WCHA Extends Commissioner's Contract
April 29, 2005
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MADISON, Wisc. The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, acting through its Executive Committee, has announced the extension of Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod's contract through the 2008-09 season.
McLeod, who has one year remaining on his current contract and has been Commissioner since 1994, was given a three-year extension, according to Pat Joyce, Faculty Representative at Michigan Tech University and Chair of the Association for 2004-05.
"Reflecting the wishes of the conference membership and in acknowledgement of the tremendous successes the Western Collegiate Hockey Association has experienced under Bruce's leadership over the past dozen years," said Joyce, "the league is pleased to announce this extension of his contract.
"We value Bruce's continuing dedication to both the WCHA and the sport of college hockey in general, on both on the men's and women's sides," added Joyce, "and we look forward to continuing success and prosperity under his guidance. These past couple of seasons have seen the league reach even more significant heights, as evidenced by national team championships, national honors for our student-athletes and record-setting levels of attendance, television exposure and sponsorships."
Under McLeod, the WCHA has raised the bar significantly for all of college hockey. He has overseen the expansion of the men's league to 10 teams with the addition of Minnesota State University in 1999. He was instrumental in the formation of a new women's league and the hiring of Sara R. Martin as associate commissioner in 1999-2000. He has seen attendance for both leagues reach record-setting levels, with more than 1.5 million fans attending men's games each of the past two seasons. He has been a key player in developing ever-increasing exposure for the league through expanded television coverage (more than 210 games are now telecast annually), the league's official web site at wcha.com, and the development of a weekly radio show.
McLeod has also been the driving force behind the continuing growth of corporate sponsorships for the league, key areas of development which have added significantly to the league's financial well-being. The annual WCHA Final Five, which has become one of the top post-season collegiate tournaments in the country, continues to generate record crowds and record levels of exposure. In 2004, a record 82,564 were in attendance at the Final Five at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul while the 2005 event drew 77,746 and was televised to more than 49 million homes as part of Fox Sports Net's College Hockey Breakaway Weekend television package.
McLeod has twice taken men's WCHA All-Star Teams to Europe (Switzerland and Norway), with plans now in the works for a third trip in the summer of 2006, has had women's WCHA All-Star Teams compete against the U.S. Olympic Team in 2001 and again this coming fall, and orchestrated a memorable season-long 50th Anniversary celebration of the conference in 2001-02, which included the selection of the Top 50 Players in 50 Years. On-ice competition has also continued to both excel and improve during McLeod's tenure as commissioner, with the league capturing men's national championships in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 and women's national championships the past six consecutive seasons of 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. The men's league has produced 69 All-Americans and five Hobey Baker Memorial Award winners since 1994 while the women's league has produced 29 All-Americans and one Patty Kazmaier Award winner.
This past season of 2004-05, the WCHA may have experienced it's most successful season ever, with Denver capturing a record 35th national team championship for the WCHA on the men's side in an all-WCHA men's Frozen Four, Minnesota winning a sixth straight NCAA Frozen Four on the women's side, the league drawing in excess of 1.5 million in home attendance on the men's side for the second straight season, both the men's and women's league landing a total of eight All-Americans each, 149 male and female student-athletes combining to achieve All-WCHA Academic Team honors, more than 210 games involving WCHA teams being televised, and the league winning both the Hobey Baker Memorial Award through Marty Sertich of Colorado College and the Patty Kazmaier Award through Krissy Wendell of Minnesota.
A native of Fort Frances, Ontario, McLeod was honored as the first recipient
of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame's President's Award in 2003 and with the
American Hockey Coaches Association's Jim Fullerton Award in 2004.
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