In his first season with WMU (2011–12), the Broncos went 21–14–6, good enough for second-place in the CCHA regular season standings. The team went on to claim the 2012 CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament Championship with a 3–2 victory over Michigan in the championship game. It was the second CCHA championship for the Broncos, the first coming in 1986. The Broncos then participated in the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament for the fifth time overall, and second year in a row. The fourth seeded Broncos fell in the first round to WCHA champion and number one seed North Dakota by a score of 3–1.