WCHA Standings

In regular season competition, each WCHA team shall have an opportunity to accumulate points from each WCHA regular season League contest (i.e., a contest between teams representing two WCHA member institutions played as part of the League schedule). A team that wins in regulation or five-on-five (5-on-5) overtime receives three (3) points, while the losing team receives zero (0). A team that wins in three-on-three (3-on-3) overtime or shootout receives two (2) points, while the losing team receives one (1) point.

The team accumulating the most number of points in WCHA regular season League contests shall be the WCHA regular season champion.

If two (2) or more teams are tied for the WCHA regular season championship, they shall be considered co-champions. Seeding for the WCHA Postseason Tournament if two (2) or more teams have accumulated the same number of points shall be determined according to the following procedure:

a) If two (2) or more teams are tied, and all tied teams have played four (4) contests against one another, then the team with the highest accumulated points percentage from these head-to-head contests will be granted the higher seed.

b) If two (2) or more teams are still tied (or all tied teams have not played four (4) contests against one another), then the team with the greater winning percentage in League games will be granted the higher seed.

c) If two (2) or more teams are still tied (or all tied teams have not played four (4) contests against one another), then the team with the greater number of League wins (in regulation and/or 5-on-5 overtime) will be granted the higher seed.

d) If two (2) or more teams are still tied (or all tied teams have not played four (4) contests against one another), then the team with the fewest number of League losses (in regulation and/or 5-on-5 overtime) will be granted the higher seed.

e) If two (2) or more teams are still tied, and A) above is not applicable due to an unbalanced home and away schedule amongst one another, then the team with the highest points percentage in all head-to-head contests among the tied teams will be granted the higher seed.

f) If not determined by A), or B), or C), or D) above, the recipient of the highest seed shall be determined by comparison of the points percentages of the tied teams, against the remaining highest-ranked WCHA team successively, until the determination is accomplished, or all League contests have been considered. In the event of multiple ties within the standings that become dependent on one another for determination, the procedure shall be applied to the highest tie first, using combined points percentage against all teams involved in the lower tie(s) and continuing through the order if needed. If this fails to break the highest tie, the procedure shall be applied to the next highest tie (and so on if needed), using combined points percentage against all tied teams as needed when proceeding through the standings.

g) If not determined by A), or B), or C), or D), or E) above, the recipient of the higher seed will be determined by a team's "winning margin" during League contests. "Winning margin" is equal to League goals for minus League goals against. In the event of multiple ties within the standings that reach this step, the procedure shall be applied first to the highest tie in the standings. If this fails to break the highest tie, the procedure shall be applied to the next highest tie (and so on if needed) until any tie is broken and all procedures are re-started.

h) If not determined by A), or B), or C), or D), or E), or F) above, the recipient of the higher seed shall be determined by the flip of a coin. In the event of multiple ties within the standings that reach this step, the procedure shall be applied first to the highest tie in the standings, after which all procedures are re-started.

NOTE: In the case of ties among three (3) or more schools, the criteria above will be used in order, beginning with A), until a team (or teams) is (or are) separated from the other tied team (or teams). At that point, the procedures are re-started to break the "new" tie and determine recipient of the higher seed. In other words, when a three (3)-way tie becomes a two (2)-way tie, the two (2)-way tie is treated as a "new" tie and the process re-starts with the first criterion.