P
Rod
Paavola, (1939-1995) was born in Hancock, played defense for the 1960 USA Gold Medal winning
Olympic Hockey
Team at the age of 20. The U.S. squad in 1960 was made up mostly
of former college players who held full-time jobs. They were coached by Jack
Riley, a player on the 1948 U.S. team and longtime head coach at West Point. The
U.S. advanced through the preliminary round, rallying to beat Czechoslovakia 7-5
and beating Australia 12-1, then knocked off Sweden and Germany in the first two
games of the championship round-robin. Then they had to face Canada and the
U.S.S.R.. They beat the Canadians with a shocking 2-1 upset. A crowd estimated
at 10,000 jammed into Squaw Valley's Blythe Arena, which was open along one side
and held only 8,500, to watch their game against the Russians, which they won
3-2; the first time in history a U.S. team had beaten a Soviet team. After these
upsets, they had to play the Czechs at 8:00 am the very next morning after the
Soviet game. They beat the Czechs 9-4 giving the US team a 7-0-0 sweep during
the tournament, winning the United States' first Olympic hockey Gold Medal. The
games were televised nationally which was a rarity for any hockey game in 1960.
After the games, the US Olympic team members went back to their lives of being
fathers, firemen, coaches, businessmen and military service. Of this team,
goalie Jack McCartan and Tommy Williams were the only players to go on to play
in the NHL. At that time, the six-team NHL was made up almost exclusively of
Canadian-born players. This was the first American team to win Olympic Gold in ice
hockey; the US had won five Silvers and a Bronze, but this was the first Gold
Medal win by a US Hockey Team.
Paavola
also had played on the 1959 National team that played in Prague, Czechoslovakia at the
World Championships and for the Muskegon Zephyrs 1961-63. He played for, and
coached, the Portage Lake Pioneers; Paavola coached the Portage Lake team to two
League Championships, two State Championships and two Gibson Cup triumphs during
the five years he was with the team. An annual two-game, total goals
tournament, the "Rod Paavola Memorial Tournament", is played between
the Portage Lake Pioneers and the Calumet Wolverines Adult Hockey Teams. In
1985, Rod was inducted into the
UP Sports Hall of Fame. In
2000, Rod was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the 1960 USA
Gold winning Olympic Team. In 2002, Rod received the Lester Patrick Award for
outstanding service to hockey in the United States as part of the 1960 USA
Gold winning Olympic Team; they are only the 3rd team in the 35 year history of
the Award to receive this honor.
Mario
Paoli, born 19-- in -- a Hancock High School hockey player,
played for the local Finlandia
University Hockey Team 2002-. |
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Mario Paoli
need pic in uniform here! |
Derek Parker, born 19-- in --, a
player from Calumet, played with Flint (CSHL) and with Finlandia University 200- |
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Derek Parker
need pic in uniform here! |
Rollie Parks, born 19-- in -- from Houghton, played hockey for MCM (MTU)
1925-26... |
1925-26 MCM team
Truck Meyers, Ted Nelson, Rollie Parks, Paul Pesonen, Alvin
Sippola, Frank Grannis, Collins, Morhous
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Jim
Paull, born 1940 in Calumet and left here in 1959 for Wisconsin. He played
hockey in local Calumet Junior leagues, CLK Radars in 1958 as well as Calumet HS football.
Jim went on to be one of the
original organizers of the SouthEastern Hockey Association of Wisconsin (SHAW)
bringing organized youth hockey to the Milwaukee area. He was their first
Director of Coaches and served on the SHAW Board of Directors for many years. He
also coached SHAW teams at different levels for over 20 years and brought them
four state championships at the top WAHA level: 1975 Bantams at DePere, 1977
PeeWees at Mosinee, 1985 High School at DePere and the 1985 Midgets at Eagle
River. In his youth coaching days, his motto was "no player left
behind" long before the President started his "no child left
behind" motto. He then coached at Milwaukee Pius High School; they won the
private school JV Championship in their second year. He also played for the
Milwaukee Admirals two seasons 1970-72, the Milwaukee Wings 1974-77, was player
coach of the Milwaukee Oaks in 1977 and finished as player coach of the
Milwaukee Wings in 1978. He is an avid Red Wing fan and has an extensive memento
collection of the team. Jim was inducted into the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.
Milwaukee Admirals 1970-71
Copper Country players on this semi-pro team:
Duke Nettle, Paul Doud, Reijo Vuorinen, Jim Lowney, Jerry Federighe, Jim
Paull, Roy Samela, Dave Hermanson, Trainer LaBeau. |
Milwaukee Wings 1974-75
Copper Country players on this semi-pro team:
Jim Paull, Roy Samela, Jarvey, Aho, Coach Lowney, Reijo Vuorinen. |
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Jim Paull
1956 Calumet Juvenile Team
1975 Milwaukee Wings Photos courtesy of Jim Paull
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Paul Pesonen, born 19-- in -- from Hancock, played hockey for MCM (MTU)
1925-26... |
1925-26 MCM team
Truck Meyers, Ted Nelson, Rollie Parks, Paul Pesonen, Alvin
Sippola, Frank Grannis, Collins, Morhous |
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Doug
Peterson, was born 1929 in nearby Atlantic Mine. He played youth
hockey on the Rugani Rangers 1945-46 and with the VFW Rangers the following
year. He was a member of a Gibson Cup winning team on three different teams! He was a member of the
1947-48 Portage Lake team that won the Gibson Cup, he then played hockey for Michigan
Tech 1950-51 after his Freshman year with the team (Freshmen were not
allowed to play in many League games.) Peterson then entered the Navy; on his
return, he played with the Escanaba Hawks when they won the Gibson Cup 1953-54
season and with the Marquette Sentinels when they won the Gibson Cup in the
1955-56 season. He played with the Marquette team 1955-59 until he moved to the
Chicago area. From 1960-69 he played with the Chicago Vikings in the Pullar dome
arena with 4,000 seats and the Dundee Vikings at the Rainbow arena. From 1970 to
1982, he coached the Chicago Cardinals in the Continental Hockey League
including 1981-82 when they won the Walmer Cup Championship and one year the
Kenosha Flyers, with 302 wins, 115 losses and 37 ties. They played National and
International Exhibition Games in 1972 vs USA Olympic Team, 1973 vs Red Army of
Dukla, Czeckoslovakia, 1981 vs Swedish Junior World Champions in Chicago. He was
President of the League 1 year, and vice-president 3 years. In the Chicago area,
he was director of the Franklin Park Hockey School two years and Director of the
Randhurst Arena Hockey School one year. In addition to hockey, Doug also played
in baseball and softball Leagues and was on the US Navy Swimming team in
Pensacola for 2 years. He also coached football, swimming and baseball High
School teams at Morton East High School, Cicero, Illinois; including 6 years
as Head Varsity baseball coach winning the Illinois State HS Championship
and HS Coach of the year in 1970. Doug and his wife spend their summers here
in Atlantic Mine. |
Doug Peterson
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Russia 1974
The Russian Sports Institute in Moscow invited North American hockey coaches
to a hockey conference to learn new hockey strategies.
Doug Peterson in glasses and John MacInnes lower right.
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"Tiger"
Darryl
Pierce, born 1963 in Stettler, Alberta, he played for the Prince Albert
Raiders, SJHL, 1981-82; he then played 3 years as goalie for Michigan
Tech 1983-86. He has been active helping coach local youth and
High School hockey and is
the Superintendent of the
local Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw School System. |
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Tiger Pierce
need pic here
in hockey uniform
hdb needs date/place |
Burt Potter, born 19-- in -- played on
the 1900-01 Portage Lake team...
Tina Puuri, born 19-- in -- from Houghton, played local hockey on the
girls teams, and went on to play hockey for Finlandia University 2004 to
--... need info and pics here |
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Tina Puuri
need pics here in uniform |
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