The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference that will participate in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference beginning with the 2021–22 season. A previous incarnation of the conference existed from 1971 to 2013. The majority of its members will be located in the state of Michigan, with additional members in Minnesota and Ohio. It has also had teams located in Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Nebraska and over the course of its existence.
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern, Western, and Southeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference.
Michael Ilitch Sr. was an American entrepreneur, founder and owner of the international fast food franchise Little Caesars Pizza. He owned the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League and Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball.
The 1997 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1996–97 season, and the culmination of the 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the Philadelphia Flyers. Detroit was in the Final for the second time in three years while the Flyers were making their first appearance since losing in 1987 to the Edmonton Oilers. Detroit won the series in four games to win the Stanley Cup for the eighth time in franchise history and the first time since 1955; Philadelphia had not won since 1975. Detroit was the last team to win the Cup without having home ice advantage in the Finals and with fewer than 100 points earned during the regular season until 2009.
Little Caesar Enterprises Inc. is the third-largest pizza chain in the United States, behind Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza. It operates and franchises pizza restaurants in the United States and internationally in Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. The company was founded in 1959 and is based in Detroit, Michigan, headquartered in the Fox Theatre building in Downtown Detroit. Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Ilitch Holdings, Inc.
Shawn Paul Horcoff is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 99th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers, with whom he played 11 seasons and served as team captain during three seasons. He currently serves as Director of Player Development for the Detroit Red Wings.
Marian Bayoff Ilitch is an American billionaire businesswoman, and the co-founder of Little Caesars Pizza with her late husband, Mike Ilitch. As of March 2018, Ilitch was one of the world's seven richest women, according to Bloomberg.
Ilitch Holdings, Inc. is an American company established in 1999 to provide all companies owned by Marian Ilitch with professional and technical services. Her privately held businesses include Little Caesars Pizza, the National Hockey League (NHL) Detroit Red Wings, the Major League Baseball (MLB) Detroit Tigers, Olympia Entertainment, Olympia Development, Olympia Parking, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, Champion Foods, 313 Presents, the Little Caesars Pizza Kit Fundraising Program, Hockeytown Cafe, and a variety of venues within these entities. Ilitch Holdings subsidiaries manage Detroit's Fox Theatre, City Theatre, Comerica Park, DTE Energy Music Theatre, Michigan Lottery Amphitheater, Meadow Brook Amphitheater, and the Little Caesars Arena.
Christopher Paul Ilitch is president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc., a privately held entity with total revenues reported to be over $2 billion. Through Ilitch Holdings, he is the owner of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and MLB's Detroit Tigers, taking over ownership of both teams upon the death of his father Mike in 2017.
Olympia Entertainment is an American sports and entertainment company headquartered in the Fox Theatre in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. Olympia is a division of Ilitch Holdings, and owned by Marian Ilitch. It owns or manages the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers, the Fox Theatre, Joe Louis Arena (management), Comerica Park (management), Cobo Arena (management), City Theatre, Hockeytown Café, as well as the new Little Caesars Arena, home of the Red Wings and Detroit Pistons. Starting on December 1, 2007 Olympia began managing the entertainment venues at the Detroit Masonic Temple after the Detroit Masonic Association ousted the previous management company Halberd.
The 2008 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2007–08 season, and the culmination of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings and the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins. This was Detroit's 23rd appearance in the Final, and its first since winning the Cup in 2002. This was Pittsburgh's third appearance in the Final, and its first since winning consecutive Cup championships in 1991 and 1992. The Red Wings defeated the Penguins four games to two to earn the Stanley Cup, marking the most recent professional sports championship for the team and the city of Detroit. Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs.
The 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament was the culmination of the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, the 32nd such tournament in NCAA history. It was held between March 18 and 24, 1979, and concluded with Minnesota defeating North Dakota 4-3. The first round game was held at the home team venue while all succeeding games were played at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Michigan.
The Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Western Michigan University. The Broncos are a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). They play at Lawson Arena in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States.
Jordan Paul Pearce is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender.
The 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 8, 2009 and concluded with the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on April 10, 2010 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Denver and Miami entered the season as the nations' two top ranked teams. This was the 63rd season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 115th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team.
The 2002 CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 31st CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament in conference history. It was played between March 8 and March 17, 2002. First round games were played at campus sites, while all 'super six' games were played at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. By winning the tournament, Michigan won the Mason Cup and received the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 2002 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The Terry Flanagan Memorial Award was an annual award given out at the conclusion of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season to the player who best demonstrates perseverance, dedication and courage while overcoming severe adversity as voted by the coaches of each CCHA team.
William Thomas Beagan is a Canadian retired ice hockey administrator and ice hockey referee. He served in the Canadian Army for fourteen years, before refereeing in the National Hockey League (NHL) for two seasons. He was commissioner of the International Hockey League (IHL) from 1969 to 1978, the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) from 1978 to 1979, the Eastern Hockey League from 1979 to 1981, and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) from 1985 to 1998. He was a partial owner and the general manager of the Toledo Goaldiggers from 1981 to 1985, and led the team to two Turner Cup championships.
