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Great Lakes Hockey League (adult)

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Great Lakes Hockey League (adult)
Great Lakes Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Founded1937
First season1937-38
CommissionerPete Krueger
No. of teams11
CountryUnited States
Most recent
champion(s)
Fond du Lac Bears (2024)
Official websitetheglhl.com

The Great Lakes Hockey League (GLHL) is a semi-professional ice hockey league that is affiliated with USA Hockey. Players must be at least 18 years of age and most have previous NCAA College, Junior A, or Professional hockey experience. There are currently 11 teams in the league. The teams are all based in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Each team plays two games against every other team in the league.

History

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The league was formed in 1937 as the Badger State Hockey League.

The 1998-99 Portage Lake Pioneers hold the record for best regular season at 25–1. They also went undefeated in the playoffs and national championships.

GLHL added a tenth team in the Marquette Iron Rangers, who began play during the 2015–16 season.[1] The club played just one season, before they were replaced by the Marquette Mutineers in the fall of 2016.[2]

In 2018 the Monroe Blues ceased operations, followed by the West Bend Bombers in 2022.

In 2024 the league announced three new expansion teams: the Dane County Dairy Kings, the M&M Shamrocks (Marinette and Menominee), and the Sun Prairie Killer Bees (formerly of the American Premier Hockey League).[3]

League format

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The league is made up of 11 teams that play a 20-game schedule running from October to March. Each GLHL game consists of three 20-minute periods. If the game is tied after regulation, there is a five-minute overtime, and if still tied, a four-round shootout.

Following the regular season is the playoff tournament. Teams are seeded in three pools based on regular season standings. Teams play one game against each team in their pool. The team with the best record in each pool advances to the semi-final. Of the remaining teams, the team with the greatest goal differential in pool play advances to the semi-finals as the wild card. In the event all teams in the same pool finish with a 1–1 record, the team with the greatest goal differential will advance to the semi-finals. The winners of the two semi-final games play for the championship. In the event a game is tied after overtime, additional overtime periods will be played until there is a winner.

Tournaments

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Gibson Cup

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Annual three-game series between long-time Michigan rivals Calumet Wolverines and the Portage Lake Pioneers. Named in honor of "Doc" Jack Gibson, the Gibson Cup was first awarded in 1939; it is the third oldest hockey trophy in the United States.[4]

Keevin Cup

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An annual four-team pre-season tournament hosted by the Fond du Lac Bears, the Keevin Cup honors Kevin Ristau, a long-time club board member and ambassador.[5][6] The tournament takes place in late October.

Year Winner Runner-up Result
2010 Fond du Lac Bears Vernon Hills Capitals 5-4 (OT)
2011 Vernon Hills Capitals Fond du Lac Bears
2012 Fond du Lac Bears
2013 Fond du Lac Bears Fox Cities Ice Dogs 7-6
2014 Fond du Lac Bears Fox Cities Ice Dogs 7-2
2015 Fond du Lac Bears Marquette Iron Rangers 13-5
2016 Fond du Lac Bears Fox Cities Ice Dogs 10-7
2017 West Bend Bombers Fond du Lac Bears
2018 West Bend Bombers Fond du Lac Bears 2-1
2019 West Bend Bombers Fond du Lac Bears 3-2
2021 Fond du Lac Bears West Bend Bombers
2022 Fond du Lac Bears Fox Cities Ice Dogs

Paper Cup

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An annual competition between the Fox Cities Ice Dogs and the Mosinee Papermakers. The winner is determined by whichever team wins the most head to head matches against one another (goal differential is a factor). The Cup gets its name from the two teams' cities' deep roots in the paper industry.


River Cup Series

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The River Cup Series is a two game series between the Eagle River Falcons and the Mosinee Papermakers. The Cup is awarded to the team that holds the greater goal differential at the end of both games.

Teams

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Eagle River Falcons 1930
Mosinee Papermakers 1930
Fond du Lac Bears 1934
Calumet Wolverines 1937
Portage Lake Pioneers 1937
De Pere Deacons 1982
Marquette Mutineers 2016
Fox Cities Ice Dogs 2002
Sun Prairie Killer Bees 2024
M&M Shamrocks 2024
Dane County Dairy Kings 2024

Former teams

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  • Wausau Cyclones (?-1999)
  • Milwaukee Flyers (?-2005)
  • Kenosha Knights (2005–07)
  • Waupun Wolves (2001–09)
  • Oregon Stampede (2009–10)
  • Green Bay Hornets (2010–11)
  • Brookfield Battalion (2010–12)
  • Oregon Outlaws (2010–12)
  • Vernon Hills Capitals (2008–13)
  • Madison Blues (2008-2014)
  • Madison Capitols (2003-2004)
  • Marquette Iron Rangers (2015–16)
  • Monroe Blues (2014–18)
  • Stoughton Steel (2004-2007)
  • West Bend Bombers (2007-2022)

Champions

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Season Magnuson Cup
(regular season winner)
Don Kohlman Cup
(playoff champion)
2009-10 Fond du Lac Bears Calumet Wolverines
2010-11 Vernon Hills Capitals Mosinee Papermakers
2011-12 Vernon Hills Capitals Fond du Lac Bears
2012-13 Portage Lake Pioneers Eagle River Falcons
2013-14 West Bend Bombers Fond du Lac Bears
2014-15 West Bend Bombers Portage Lake Pioneers
2015-16 West Bend Bombers Portage Lake Pioneers[7]
2016-17 West Bend Bombers Mosinee Papermakers
2017-18 Calumet Wolverines West Bend Bombers
2018-19 Calumet Wolverines Fox Cities Ice Dogs
2019-20 Mosinee Papermakers None
2020-21 None De Pere Deacons
2021-22 Eagle River Falcons Fox Cities Ice Dogs
2022-23 Fond du Lac Bears Mosinee Papermakers
2023-24 Portage Lake Pioneers Fond du Lac Bears

References

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  1. ^ Burge, Brice (April 25, 2015). "Marquette Approved for Expansion GLHL Franchise". MQT Social Scene. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015.
  2. ^ Ludlum, Mike (September 6, 2016). "Marquette has a new hockey team". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016.
  3. ^ "News and Notes from the 2024 GLHL Meeting". Great Lakes Hockey League. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  4. ^ Clarke, Mary (June 1, 2016). "Vice World of Sports turns back the clock with the hockey trophy you never hear about". SBNation. Archived from the original on March 23, 2017.
  5. ^ Ritger, Laurie (October 23, 2014). "Bears hockey players support their biggest fan". Fond du Lac Reporter. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021.
  6. ^ Pflum, Lois A. (January 2015). "Kevin 'Keevin' Ristau: 30 Years of Dedication Has Formed Many Close Friendships for Fondy Bears Volunteer". Experience. Gannett Media. pp. 6–7 – via Issuu.
  7. ^ "Pioneers earn second consecutive GLHL championship". The Daily Mining Gazette. Houghton, Michigan. April 5, 2016. Archived from the original on November 21, 2016.
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