Annual Great Lakes Invitational college hockey tournament begins Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena

Michigan Tech hosts Michigan, Michigan State and Northern Michigan

DETROIT – The Great Lakes Invitational (GLI) college hockey tournament gets underway Tuesday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. 

This year Northern Michigan joins Michigan Tech, Michigan and Michigan State in the annual four-team contest. It's a thee-game (plus a consolation game) tournament that's been a Michigan tradition for the past 51 years.

Here's this year's schedule:

Tuesday:

3:30 p.m. -- Michigan State vs. Michigan Tech
7 p.m. -- Northern Michigan vs. Michigan

Wednesday:

3:30 p.m. -- Consolation game between 3rd and 4th-place teams
7 p.m. -- Championship game

All games will be broadcast on Fox Sports Detroit.

The teams are competing for the MacInnes Cup (and a banner hanging in the Joe), which Michigan holds after defeating Michigan State, 2-1, last year. The Wolverines lead the field with 16 GLI championships and have participated in the tournament in 46 of the 51 seasons.

While Michigan and Michigan State are cornerstones in the tournament hosted by Michigan Tech, this is only the 6th time Northern Michigan will compete in the GLI. Northern Michigan has never won the tournament. They were runner-up in 1992.