After winning the previous four conference tournament titles, but failing to make it past the national quarterfinals three times, Ron Mason was beginning to be pegged as a great coach who couldn't get his team over the hump.
Though Michigan State lost its top three scorers from the year before they did return the goaltending tandem of Bob Essensa and Norm Foster who had helped the Spartans set a new NCAA record with 38 wins.
While the roster was a little light on four-year players, Michigan State did bring in one of the most highly touted prospects in Joe Murphy along with 7 other freshmen who would see significant ice time with the Spartans.
After a week of exhibition matches against the Canadian National Team MSU again split a weekend series and while their home record was stellar they had dropped to 3–3 on the road.
Michigan State entered the Great Lakes Invitational having won the previous 3 years but the team was in need of a shock to the system to shake it out of its doldrums.
The biggest standout for the year was former walk-on Mike Donnelly who had amassed a huge number of goals and was beginning to draw attention from NHL scouts.
In the championship game the following night MSU's offense, which finished second-best in the nation, failed them and they could only manage a single goal against Western Michigan's Bill Horn, ending their 4-year reign as CCHA tournament champion.
Both teams were built around scoring and that fact shone through the game; Michigan State won the match 6–4 with Norm Foster turning aside 42 shots.
Before the game had even started, however, MSU gained an advantage over the Crimson; Hobey Baker Award winner Scott Fusco had injured his knee in the other semifinal and couldn't play in the final.