. *
Ferris State at RPI, 7:00 p.m. *
Union at Bowling Green *
St. Lawrence at Western Michigan *
Colgate at Miami, TBD *
Northern Michigan vs. Wisconsin (Resch Center at Green Bay) *
Lake Superior at Michigan Tech, 7:07 p.m. *
Ohio State at Minnesota-Duluth, 7:07 p.m. *
Michigan State at Minnesota, 8:07 p.m. *
Thursday, October 18
Minnesota-Duluth at Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m. *
Friday, October 19
Bowling Green at Colgate, 7:00 p.m. *
Ohio State at Quinnipiac, 7:00 p.m. *
Mercyhurst at Ferris State *
Providence at Miami, TBD *
Niagara at Michigan State, TBD *
Canisius at Western Michigan *
Minnesota-Duluth at Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m. *
Bentley at Michigan, 7:35 p.m. *
Northern Michigan at Nebraska-Omaha, 7:37 p.m. *
Lake Superior at Bemidji State, 7:37 p.m. *
Merrimack at Alaska (Brice Alaska Goal Rush at Fairbanks), 8:05 p.m. *
Saturday, October 20
Ohio State at Quinnipiac, 4:00 p.m. *
Bowling Green at Colgate, 7:00 p.m. *
Mercyhurst at Ferris State *
Providence at Miami, TBD *
Niagara at Michigan State, TBD *
Canisius at Western Michigan *
North Dakota at Alaska (Brice Alaska Goal Rush) *
Lake Superior at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m. *
Northern Michigan at Nebraska-Omaha, 7:07 p.m. *
Friday, October 26
Alaska at Ferris State
Ohio State at Bowling Green
Michigan State at Lake Superior, 7:35 p.m.
Miami at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Notre Dame at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, October 27
Alaska at Ferris State
Ohio State at Bowling Green
Michigan State at Lake Superior
Miami at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Notre Dame at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Friday, November 2
Lake Superior at Alaska
Bowling Green at Michigan State, TBD
Miami at Ferris State
Western Michigan at Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m.
Michigan at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, November 3
Lake Superior at Alaska
Michigan State at Bowling Green
Miami at Ferris State
Michigan at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Sunday, November 4
Western Michigan at Notre Dame, 5:05 p.m.
Friday, November 9
Alaska at Ohio State, TBD
Bowling Green at Western Michigan
Northern Michigan at Miami, TBD
Ferris State at Lake Superior, 7:35 p.m.
Michigan State at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Notre Dame at Boston College, 7:00 p.m. *
Saturday, November 10
Alaska at Ohio State, TBA
Western Michigan at Bowling Green
Ferris State at Lake Superior
Northern Michigan at Miami, TBD
Michigan at Michigan State, TBD
Thursday, November 15
Notre Dame at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Friday, November 16
Ferris State at Bowling Green
Michigan State at Miami, TBD
Northern Michigan at Ohio State, TBD
Notre Dame at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Western Michigan at Alaska, 7:35 p.m.
Alabama-Huntsville at Lake Superior, 7:35 p.m. *
Saturday, November 17
Ferris State at Bowling Green
Michigan State at Miami, TBD
Northern Michigan at Ohio State, TBD
Western Michigan at Alaska, 7:35 p.m.
Alabama-Huntsville at Lake Superior *
Wednesday, November 21
Bowling Green at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Friday, November 23
Ohio State at Lake Superior, 7:35 p.m.
Alaska at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
North Dakota at Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m. *
Saturday, November 24
Ohio State at Lake Superior
Alaska at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
North Dakota at Notre Dame, 5:05 p.m. *
Michigan vs. Cornell (Madison Square Garden at New York City), 8:00 p.m. *
Friday, November 30
Miami at Alaska
Michigan at Ferris State
Ohio State at Michigan State, TBD
Northern Michigan at Western Michigan
Lake Superior at Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, December 1
Miami at Alaska
Michigan at Ferris State
Lake Superior at Notre Dame
Ohio State at Michigan State, TBD
Northern Michigan at Western Michigan
Tuesday, December 4
Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m. *
Friday, December 7
Bowing Green at Alaska
Ferris State at Western Michigan
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Lake Superior at Miami, TBD
Ohio State at Robert Morris *
Saturday, December 8
Bowing Green at Alaska
Ferris State at Western Michigan
Lake Superior at Miami, TBD
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Robert Morris at Ohio State *
Friday, December 14
Miami at Ohio State, TBD
Western Michigan at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Lake Superior, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, December 15
Notre Dame at Bowling Green
Ferris State at Michigan State, TBD
Northern Michigan at Lake Superior
Miami at Ohio State, TBD
Western Michigan at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Thursday, December 27
Michigan vs. Michigan Tech (GLI at Comerica Park, Detroit) TBD *
Michigan State vs. Western Michigan (GLI at Comerica Park, Detroit) TBD *
Friday, December 28
Ferris State vs. Cornell (Florida College Classic at Estero), 4:05 p.m. *
Miami vs. OSU/RMU/PSU (Pittsburgh Hockey Classic at Consol Energy Center) TBD *
Ohio State vs. MIA/RMU/PSU (Pittsburgh Hockey Classic at Consol Energy Center) TBD *
Michigan vs. Western Michigan/Michigan State (GLI at Comerica Park, Detroit) TBD *
Michigan State vs. Michigan/Michigan Tech (GLI at Comerica Park, Detroit) TBD *
Western Michigan vs. Michigan/Michigan Tech (GLI at Comerica Park, Detroit) TBD *
Saturday, December 29
Ferris State vs. Maine/Minnesota-Duluth (Florida College Classic at Estero) TBD*
Miami vs. TBD (Pittsburgh College Classic at Consol Energy Center) TBD *
Ohio State vs. TBD (Pittsburgh Hockey Classic at Consol Energy Center) TBD *
Niagara at Bowling Green *
Friday, January 4
Union at Lake Superior, 7:35 p.m. *
Northern Michigan at St. Cloud, 7:37 p.m. *
Western Michigan at Bemidji State, 7:37 p.m. *
U.S. NTDP at Michigan, 7:35 p.m. #
Saturday, January 5
Bowling Green at Canisius, 12:05 p.m. *
Michigan State at Ferris State, 5:05 p.m.
Union at Lake Superior *
Northern Michigan at St. Cloud, 7:07 p.m. *
Western Michigan at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m. *
Notre Dame at Minnesota, 7:07 p.m. *
Sunday, January 6
Bowling Green at Canisius, 12:05 p.m. *
Tuesday, January 8
Bowling Green at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Friday, January 11
Ohio State at Ferris State
Notre Dame at Michigan State, TBD
Lake Superior at Western Michigan
Alaska at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Miami at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, January 12
Ohio State at Ferris State
Notre Dame at Michigan State, TBD
Lake Superior at Western Michigan
Alaska at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Miami at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Tuesday, January 15
Notre Dame at Bowling Green
Friday, January 18
Western Michigan at Bowling Green
Ferris State at Michigan State, TBD
Michigan at Lake Superior, 7:35 p.m.Ohio State at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Alaska at Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m.
Miami at Wisconsin, 7:07 p.m. *
Saturday, January 19
Alaska at Notre Dame
Bowling Green at Western Michigan
Michigan State at Ferris State
Michigan at Lake SuperiorOhio State at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Miami at Wisconsin, 7:07 p.m. *
Tuesday, January 22
U.S. NTDP at Michigan State, TBD #
Friday, January 25
Northern Michigan at Alaska
Bowling Green at Miami, TBD
Lake Superior at Ohio State, TBD
Michigan at Western Michigan
Ferris State at Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m.
Penn State at Michigan State *
Saturday, January 26
Northern Michigan at Alaska
Bowling Green at Miami, TBD
Ferris State at Notre Dame
Lake Superior at Ohio State, TBD
Michigan at Western Michigan
Penn State at Michigan State *
Friday, February 1
Alaska at Miami, TBD
Lake Superior at Bowling Green
Western Michigan at Ferris State
Notre Dame at Ohio State, TBD
Michigan State at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, February 2
Alaska at Miami, TBD
Lake Superior at Bowling Green
Western Michigan at Ferris State
Notre Dame at Ohio State, TBD
Michigan vs. Michigan State (Joe Louis Arena at Detroit), 7:35 p.m.
Friday, February 8
Ohio State at Alaska
Michigan State at Bowling Green
Miami at Western Michigan
Michigan at Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m.
Ferris State at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, February 9
Ohio State at Alaska
Bowling Green at Michigan State, TBD
Miami at Western Michigan
Michigan at Notre Dame
Ferris State at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Tuesday, February 12
Northern Michigan at Michigan Tech, 7:07 p.m. *
Friday, February 15
Bowling Green at Ferris State
Notre Dame at Miami, TBD
Northern Michigan at Michigan State, TBD
Western Michigan at Ohio State, TBD
Alaska at Lake Superior, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, February 16
Alaska at Lake Superior
Bowling Green at Ferris State
Northern Michigan at Michigan State, TBD
Western Michigan at Ohio State, TBD
Sunday, February 17
Notre Dame vs. Miami (Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field, Chicago), 1:00 p.m.
Friday, February 22
Michigan State at Alaska
Northern Michigan at Bowling Green
Michigan at Ohio State, TBD
Notre Dame at Western Michigan
Miami at Lake Superior, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday, February 23
Michigan State at Alaska
Northern Michigan at Bowling Green
Miami at Lake Superior
Michigan at Ohio State, TBD
Notre Dame at Western Michigan
Friday, March 1
Ohio State at Miami, TBD
Western Michigan at Michigan State, TBD
Bowling Green at Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m.
Ferris State at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Lake Superior at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Alaska Anchorage at Alaska (Governor’s Cup) *
Saturday, March 2
Bowling Green at Notre Dame
Ohio State at Miami, TBD
Western Michigan at Michigan State, TBD
Ferris State at Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Lake Superior at Northern Michigan, 7:35 p.m.
Alaska at Alaska Anchorage (Governors Cup), 7:07 p.m. *
END OF REGULAR SEASON
Friday, March 8
CCHA Playoffs – First Round at Campus Sites
Saturday, March 9
CCHA Playoffs – First Round at Campus Sites
Sunday, March 10
CCHA Playoffs – First Round at Campus Sites
Friday, March 15
CCHA Playoffs – Quarterfinals at Campus Sites
Saturday, March 16
CCHA Playoffs – Quarterfinals at Campus Sites
Sunday, March 17
CCHA Playoffs – Quarterfinals at Campus Sites
CCHA Championship at Joe Louis Arena