The MacNaughton Cup, as seen on the WCHA’s website, www.wcha.com.

MARQUETTE — The MacNaughton Cup has been a part of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association men’s hockey league’s history for many years.

With the WCHA joining the scrap heap of history, the trophy has found a new home.

The 40-pound piece of hardware, which has been entrusted to Michigan Tech, has been presented to the WCHA’s regular season champion since the 1984-85 season, when the Huskies rejoined the conference from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

Now that Tech has left the WCHA for the newly formed CCHA, the cup will travel with it and be awarded to the CCHA’s regular-season winner, according to a statement released by the CCHA on Tuesday.

“We are thrilled to award the MacNaughton Cup to the CCHA regular season champions,” CCHA Commissioner Don Lucia said in the league’s press release. “The 40-pound handcrafted pure-silver trophy has been awarded to a college hockey champion since 1951 and we look forward to keeping the tradition alive in the CCHA. The quest for the most tradition-rich trophy in college hockey begins in October.”

Michigan Tech director of athletics Suzanne Sanregret was also quoted in the release: “Michigan Tech is proud to be the trustee of the most historic trophy in college hockey. We’re excited to bring the MacNaughton Cup back to the CCHA. We look forward to competing for a CCHA championship and returning the cup to its home in the Copper Country.”

The trophy was purchased in 1913 and was named after James MacNaughton of Calumet. He was president of Calumet and Hecla Mining Co. at the time, which was a major force in copper mining, and he authorized the president of the American Amateur Hockey Association to buy a trophy and present it to the league’s championship team.

The trophy stayed with the AAHA until 1920, when that group ceased operations. Then until 1950, it was awarded to various semi-pro and intermediate teams in the Copper Country.

The following year, the cup was donated to the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League and it was awarded to the regular season champion until 1958. In the 1959-60 season, the remaining teams created the WCHA and it stayed with the league and MTU until 1981, when the Huskies joined the former CCHA.

Out of the current CCHA participants, Tech has the most Cup titles with eight, followed by Minnesota State with six. The Mavericks have won the trophy the past four years and six of the last seven.

Northern Michigan University, Ferris State and Bemidji State have each won it once with NMU’s win coming in its national title season in 1991.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Writer Ryan Stieg. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.