Great Lakes Invitational
.svg) |
|
| Sport | College ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1965 |
| Founder | John MacInnes, Jack Paterson, Jack Tompkins |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Venue(s) |
Little Caesars Arena (beginning in 2017) Joe Louis Arena (1979–2012, 2014–present) Comerica Park (2013) Olympia Stadium (1965–1978) |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Western Michigan |
| Most titles | Michigan (17) |
| TV partner(s) | Fox Sports Detroit |
The Great Lakes Invitational (GLI) is a four-team National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's ice hockey tournament held annually at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit between the Christmas and New Years holidays as part of College Hockey at The Joe. It is scheduled to move to Little Caesars Arena in 2017.
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 and moved into its present home, Joe Louis Arena, in 1979.
Michigan State University is traditionally selected as a third participant while the fourth is a different team each season. Bowling Green State University is scheduled to participate in the 2017 GLI.
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