1981 WCHA men's ice hockey tournament

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The 1981 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the league’s 22nd playoff, held March 6–15, 1981. Eight teams competed in two-game, total-goal series played at each team’s home arena, including the regional finals.

Champions and coaches
- Michigan Tech won the East region and earned its 9th WCHA title. Coach: John MacInnes (his 9th).
- Minnesota won the West region and earned its 8th WCHA title. Coach: Brad Buetow (his 2nd).

NCAA bids
By winning their regional tournaments, Michigan Tech and Minnesota received automatic bids to the 1981 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament. Michigan Tech is considered the East Regional Champion and Minnesota the West Regional Champion.

Format and notes
- This was the last year the WCHA crowned two champions (as of 2014).
- The top eight teams in the conference standings were seeded 1 through 8.
- First round: 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, and 4 vs 5 in two-game total-goal series. Winners were reseeded 1–4.
- Second round: 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in two-game total-goal series. The winners were named co-conference champions and earned automatic NCAA bids.