Badger Hockey Showdown The Badger Hockey Showdown is the annual holiday tournament hosted by the University of Wisconsin , usually taking place on the weekend between Christmas and New Years . While the Showdown lacks the history of the Great Lakes Invitational and the RPI Invitational , it still began with some prestige . When it began in 1989 , it was one of the few holiday tournaments around . Since that time , the number of tournaments has exploded , and as a corollary , the quality of the teams participating has dropped . Still , the Showdown offers a great chance to see great non - conference action . The Bradley Center in Milwaukee , WI hosted the first 14 Showdowns , offering hockey fans a chance to see a few games in a bigger arena , as well as opening Badger hockey up to fans and the large alumni base in the Milwaukee area . The first years were very popular , featuring strong fields of national powers and a very strong Badger hockey program . Unfortunately , with the slow decline of UW hockey in the middle and late 1990s , the concurrent expansion of other holiday tournaments resulted in smaller crowds . Perhaps as yet another indicator of UW hockey ' s low spot came in 2003 , as Bank One announced that it was not renewing its contract as the lead sponsor of the event . The UW Athletic Department decided to save the tournament and make up for the loss of sponsor revenue by hosting the tournament in Madison , WI at the Kohl Center , UW ' s home rink . The move saved UW a great deal of money since the University owns and controls the arena , yet a certain degree of mystique from a neutral site and a new city was lost . The winner of the tournament has traditionally been awarded the Pettit Cup , named after Lloyd Pettit and Jane Bradley Pettit , hockey enthusiasts and philanthropists from Milwaukee . Wisconsin has hoisted the Pettit Cup eight times in the 16 showdowns , while the only other multiple winners include Boston University , Ferris State , and New Hampshire , each winning the Pettit Cup twice . Results . 1989 - 90 Champion : Wisconsin Dec . 28 : Boston College 3 , Minnesota - Dultuh 2 ; Wisconsin 9 , Notre Dame 3 Dec . 29 : Minnesota - Duluth 9 , Notre Dame 1 ; Wisconsin 6 , Boston College 3 1990 - 91 Champion : Wisconsin Dec . 28 : North Dakota 8 , Bowling Green 2 ; Wisconsin 3 , St . Lawrence 0 Dec . 29 : St . Lawrence 6 , Bowling Green 3 ; Wisconsin 3 , North Dakota 2 1991 - 92 Champion : Wisconsin Dec . 27 : Wisconsin 6 , Yale 1 ; Maine 4 , Toronto 1 Dec . 28 : Yale 9 , Toronto 2 ; Wisconsin 3 , Maine 2 1992 - 93 Champion : Boston University Dec . 28 : Wisconsin 10 , Boston College 3 ; Boston University 4 , Miami 3 Dec . 29 : Miami 6 , Boston College 3 ; Boston University 6 , Wisconsin 3 1993 - 94 Champion : Wisconsin Dec . 28 : Wisconsin 8 , Alaska - Fairbanks 5 ; Northern Michigan 5 , Providence 4 Dec . 29 : Providence 6 , Alaska - Fairbanks 3 ; Wisconsin 3 , Northern Michigan 2 1994 - 95 Champion : Wisconsin Dec . 28 : Lake Superior 5 , Northeastern 4 ; Wisconsin 4 , Bowling Green 3 ( ot ) Dec . 29 : Bowling Green 7 , Northeastern 4 ; Wisconsin 6 , Lake Superior 4 1995 - 96 Champion : Boston University Dec . 28 : Boston University 10 , Princeton 2 ; Notre Dame 3 , Wisconsin 2 Dec . 29 : Wisconsin 8 , Princeton 3 ; Boston University 7 , Notre Dame 3 1996 - 97 Champion : New Hampshire Dec . 27 : Colorado College 6 , Vermont 0 ; New Hampshire 9 , Wisconsin 7 Dec . 28 : Vermont 5 , Wisconsin 2 ; New Hampshire 4 , Colorado College 3 1997 - 98 Champion : Wisconsin Dec . 27 : Northern Michigan 3 , Boston College 2 ; Wisconsin 6 , Harvard 3 Dec . 28 : Boston College 6 , Harvard 6 ( ot ) ; Wisconsin 4 , Northern Michigan 3 1998 - 99 Champion : Bowling Green Dec . 27 : Bowling Green 3 , Cornell 2 ( ot ) ; Yale 4 , Wisconsin 2 Dec . 28 : Cornell 3 , Wisconsin 2 ( ot ) ; Bowling Green 4 , Yale 1 1999 - 00 Champion : North Dakota Dec . 28 : North Dakota 5 , Miami 2 ; Wisconsin 6 , Nebraska - Omaha 4 Dec . 29 : Nebraska - Omaha 4 , Miami 3 ; North Dakota 3 , Wisconsin 2 ( ot ) 2000 - 01 Champion : Wisconsin Dec . 29 : Boston University 4 , North Dakota 3 ; Wisconsin 6 , Princeton 3 Dec . 30 : North Dakota 5 , Princeton 4 ; Wisconsin 3 , Boston University 2 2001 - 02 Champion : New Hampshire Dec . 27 : New Hampshire 6 , Colorado College 2 ; Brown 2 , Wisconsin 1 Dec . 28 : Colorado College 3 , Wisconsin 3 ( ot , Wisconsin wins shootout 2 - 1 ) ; New Hampshire 11 , Brown 3 2002 - 03 Champion : Wisconsin Dec . 29 : Northern Michigan 3 , Harvard 2 ; Wisconsin 2 , Colgate 1 Dec . 30 : Harvard 8 , Colgate 1 ; Wisconsin 3 , Northern Michigan 1 2003 - 04 Champion : Ferris State Dec . 27 : Ferris State 7 , UMass - Lowell 4 ; Wisconsin 8 , Union 1 Dec . 28 : Massachusetts - Lowell 5 , Union 3 ; Ferris State 3 , Wisconsin 1 2004 - 05 Champion : Ferris State Dec . 31 : Ferris State 4 , Clarkson 1 ; Yale 1 , Wisconsin 1 ( ot , Wisconsin wins shootout 3 - 2 ) Jan . 1 : Clarkson 8 , Yale 1 ; Ferris State 5 , Wisconsin 3 2005 - 06 Tournament Field : Wisconsin , Northern Michigan , Western Michigan , Wayne State