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Michigan Hockey: Wolverines set for Great Lakes Invitational

By Christopher Mangum

Mar 14, 2021; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan’s Brendan Brisson (19) skates down the ice during the Michigan vs. Ohio State Big Ten Hockey Tournament game Sunday, March 14, 2021 at the Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 14, 2021; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan’s Brendan Brisson (19) skates down the ice during the Michigan vs. Ohio State Big Ten Hockey Tournament game Sunday, March 14, 2021 at the Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-USA TODAY Sports /
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This year, the 56th annual Great Lakes Invitational will see both Western Michigan and Michigan Tech travel to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan hockey.

Following Michigan hockey‘s split series with Ohio State in Columbus, the Wolverines now look to the Great Lakes Invitational.

This year, the 56th annual Great Lakes Invitational, a tournament between the state’s four premier ice hockey teams (Michigan, Michigan State, Western Michigan, and Michigan Tech), will be held at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor and Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.

This year’s tournament will see three top-20 teams squaring off at Yost, as No. 3 Michigan will host both No. 18 Michigan Tech (Dec. 29) and No. 4 Western Michigan (Dec. 30). Neither game will be included in Michigan hockey’s season ticket package, meaning the Wolverines will not have certain home-ice advantages such as a student section or band.

18 Michigan Tech at No. 3 Michigan

Wednesday, the 3rd-ranked Michigan Wolverines (14-6 overall, 7-5 Big Ten) will square off against the 18th-ranked Michigan Tech Huskies (10-7, 7-5 WCHA) for game one of the 2021 GRI. Michigan hockey will be coming off of back-to-back series splits against No. 11 Minnesota and No. 17 Ohio State and will have some level of home-ice advantage playing on their ice.

Michigan Tech will bring back some old memories for Michigan head coach Mel Pearson, who coached the Huskies from 2011-2017, compiling a 118-92-29 record before being hired by Michigan for the 2017-18 season.

Though the Wolverines will enter the tournament as the higher-ranked team, Michigan will miss many key players, including Owen Power, Matty Beniers, and Luke Hughes. The loss of these three top-5 2021 NHL draft picks plus various other essential Wolverines may impact the outcome of one or both tournament games against such skilled competition.

No. 4 Western Michigan at No. 3 Michigan

Thursday, Western Michigan (13-5, 6-4 NCHC) will make its second appearance at Yost Ice Arena this season, searching for a similar result as the first. The Wolverines are 1-1 against the Broncos this season, with both teams winning on the other’s ice. In Western’s first visit to Ann Arbor, they left victorious in dominant fashion with a 5-2 win.

Once again, Michigan hockey will be missing many starters and young stars. The Wolverines must make do with the talent they have and play a nearly flawless game to defeat two ranked teams.

Western Michigan will enter the game with something to prove as they are ranked No. 4 and Michigan is ranked No. 3. A win over a top-3 team, with or without their star players, could do a lot for Western Michigan’s morale before getting back into conference play in January.

What the Great Lakes Invitational means for Michigan

The Great Lakes Invitational is a wonderful tradition for hockey teams in Michigan. Though these games are not “must-win” games for the Wolverines, Michigan would without a doubt still love to pick up at least one win during the tournament.

It will be challenging without crucial players on the ice, but like the Ohio State series, Michigan may still find a way to overcome the challenge in one or both games. Regardless, the tournament will test the Wolverines’ depth and help both fans and coaches learn more about Michigan’s roster.

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