Less than a month after watching his conference become the first to place four teams in the Frozen Four, Bruce McLeod got a three-year extension to his contract as WCHA commissioner.
McLeod, who has served in that position since 1994, now has a contract that runs through the 2008-09 season, the league announced. Terms were not released.
McLeod had one year remaining on his contract before it was extended by the league’s executive committee.
“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, the league is pleased to announce this extension of his contract,” said Michigan Tech faculty representative Pat Joyce, the 2004-05 WCHA chair.
“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, and we look forward to continuing success and prosperity under his guidance,” Joyce added in a statement released by the league. “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.”
In McLeod’s tenure as WCHA commissioner, the membership dipped to nine teams when Northern Michigan left for the CCHA after the 1996-97 season; the league regained a 10-team field when Minnesota State joined in 1999; a women’s WCHA was formed; and, thanks to new buildings around the conference, WCHA teams drew over 1.5 million fans in each of the last two seasons.
During his time in charge of the WCHA, he also spent two seasons (1999-2001) as the CHA’s commissioner in that league’s infancy.
McLeod, who played for Minnesota-Duluth and later became that school’s athletic director, signed a five-year deal at the league’s spring meetings in 2001.
