# 1987 CCHA men's ice hockey tournament

The 1987 CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 16th CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. It was played between March 6 and March 14, 1987. First round games were played at campus sites, while 'final four' games were played at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. By winning the tournament, Michigan State received the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 1987 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

## Format

The tournament featured three rounds of play. The team that finished below eighth place in the standings was not eligible for postseason play. In the quarterfinals, the first and eighth seeds, the second and seventh seeds, the third seed and sixth seeds and the fourth seed and fifth seeds played a best-of-three series, with the winners advancing to the semifinals. In the semifinals, the remaining highest and lowest seeds and second highest and second lowest seeds play a single-game, with the winners advancing to the finals. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the 1987 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

## Conference standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against
1986–87 Central Collegiate Hockey Association standingsvte :
| | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall |
| | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| Bowling Green† | 32 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 50 | 181 | 121 | 45 | 33 | 10 | 2 | 238 | 160 |
| Michigan State* | 32 | 23 | 8 | 1 | 47 | 163 | 117 | 45 | 33 | 10 | 2 | 231 | 156 |
| Lake Superior State | 32 | 19 | 11 | 2 | 40 | 143 | 130 | 40 | 22 | 16 | 2 | 181 | 168 |
| Illinois-Chicago | 32 | 18 | 13 | 1 | 37 | 148 | 118 | 39 | 21 | 17 | 1 | 176 | 154 |
| Western Michigan | 32 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 32 | 155 | 144 | 43 | 23 | 20 | 0 | 219 | 187 |
| Ohio State | 32 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 25 | 132 | 168 | 43 | 19 | 23 | 1 | 188 | 211 |
| Michigan | 32 | 11 | 20 | 1 | 23 | 153 | 174 | 40 | 14 | 25 | 1 | 188 | 220 |
| Ferris State | 32 | 9 | 23 | 0 | 18 | 114 | 152 | 43 | 16 | 27 | 0 | 157 | 197 |
| Miami | 32 | 8 | 24 | 0 | 16 | 127 | 192 | 39 | 8 | 31 | 0 | 151 | 232 |
| Championship: Michigan State † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion |||||||||||||||

## Bracket

| Quarterfinals March 6–8 | Quarterfinals March 6–8 | Quarterfinals March 6–8 | Quarterfinals March 6–8 | Quarterfinals March 6–8 | | | Semifinals March 12 | Semifinals March 12 | Semifinals March 12 | Championship March 14 | Championship March 14 | Championship March 14 |
| 1 | Bowling Green | 4 | 5 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Ferris State | 6 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Ferris State | 6 | 0 | 1 | | | 1 | Bowling Green | 5 | | | |
| | | | | | | | 6 | Ohio State | 3 | | | |
| 2 | Michigan State | 8* | 6 | – | | | 6 | Ohio State | 3 | | | |
| 7 | Michigan | 7 | 3 | – | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Michigan | 7 | 3 | – | | | | | | 1 | Bowling Green | 3 |
| (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | 1 | Bowling Green | 3 |
| (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | 2 | Michigan State | 4* |
| 3 | Lake Superior State | 8 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Michigan State | 4* |
| 6 | Ohio State | 5 | 5 | 8 | | | | | |
| 6 | Ohio State | 5 | 5 | 8 | | | 2 | Michigan State | 6 | Consolation Game | Consolation Game | Consolation Game |
| | | | | | | | 5 | Western Michigan | 3 |
| 4 | Illinois–Chicago | 2 | 6 | 1 | | | 5 | Western Michigan | 3 | 5 | Western Michigan | 4 |
| 5 | Western Michigan | 3* | 4 | 5 | | | | | | 6 | Ohio State | 7 |
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

### First round
#### (1) Bowling Green vs. (8) Ferris State

* Bowling Green won series 2–1

#### (2) Michigan State vs. (7) Michigan

* Michigan State won series 2–0

#### (3) Lake Superior State vs. (6) Ohio State

* Ohio State won series 2–1

#### (4) Illinois–Chicago vs. (5) Western Michigan

* Western Michigan won series 2–1

### Championship
#### (1) Bowling Green vs. (2) Michigan State
## Tournament awards
### All-Tournament Team

* F Bobby Reynolds* (Michigan State)
* F Jeff Madill (Ohio State)
* F Paul Ysebaert (Bowling Green)
* D Donald McSween (Michigan State)
* D Scott Paluch (Bowling Green)
* G Gary Kruzich (Bowling Green)
* Most Valuable Player(s)