Selman had spent the preceding six years behind the bench for Minnesota–Duluth and North Dakota, helping the Fighting Sioux to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament in the mid-1960s.

In 1971 Saint Louis, Bowling Green and Lake Superior State agreed to form a conference of their own called the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).

Spurred on by consecutive near-missed the Billikens won three straight CCHA tournaments in the mid-1970s and two additional regular season titles, placing them firmly atop the conference.

The next year the NCAA announced that it was granting the selection committee the ability to add up to 4 additional team to the tournament as it saw fit with the express purpose of allowing the CCHA to send a representative.

The program was dealt a mortal blow that offseason when the St. Louis Blues were sold to Ralston Purina and the deal to use the Arena had to be reworked.