Western Intercollegiate Hockey Association Tournament
| Western Intercollegiate Hockey Association Tournament (defunct) | |
|---|---|
| Sport | College ice hockey |
| Conference | Division II-III western teams |
| Format | Various |
| Played | 1975–81, 1983–85 |
| Last contest | 1985 |
| Current champion | Bemidji State (second title) |
| Most championships | Minnesota State (four titles) |
The Western Intercollegiate Hockey Association Tournament, also known as the WIHA Tournament, Western Regional, Divisional, or Championship Tournament was an end-of-season tournament for the Western teams playing NCAA Division II or Division III college ice hockey in the mid-1970s to mid-1980s. It originally started as a way for the Western teams to crown a champion, as they did not have a conference tournament to play in. Additionally, it helped the NCAA in selecting teams for their national tournament. After many of the Western teams joined the MIAC or NCHA, the Western tournament continued as neither of those conferences held a conference tournament at the time. After the 1985 season, the WIHA Tournament was made obsolete as both the MIAC and NCHA began sponsoring conference tournaments. As the participants in the WIHA Tournament did not have any conference tournament to play for, the WIHA Tournament effectively acted as a de facto conference tournament for the Western teams at that time, though it did not guarantee a bid into the National Championship Tournament.