Jamie Russell, Michigan Tech's eighth-year head coach, resigned following the 2010–11 season, in which the Huskies won 4 games and endured a 26‑game winless streak.

[4] Pearson's interview took place four days after his team lost the NCAA Division I national championship game to Minnesota–Duluth, and when Sanregret gave him 48 hours to decide whether to accept the position, he ultimately could not say yes.

[8] Pearson spoke of changing the team's style of play to emphasize skill, speed and offensive creativity, and said his staff's efforts would be focused on recruiting for the next few months.

[12] Defenseman Nick Cecere committed to play at Nebraska–Omaha while a member of Northwood School's "Junior Team",[13] but switched to Michigan Tech after a coaching change at Nebraska–Omaha.

[15] Justin Fillion, who was in his third season with the Prince George Spruce Kings of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), also committed in December.

[22] Michigan Tech's recruiting of defenseman Riley Sweeney, who played for the Surrey Eagles (BCHL), began during the Jamie Russell era,[21] and he ultimately committed after speaking with Bill Muckalt at a hockey camp in July.

[27] Heading into an October 1 exhibition game at home against the Lakehead Thunderwolves, Pearson planned to use at least two goaltenders and prepared his team to play the "up-tempo, aggressive, puck control style that has been the focus of practices so far".

Pearson sought to improve the team's defensive zone coverage in practices before the series,[31] but starting goaltender Kevin Genoe gave up three goals in the first period while his Yellow Jackets counterpart, Ben Meisner, stopped all eight Huskies shots.

The Huskies' comeback began late in the second period when Blake Pietila's pass deflected off a defender's skate past Meisner.

In the second period, Johnstone found a loose puck immediately in front of Meisner and made "three quick stick-handling moves for a highlight-reel goal", and the Huskies won 3–1.

[34] Michigan Tech hosted Wisconsin for a two-game series the following weekend to open its WCHA conference schedule, but did so without junior defenseman Tommy Brown, who underwent an appendectomy that week.

Michigan Tech freshman Tanner Kero opened the scoring in the second period with his first career goal by deflecting a shot from Riley Sweeney.

In the third period, however, the Huskies incurred two consecutive penalties in the first seven minutes, and Wisconsin forward Tyler Barnes beat Josh Robinson for a power play goal.

Nearly three minutes into the overtime period, Michigan Tech started a dump-and-chase and Peterson stopped the puck behind his net, but he collided with teammate John Ramage while the Huskies forechecked, leaving Jordan Baker to score on an undefended goal and win the game.

[36] In the Saturday game, Wisconsin started Joel Rumpel at goaltender and Huskies forwards Kero and Blake Pietila each scored a power play goal on a deflection.

Michigan Tech killed off a five-minute major penalty to Alex MacLeod in the third period, but the Badgers tied the game with two minutes remaining.

[38] The Huskies traveled to Bemidji State for a pair of games on October 21–22 and anticipated employing "better puck control and discipline, while maintaining a fast-paced, aggressive style that better capitalizes on offensive opportunities and limits opposing scoring chances".

After Bemidji State replaced starting goaltender Dan Bakala with Andrew Walsh, the Beavers scored three more goals to end the first period with a 4–3 lead.

Drew Fisher scored Bemidji State's third goal of the game 12 minutes into the third period, and Walsh stopped the rest of Michigan Tech's shots to earn the victory.

Furne collided with and injured Denver goaltender Adam Murray after scoring, forcing coach George Gwozdecky to substitute Juho Olkinuora.

[44] The Denver goal remained undefended for a few more minutes – "to try to work on our six-on-five situations", Gwozdecky said[45] – and Brett Olson and Dennis Rix scored on the empty net.

Junior defenseman Carl Nielsen stayed home to recover from a concussion sustained in the team's previous game, and with three freshmen defensemen in the lineup, Pearson stressed defensive zone coverage in practice sessions before the series.

Five or six of the 19  shots generated by Michigan Tech were "quality chances" according to Alaska–Anchorage coach Dave Shyiak,[53] and Seawolves defenseman Corbin Karl said it was "the most complete game" his team had played to that point in the season.