54th Great Lakes Invitational Less Than A Month Away

DETROIT (December 7, 2018) – The ‘College Hockey in the D’ schedule is set to begin in less than a month, as the 54^th Great Lakes Invitational will take place on Sunday, Dec. 30 and Monday, Dec. 31 at the award-winning Little Caesars Arena. For only the 15^th time in the tournament’s history, the GLI is highlighted by four Michigan-based schools, as Michigan, Michigan State and host Michigan Tech welcome Lake Superior State to the two-day tournament that has become a holiday tradition for sports fans in Michigan for more than half a century.

The GLI starts with a doubleheader matchup on Sunday, Dec. 30 between Michigan Tech (WCHA) and Michigan (Big Ten) at 1 p.m., followed by Michigan State (Big Ten) versus Lake Superior State (WCHA) at 4 p.m. Little Caesars Arena will host a tripleheader of hockey action on Monday, Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve), as the third-place game of the GLI will take place at 11:30 a.m., and the winners of Sunday’s contests will meet in the GLI Championship Game at 2:30 p.m., which will be televised live on FOX Sports Detroit.

Following the GLI Championship Game, the Red Wings will square off against the Florida Panthers in the team’s annual New Year’s Eve game at 7:30 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.

Tickets for the Great Lakes Invitational start at $15 and can be purchased at 313Presents.com, Ticketmaster.com and the Little Caesars Arena XFINITY box office. Tickets can also be purchased through The District Detroit App or by calling the Red Wings Ticket Sales and Service office at 313-471-7575.

MICHIGAN TECH

The host school since the inaugural Great Lakes Invitational in 1965, Michigan Technological University has hoisted the MacInnes Cup 10 times in the tournament’s history. The Huskies have played in the championship game in five of the last six seasons but haven’t claimed the MacInnes Cup since 2012. Following the team’s second-straight WCHA Tournament Championship and bid to the 2018 NCAA Tournament, Michigan Tech currently sits atop the WCHA standings with an undefeated 7-0-1-1 conference record (8-5-1 overall). The Huskies are one of three teams across the country to remain unbeaten in conference play, joining Massachusetts and St. Cloud State. Senior forward Jake Lucchini paces Michigan Tech with 16 points (6-10-16), which ranks fifth in the conference in overall scoring. Junior goaltender Matt Jurusik has been strong between the pipes for Michigan Tech, currently ranking seventh in the nation with a 0.750 (6-2-0) winning percentage.

“We’re really looking forward to the GLI again this year. It’s always a highlight of our season, and it is always great competition,” said Michigan Tech head coach Joe Shawhan. “Our fans and alumni do a great job of supporting us wherever we go, but it's especially strong at the GLI. It always feels like home.”

MICHIGAN

The University of Michigan owns the most GLI Championships with 16, claiming its last MacInnes Cup in 2015. Following a trip to the Frozen Four last season, the Wolverines currently sit in a tie for third place in the Big Ten standings with a 2-3-3-1 record (6-6-3 overall) and own the conference’s second-highest scoring offense, averaging 3.20 goals through 15 games. Michigan’s roster boasts a tournament-high 10 players selected in the NHL Entry Draft, highlighted by defenseman Quinn Hughes, who was selected seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Hughes leads all conference defensemen and is ninth in the nation in overall scoring with 19 points (3-16-19) in 15 games. The blueliner is currently on a nine-game point streak, recording 13 points (1-12-13) in that span. Sophomore forward Josh Norris, selected in the first round (19^th overall) by the San Jose Sharks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, is also off to a hot start, recording 17 points (9-8-17) in 15 games.

"I have had the privilege to be associated with the Great Lakes Invitational for 41 years as a player, assistant coach and now a head coach," said Michigan head coach Mel Pearson. "I played at the Olympia and coached at Joe Louis Arena. Now to be able to come to Detroit and coach at a world-class facility like Little Caesars Arena is something special for us. The GLI is the premiere college hockey tournament in North America and we take great pride as a team to be involved in it on an annual basis." 

MICHIGAN STATE

This season’s GLI will mark Michigan State University’s 39^th consecutive appearance. The Spartans hold the second-most MacInnes Cup championships in tournament history (12) and will look for their first GLI title since 2009. Forward Taro Hirose leads the Michigan State offense after tallying a team-high 42 points (12-30-42) last season, the most points by a Spartan since the 2009-10 season. The junior currently sits fourth in the nation with 23 points (7-16-23) in 14 games and is on a five-game point streak with two goals and seven assists in that span. The Spartans took five of six points during a home-and-home series against Michigan last weekend (Nov. 30-Dec.1), winning 4-3 on Friday at Munn Ice Arena and claiming the extra point in the shootout following a 1-1 regulation tie on Saturday at Yost Ice Arena. Less than a week after recording his first collegiate win, freshman goaltender Drew DeRidder (Fenton, Mich.) made a combined 78 saves on 82 shots on the weekend to help Michigan State to the five-point weekend against its archrival. The Spartans currently own a 6-7-1-0 overall record and are 2-3-1-0 in the Big Ten.

“The GLI is one of the great traditions of college hockey,” said Michigan State head coach Danton Cole. “Last year’s event at Little Caesars Arena was outstanding and the crowds were terrific. We’re looking forward to another excellent tournament this season.”

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE

Lake Superior State University enters the GLI field for only the fourth time in the tournament’s history and its first appearance since 1999. The Lakers will look to become the third straight GLI special invitee to win the annual tournament, as Bowling Green (2018) and Western Michigan (2016) claimed the last two MacInnes Cups. Lake Superior State started the season hot, sweeping the month of October with a perfect 6-0-0 record. Senior forward Anthony Nellis leads the Lakers in scoring and is seventh in the conference with 15 points (8-7-15) through 14 games. Freshman defenseman Jacob Nordqvist is tied for second in the conference among blueliners with 11 points (3-8-11) in 14 games. The Lakers have also been strong on the road this season, owning a 5-1-0 record away from Taffy Abel Arena. Overall, Lake Superior State is 7-6-1 and currently sits in a tie for sixth place in the WCHA standings with a 4-5-1-0 conference record.

"We are extremely excited to bring Laker hockey to Detroit for the Great Lakes Invitational,” said Lake Superior State head coach Damon Whitten. “Some of my earliest and favorite memories as a young hockey player growing up in Michigan were attending the Great Lakes Invitational with teammates and family. It's a tremendous tournament filled with storied programs in a great hockey city and we are looking forward to a fantastic weekend of NCAA and NHL hockey."