Even though most of the Big Ten schools were members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) from 1959 to 1981, there were separate standings kept for Big Ten only games.  There was an offical Big Ten Champion declared during those years.  A list of those Big Ten Champions can be found here.

These Big Ten standings only represent the regular season games played between Big Ten schools.  They do not include any other teams the Big Ten schools played.  There are no league playoff, tournament (including the Big Ten Tournament games 1968-1970) or NCAA tournament games included in these standings.

**  The Western Intercollegiate Hockey League (WIHL) disbanded after the 1957-58 season.  As a result, the Big Ten schools were not part of a conference for the 1958-59 season.  Even though there was no conference, most of the former WIHL schools did play each other during the 1958-59 season.

The Big Ten schools would unite again for the 1959-60 season as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).

Both Ohio State and Wisconsin started varsity hockey for the 1963-64 season.  This is a second time for varsity hockey for Wisconsin.  For the remainder of the 1960's Ohio State and Wisconsin did play some Big Ten schools.  But, as far as being included in any Big Ten standings, neither school was included until Wisconsin joined the WCHA.

Wisconsin became a member of the WCHA starting in the 1968-69 season.  Now four of the five Big Ten schools were in the same hockey conference.

Ohio State became a founding member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) in the 1971-72 season.

Michigan and Michigan State left the WCHA and joined the CCHA with Ohio State for the 1981-82 season.

Once the Big Ten teams were split between the two leagues they didn't played each other very often.  Therefore there was no longer a Big Ten Champion declared until the teams united again in 2013.