Great Lakes Invitational
The Great Lakes Invitational (GLI) is a four-team National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's ice hockey tournament held annually at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit around the New Year's holiday as part of College Hockey in the D.
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| Sport | College ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1965 |
| Founder | John MacInnes, Jack Paterson, Jack Tompkins |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Venue(s) | Van Andel Arena (2022-2023) Yost Ice Arena/Munn Ice Arena (2021) Little Caesars Arena (2018–2019) Joe Louis Arena (1979–2012, 2014–2016) Comerica Park (2013) Olympia Stadium (1965–1978) |
| Most recent champion(s) | Western Michigan |
| Most titles | Michigan (17) |
| TV partner(s) | Fox Sports Detroit |
The tournament was born out of a conversation between the general manager of Olympia Stadium, Lincoln Cavalieri, Michigan Tech's long-time 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 (NHL) 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. The tournament moved into Joe Louis Arena when the Red Wings' new home arena opened in December 1979. In 2017, with the closure of the Joe, the GLI relocated to the new Little Caesars Arena until at least the 2020–21 season.[1]
Michigan State University is traditionally selected as a third participant while the fourth is a different team each season. Northern Michigan University was scheduled to be the 2020-21 invitee, but the tournament was cancelled.
The 2013 edition of the Invitational was held outdoors at Comerica Park, as part of festivities for the 2014 NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium. Western Michigan defeated Michigan Tech 1–0 in overtime.[2] The outdoor games were originally scheduled for 2012. However, due to the NHL lockout, the Winter Classic and all associated festivities were postponed to 2013–14.[3][4]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Great Lakes Invitational was not held in 2020, marking the first year the tournament has not been played since its inception. On December 27, 2021, Michigan cited player health concerns and backed out of the December 30 game against Western Michigan, COVID-19 was not cited as a reason. However, Michigan played their first scheduled game of the tournament vs. Michigan Tech on December 29. The result of the Western Michigan vs. Michigan game not being played was that no tournament winner was announced.[5]
On June 8, 2022, the tournament field for the 2022 tournament was announced. Ferris State, Michigan State, Michigan Tech, and Western Michigan will be competing at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This marks the first year the University of Michigan has not played since 1973.[6][7]
Future GLI's to be held in Grand Rapids include Michigan Tech and Michigan State each year as host schools. 2023 features Ferris State and Alaska. 2024 Western Michigan and Northern Michigan. 2025 Ferris State and Miami of Ohio. 2026 Western Michigan and Notre Dame.
Yearly results
Team records
| Team | Titles | Runner-up | Third place | Fourth place | Years participated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 17 | 14 | 13 | 6 | 50 |
| Michigan State | 12 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 48 |
| Michigan Tech | 11 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 56 |
| Western Michigan | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| North Dakota | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Lake Superior State | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Colorado College | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Boston University | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Boston College | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Harvard | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Bowling Green | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Toronto | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rensselaer | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Northern Michigan | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Ferris State | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Maine | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Brown | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Colgate | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Dartmouth | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Providence | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Penn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Western Ontario | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Cornell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Princeton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| St. Lawrence | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Yale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Gallery
Michigan State and Northern Michigan before the 2015 consolation game
Michigan Tech and Michigan before the 2015 championship game
A face-off during the 2015 championship game
Michigan with the MacInnes Cup after winning the 2015 GLI
Michigan posing with the GLI banner after winning the 2015 tournament
References
- "GLI gets extension; UM-MSU at LCA on Feb. 10". www.detroitnews.com. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
- "WMU hockey wins Great Lakes Invitational with gritty 1-0 win over Michigan Tech at Comerica Park". mlive. 2013-12-29. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
- "College hockey's Great Lakes Invitational moved from Comerica Park to Joe Louis Arena". mlive. 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
- Doyle, T. J. (2012-10-04). "NHL Lockout could alter plans for 2012 GLI". SB Nation Detroit. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
- "Michigan cancels GLI game with Western Michigan due to 'health and welfare protocols within the Wolverines' program'". USCHO.com. December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- "Michigan Tech hosting 56th GLI in Grand Rapids". michigantechhuskies.com. June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- Silva, Richard (June 8, 2022). "Great Lakes Invitational moves to Grand Rapids; Michigan hockey not in field". The Detroit News. Retrieved June 8, 2022.