With the fallout of the WCHA and the additions of the new Big Ten Conference and the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, an all-Minnesota college hockey tournament will debut in January.
It’s called the North Star College Cup.
“When we began discussing this tournament, one of the things we knew we needed was a tournament name that would instantly catch the attention of college hockey fans in the state,” Minnesota associate athletic director Tom McGinnis said in a statement released Thursday. “We feel that the North Star College Cup accomplishes that, and we are looking forward to a great event at Xcel Energy Center next January.”
The tournament will feature four of the five division one hockey programs in Minnesota — The Gophers, Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State, Minnesota State, and Bemidji State.
FOX Sports North reports that one team will sit out every year on a rotating basis. Bemidji State will sit out the innaugral tournament, which will be held January 24-25, 2014.
