What if?
18 famous title changes, replayed the other wayWe took famous NCAA Hockey title changes, flipped the result, and replayed every game since through the same rules. Sometimes the belt finds its way home within days. So far, every alternate belt has found its way home.
What if Providence had won?
Real result: Cornell beat Providence 2–1 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by April 9, 2016, 103 days later, after 7 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Brown → Yale → Union → Clarkson → Quinnipiac → Cornell → Quinnipiac
What if Denver had won?
Real result: Arizona State beat Denver 3–2 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by November 23, 2024, 1 day later.
The alternate belt: Arizona State
What if Denver had won?
Real result: North Dakota beat Denver 1–0 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by April 8, 2017, 22 days later.
The alternate belt: Western Michigan
What if Minnesota State had won?
Real result: Michigan Tech beat Minnesota State 4–2 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by March 11, 2018, 1 day later.
The alternate belt: Michigan Tech
What if Boston College had won?
Real result: Notre Dame beat Boston College 2–1 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by March 14, 2014, 13 days later.
The alternate belt: Notre Dame
What if Western Michigan had won?
Real result: Omaha beat Western Michigan 4–1 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by March 14, 2026, 42 days later, after 4 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Miami (OH) → Western Michigan → North Dakota → Western Michigan
What if North Dakota had won?
Real result: Miami (OH) beat North Dakota 6–3 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by March 21, 2015, 14 days later, after 1 reign that never happened.
The alternate belt: St. Cloud State
What if Harvard had won?
Real result: Minnesota State beat Harvard 4–3 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by April 8, 2023, 380 days later, after 13 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Michigan → Wisconsin → Michigan → Michigan State → Michigan → Ohio State → Michigan → Minnesota → Michigan → Ohio State → Minnesota → Michigan
What if Minnesota State had won?
Real result: Denver beat Minnesota State 5–1 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by April 6, 2023, 362 days later, after 17 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Minnesota → Minnesota State → St. Cloud State → Bemidji State → St. Cloud State → Denver → Omaha → Denver → Alaska → Denver → St. Cloud State → Minnesota Duluth
What if Boston University had won?
Real result: Minnesota beat Boston University 6–2 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by March 30, 2024, 359 days later, after 21 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: New Hampshire → Quinnipiac → New Hampshire → Providence → UMass → Vermont → UMass Lowell → Holy Cross → Quinnipiac → Colgate → Harvard → Quinnipiac
What if Minnesota had won?
Real result: Quinnipiac beat Minnesota 3–2 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by January 12, 2024, 279 days later, after 6 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: North Dakota → Boston U → North Dakota → Denver → Western Michigan → Denver
What if Western Michigan had won?
Real result: St. Cloud State beat Western Michigan 5–1 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by April 11, 2026, 161 days later, after 15 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Denver → Arizona State → Minnesota Duluth → Arizona State → Dartmouth → Princeton → Union → Yale → UConn → Boston College → Boston U → UMass Lowell
What if St. Cloud State had won?
Real result: Minnesota Duluth beat St. Cloud State 4–0 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by November 8, 2025, 1 day later.
The alternate belt: Minnesota Duluth
What if Minnesota Duluth had won?
Real result: Omaha beat Minnesota Duluth 2–0 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by April 11, 2026, 147 days later, after 12 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Colorado College → Providence → Alaska → Cornell → Quinnipiac → UConn → Boston College → Boston U → UMass Lowell → Merrimack → North Dakota → Wisconsin
What if Omaha had won?
Real result: Western Michigan beat Omaha 7–2 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by November 22, 2025, 1 day later.
The alternate belt: Western Michigan
What if Western Michigan had won?
Real result: Minnesota Duluth beat Western Michigan 4–1 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by December 6, 2025, 1 day later.
The alternate belt: Omaha
What if Minnesota Duluth had won?
Real result: Western Michigan beat Minnesota Duluth 3–2 · the game
It takes a while: the belt is back on its real path by April 11, 2026, 126 days later, after 12 reigns that never happened.
The alternate belt: Arizona State → Dartmouth → Princeton → Union → Yale → UConn → Boston College → Boston U → UMass Lowell → Merrimack → North Dakota → Wisconsin
What if Omaha had won?
Real result: Denver beat Omaha 5–2 · the game
History snaps back fast: the belt is back on its real path by February 14, 2026, 1 day later.
The alternate belt: Denver