Led by junior defenseman Wayne Gagne, senior defenseman Chris MacDonald, freshman goalie Bill Horn and senior forwards Dan Dorion, Troy Thrun and Stu Burnie, Western Michigan finished the 1985-86 regular season in a tie for second place (23-9-0) with Bowling Green, just two points behind first-place Michigan State. 

 

The Bill Wilkinson-coached Broncos rolled past sixth-seeded Ferris State, 4-3 and 12-2, in a best-of-three quarterfinal series to earn their second straight trip to Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena to face the Falcons in the CCHA semifinals. The Broncos knocked off Bowling Green, 4-3, in triple overtime on a game-winning goal by MacDonald to make the finals. Behind Horn’s 37-save performance, Western Michigan defeated the Spartans, 3-1, in the final to capture their first CCHA playoff title.

 

As part of the ‘Celebrate the Legacy’ final season, the CCHA is looking for all the players who have their name engraved on the Mason Cup, the CCHA’s playoff championship trophy.  

 

The Broncos 1986 playoff champions reunited at Kalamazoo’s Lawson Arena on Oct. 12-13, and included head coach Bill Wilkinson, graduate assistant coach Bill Newton, CCHA Tournament MVP Bill Horn, team captain Chris MacDonald, forwards Rob Adams, Rob Bryden, Jeff Crossman, Henry Fung, forward Pat Ryan, goalie Kevin McCaffrey and defensemen Jim Culhane and Dave Lobdell.