Xcel Energy Center is a multipurpose arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Completed in 2000, it is named for its locally based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 17,954, the arena has four spectator levels: one suite level and three for general seating. The building is home to the NHL's Minnesota Wild and Minnesota of the PWHL.
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Grand Forks campus of the University of North Dakota. They are members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I ice hockey. North Dakota is widely regarded as a premier college hockey school and has one of the most storied programs in NCAA history. UND has made over 30 appearances in the NCAA tournament, appeared in the Frozen Four 22 times, and has won 8 NCAA Division I Championships. The program has also achieved 15 WCHA Regular season Championships, 5 NCHC Regular season Championships, and 12 Conference Tournament championships. The school's former nickname was the Fighting Sioux, which had a lengthy and controversial tenure before ultimately being retired by the university in 2012 due to pressure from the NCAA. The official school nickname is now the Fighting Hawks, a name that was chosen by the university on November 18, 2015.
Robert Giles Motzko is the head coach of the University of Minnesota men's hockey team in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he had previously served as Assistant Coach in 2001–05. He was previously the head coach of the St. Cloud State Huskies from 2005 to 2018. During his time at SCSU, he was named the WCHA Coach of the Year in 2006 and again in 2007.
The 2008 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was played between March 14 and March 22, 2008 at five conference arenas and the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. By winning the tournament, Denver was awarded the Broadmoor Trophy and received the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2009 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was an American college ice hockey tournament in 2009 played between March 13 and March 21, at five conference arenas and the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Minnesota-Duluth won their third WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament and the Broadmoor Trophy and received the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2010 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was played between March 12 and March 20, 2010 at five conference arenas and the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. North Dakota received the Broadmoor Trophy as the tournament's champions, and was awarded the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2011 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was played between March 11 and March 19, 2011 at six conference arenas and the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. North Dakota received the Broadmoor Trophy as the tournament's champions, and was awarded the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2012 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was played between March 9 and March 17, 2012 at six conference arenas and the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. North Dakota received the Broadmoor Trophy as the tournament's champions and was awarded the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2013 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was played between March 15 and March 23, 2013, at six conference arenas and the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Colorado College Tigers to win their 12th Broadmoor Trophy as the tournament's champions, and was awarded the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2015 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was played between March 13 and March 21, 2015, at four conference arenas and the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. By winning the tournament, Minnesota State was awarded the Broadmoor Trophy and received the WCHA's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2015 NCHC Tournament was the second tournament in league history. It was played between March 13 and March 21, 2015. Quarterfinal games were played at home team campus sites, while the final four games were played at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. By winning the tournament, Miami received the NCHC's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2016 NCHC Tournament was the third tournament in league history. It was played between March 11 and March 19, 2016. Quarterfinal games were played at home team campus sites, while the final four games were played at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. By winning the tournament, St. Cloud State received the NCHC's automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2017 NCHC Tournament was the fourth tournament in league history. It was played between March 10 and March 18, 2017. Quarterfinal games were played at home team campus sites, while the final four games were played at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. By winning the tournament, Minnesota-Duluth received the NCHC's automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2018 NCHC Tournament was the fifth tournament in league history. It was played between March 9 and March 17, 2018. Quarterfinal games were played at home team campus sites, while the final four games were played at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. By winning the tournament, Denver received the NCHC's automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2019 NCHC Tournament is the sixth tournament in league history. It was played between March 15 and 23, 2019. Quarterfinal were played at home team campus sites, while the final four games were played at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. By winning the tournament, Minnesota-Duluth received the NCHC's automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2021 NCHC Tournament was the eighth tournament in league history. Typically the tournament is scheduled across two separate weekends in mid-march with quarterfinal games hosted on campus locations, while the final four games are played at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. However, on February 8, 2021, NCHC announced that the tournament would be played entirely in Grand Forks. By winning the tournament, North Dakota earned NCHC's automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2022 NCHC Tournament was the ninth tournament in league history. It was played between March 11 and 19, 2022. Quarterfinal games were played at home team campus sites, while the final four matches were held at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. As the tournament winner, Minnesota Duluth earned the NCHC's automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2023 NCHC Tournament was the tenth tournament in league history. It was played between March 10 and 18, 2023. Quarterfinal games were played at home team campus sites, while the final four matches were held at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. As the tournament winner, St. Cloud State earned the NCHC's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament.
The 2024 NCHC Tournament is the 11th tournament in league history. It was played between March 15 and 23, 2024. Quarterfinal games were played at home team campus sites, while the final four matches were held at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
