C_Legends

Copper Country Hockey Legends last name beginning with ...

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X-Y-Z

Lorne Campbell born 18-- in Ottawa, Ontario. He played on the IHL Portage Lake Team 1904-05.

Delore "Chub" Chaput, (1887-1941) born in Houghton, was a standout hockey and baseball player in his day, an all around athlete. He grew up in nearby Hubbell on Torch Lake. He played pro/semi pro in both hockey and baseball. In an exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers, he pitched 5 innings, striking out 5, including the great Ty Cobb. In August 1920, Chub pitched 17 innings in one game! He was on the mound for Hubbell against "a power house Calumet team" striking out 20 batters, including George Gipp of nearby Laurium. The game was called because of darkness; ending in a 6-6 tie. Chub played on hockey Championship teams in Mohawk, Calumet and Portage Lake. In one game, Portage Lake defeated Calumet 4 to 1: he scored 3 of the goals and assisted in the other. "The spectacular rover" as he was usually called by the media, was a fast skater and had his share of penalties. Chaput was a crowd favorite in rinks in Ontario, Michigan, and Minnesota. These were the days when Copper Country hockey was inferior to none. Chaput played rover and was usually his team's high scorer. In 1910, he scored 15 goals in 10 games while playing for Mohawk in the Glaciadom. At a game in Duluth in 1916, the local reporter seemed to run out of adjectives; "Rover Chaput roved with great effect and beautiful execution, netting 3 of the visitor's goals and all times playing a great game." ....He served his country in WWI with a hospital unit in France, and he led his Baseball team to the Armed Forces Championship in 1918, when he chalked up a 17-1 record. His pitching finesse, plus his ability to speak French, lead to his appointment as one of two men in France selected to teach the Frenchmen how to play baseball; the other was Johnny Evers, the famous major leaguer." He also served as an interpreter between the Americans and the French Officers. Chaput played baseball in the summer and hockey in the winter. After getting married, he settled in Chisholm, MN on the Mesabi Iron Range, where he was the city athletic director and the Chisholm High School Hockey Coach. Long after he left here, the locals would "boast about the local boy who made the big time" in referring to Chub.
Info from the Houghton County Museum.

Delore "Chub" Chaput

1908-09
Chub on the Red Jacket Team from Calumet area.
"Chaput pronounces his name "Shippee" with an accent on the "pee" according to the newspaper at the time.

Please contact webmaster if you have any hockey Team pictures with Chub on them.

"Babe" Colombe born 19-- in -- coached local high school teams in the 1920's; and had been the manager for the Portage Lake teams in the 19--s.

William Oliver "Bill" Coombe (1927-2004) was born in Painesdale. He was a founding member of the Springfield Youth Hockey Association, 1961, in Illinois and a supporter of the Springfield Kings Semi-Pro Team. He was inducted into the Springfield Youth Hockey Hall of Fame and the Springfield Sports Hall of Fame as a Friend of Sport. He was a USA Hockey official, a USA hockey coach, and the coordinator of off-ice officials for the Springfield Junior Blues NAHL Team.

Bruce Coppo, (Sr) born 1944 in Laurium, played semi pro hockey with the Calumet Copper Country Chiefs 1972-76 and with the Calumet Wolverines. He was on the Gibson Cup winning team when he was just 17 years old. Bruce coached the Calumet Wolverines for 9 years, since 19?? and was a player for 8 of those years including the 2002 National Champion Wolverines. His son, Bruce (Jr), played 4 years of Calumet HS hockey and has played with the Calumet Wolverines team ever since.

Mike Coppo, born 1943? in Hancock, played with the 1955-56 Copper Country Bantams, Gundlachs, when they won the Michigan State and National Championships. He was also on the 1958-59 & 1960 Dollar Bay Pee Wee's which won the Michigan State and National Championships. He won 2 Bantam State and National Championships and as a Midget, won 3 State with 2 National Championships. He played for the Portage Lake Pioneers 1960-61 in the NMHL, then for the Green Bay Bobcats USHL 1961-62. Mike played college hockey for Michigan State University 1962-66 NCAA, including winning the NCAA Championships with MSU in 1966 (after knocking Michigan Tech out of the running with a 2-1 OT win over Tech with Tony Esposito in goal for Tech.) Mike was 1966 First Team NCAA All-Tournament Team, and 1966 MSU Co-Captain and Co-MVP in his senior year. Mike continued playing hockey after college for the Green Bay Bobcats again for 3 seasons between 1967-73 and for the Copper Country Chiefs in the early 1970's. (Mike and Paul Coppo are brothers.)

Mike Coppo

Paul Coppo, "Racket" was born 1938 in Hancock, started skating at the Laurn-Grove rink in Hancock when he was 8 years old. He went on to play on three National senior teams in the Worlds and the Olympic team. He played for Michigan Tech University 1957-60. He led the team in scoring during his sophomore and senior years; he ended his career with 59 goals and 75 assists and just six penalties in 85 games over four years. During the 1958-59 season, he played center on a line that scored a school-record 60 goals, and his 31 assists for the year; which tied a Michigan Tech Huskies record at the time. Coppo received All-America honorable mention recognition as a junior in 1959. The following year, he helped lead the Huskies into the NCAA finals, achieving All-Tournament honors, and was named a First Team All-American in 1960. He still ranks as one of the top 20 all-time scorers in Tech's ice hockey program's history. Coppo was the leading scorer for the 1962 U.S. Men's National Team that won the bronze medal with a 5-2-0 record in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Paul was the leading scorer for the U.S. hockey team in the 1964 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria when the U.S. placed fifth. Paul started coaching in 1962 first in youth hockey starting with his son's team; he retired from coaching in 1993. He was long time friend of Herb Brooks; in 1966 they were room mates when they were Co-Captains of the World's team. Coppo also represented the United States at the 1965, 1966 and 1969 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Championships. Coppo also served as a youth hockey coach in DePere, Wisconsin for over a decade. Paul was inducted into the UP Sports Hall of Fame in 1982, inducted into the Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1985, and he was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.Paul Coppo -Michigan Tech

As part of the Copper Country Hockey Centennial project, Paul was interviewed by the Keweenaw National Historical Park; this tape is in their archives.

Paul Coppo -Michigan Tech

Paul Coppo

Coppo played for the USHL Green Bay Bobcats in the United States Hockey League from 1960-71 where he was the team's all-time leading scorer and a six-time league All-Star player. He was a player/coach for the Bobcats 1971-75 and was named USHL Coach of the Year in 1975. Coppo recorded 559 points (231-328) and was the Bobcat team's all-time leading scorer. He recorded only 164 penalty minutes in his 15 years as a Bobcat.

John Mortimore Croze, (1913-56) Mort was born in nearby Laurium, played hockey for 4 seasons with Michigan Tech 1931-35. He was named Captain of the team and was an All-Star First Team selection in the 1933-34 Mid-Western Collegiate All-Stars. He later played with and managed the Portage Lake Senior team and refereed "scores of semi-pro hockey matches in the Northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan District." Mort was instrumental in getting the Copper Country Junior Hockey League organized; he served as president of the League for many years in the late 1940's -1950's. A memorial "Mort Croze Cup" was bought by the League and presented annually to the League's PeeWee Champions. Mort is pictured here as Capt of the MTU hockey team.

Mort Croze

Tim Curtis, born 19-- in -- a Hancock High School Hockey grad, played defense for UW-Superior 1991-94; and then USHL at Sioux City. He has coached Junior teams and was the Head Hockey Coach? at Superior, Wisc High School. need picture and info here

Chris Cygan, born 19-- in --, played High School Hockey with Calumet then ...., Chris then played 3 seasons of hockey in the OHL with the Toronto Marlboros and the Cornwall Royals 1986-89 ... then .... need info here

This web page is still being researched and is still under construction!
So check back often!

Contact webmaster if you have any suggestions/corrections/additions/questions about this web page.

Table of Contents:

Web Page designed, researched and maintained by Connie Julien