1952–53 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey season
| 1952–53 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
| National Champion 1953 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, Champion |
|
| Conference | Midwest Collegiate Hockey League |
| Home ice | Ann Arbor Coliseum |
| Record | |
| Overall | 17–7–0 |
| Coaches and Captains | |
| Head Coach | Vic Heyliger |
| Captain(s) | John Matchefts |
|
Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey seasons « 1951–52 1953–54 » |
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The 1952–53 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team represented the University of Michigan in college ice hockey. In its ninth year under head coach Vic Heyliger, the team compiled a 17–7–0 record, outscored opponents 139 to 71, and won the 1953 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. The season was the third consecutive, and the fourth overall under Vic Heyliger, in which the Michigan hockey team won the NCAA championship. The team also finished the regular season in at tie with Minnesota as the co-champion of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League.
Team captain John Matchefts, a senior from Eveleth, Minnesota, was the leading scorer with 48 points on 18 goals and 30 assists. Five members of the team were selected as first-team All-Americans: George Chin, Willard Ikola, John Matchefts, Alex MacLellan, and Reg Shave.
Michigan left wing Johnny McKennell, a senior from Toronto, was suspended for the remainder of the season after he allegedly punched referee Milo Yalich in Denver, Colorado, following a 5-4 overtime loss to the Denver Pioneers on December 23, 1952. McKennell was accused of slugging Yalich three times while disputing Denver's game-winning overtime goal. Athletic director Fritz Crisler announced the suspension after receiving a notarized report from the president of the Rocky Mountain Hockey Officials Association in early January 1953. McKennell denied hitting the referee and claimed that he was the victim of a plot by Colorado College coach Cheddy Thompson to "get even" with Michigan coach Vic Heyliger. Heyliger opined that the suspension was too severe, noting that McKennell had no prior disciplinary action in three years and the evidence was conflicting as to whether McKennell even hit Yalich. Heyliger noted, "This has ruined Johnny's whole college career."
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