Copper Country Hockey Legends last name beginning with ...

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Frank W. "Nick" Kahler  (1891-1983) born in nearby Dollar Bay, played amateur hockey here in the Copper Country.  He moved on to play hockey with the Duluth Curling Club 1913-1914, then formed the St. Paul Athletic Club 1914-1920. He was player/coach of the 1914-15 St. Paul Athletic Club when they entered the Western Division of the American Amateur Hockey Association, the highest level of hockey in the states at that time. The following year, he lead his team as Captain to the Championship of the League bringing home the famous MacNaughton Cup.  From 1920-1927 & 1936-1937 he played for the  Minneapolis Millers, and for Augsburg College 1927-1928. He was selected for the 1920 Olympic Team, but for financial reasons, he did not play; he was also selected to coach the Augsburg College Team to represent the United States in the 1928 Olympics, but a decision was made not to send a team that year. In addition to hockey, in Minneapolis he founded Golden Gloves boxing; he was inducted into the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame in 1962. He was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame (Administrators Division) in 1980.   St.Paul Athletic Club 1915-16 MacNaughton Cup Winners Photo Courtesy of Robert Kokko. Standing L-R: unk, Alex Wellington, unk, Ed Fitzgerald, Hugh Gawley -Coach, Tony Conroy. Kneeling L-R: Nick Kahler -Captain, unk. Others on team: Ray Bonney -goalie, Cy Weidenborner -bkup goalie, Bill Adams (bro to Jack Adams), Bert Mohan, Am Whalen, Frank Goheen, Jack Ryan. (Ryan and Weidenborner replaced Wellington and Bonney late in the season when they were taken away by "attractive offers" from the Pittsburgh team.)

Frank Kahler

"Nick" Kaiser, Jr. born 19-- in ? played High School hockey for Houghton and went on to play R.D. hockey for Michigan State 1926-27....

Dale Kero born 19-- in Calumet? he played for UW-Superior. He also was a ref in the WCHA.... 

Jay Kero, born 19-- in -- of Calumet played with UW-Superior in 1986-87. need picture etc here

Jerry Kestner, born 19-- in -- a Houghton native, played hockey for Michigan Tech 1953-54 and 1957-58?. need picture etc here

Ray Kestner, born 19-- in -- a Houghton native, and long time Houghton City Manager, played hockey with Michigan Tech 1951-54. need picture etc here

Ernest R. Klingbeil, (1908-1995) born in Hancock, played defense for the University of Michigan 1932-33 season, then Ike played with Detroit teams in the Michigan-Ontario HL for 3 seasons before being picked up by the Chicago Black Hawks (1936-37) for 5 games, getting a goal and an assist. The 1936-37 season was when the Chicago Black Hawks owner, Major Frederick McLaughlin, decided he was going to play with an All-American team, made up of players only born in the US. He also said he planned to name his team the "Yankees" for the following season.  Other teams in the league protested saying that drawing a game against the All-American team would "be an easy win" and make the game standings unfair. The following season, the 5 All-Americans were cut from the team. Klingbeil then played with the Portage Lake team in the NMHL. He was Captain of the Portage Lake team in 1938-39 when they won the NMWHL Championship and the Gibson Cup. He served in WWII and when he returned, once again played hockey: he was Captain of the Portage Lake team in 1947-48 when they were the MOWHL Champions and won the Gibson Cup. In 1940, he was named to the NMHL Second All Star Team. He was inducted into the UP Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.

Ike Klingbeil Ike was recognized as an iron-man hockey player, often playing entire games.  Photo courtesy of LostHockey.com

"Curly" Raymond Kolehmainen  or "Red" or "Cotton" aka Kohlehinen, Kohlman, Kolman, Coleman, (1903-1975) was born in Hancock, Michigan and lived in nearby Ripley, a small town on Portage Lake. He was called by a number of nick names in place of his long family name. Curly played hockey with the Portage Lake teams 1924-1928 and also for the MTU Huskies 1927-28.  After that he played for the Gogebic Rangers -Ironwood when they were the 1929 Champions of the AAHS.  The next year, he played with the Hancock HC -when they were the 1930 AHA Champions winning the MacNaughton Cup.  (During the 1930-31 season a "Red Coleman" played for the San Francisco Tigers of the CalHL, we think this is the same Curly.)  He played with Trois Rivieres (Three Rivers) -Quebec, ECHA -PL;  then the St Paul Saints in 1932-33;  in 1933-34 for the Duluth Hornets in the CHL;  and in the 1934-35 for the Baltimore Orioles in the EHL;  1935-36 Tulsa Oilers AHA;  1938-39 Portage Lake Elks the NMW winner of the Gibson Cup; and was playing for the Portage Lake team in 1948 when they won the League Championship and the Gibson Cup, so his hockey career spanned many years!

Curly Kolehmainen 1927-28 Michigan College of Mines (Michigan Tech) Top Row L-R: MCM Coach Carlos Haug, Douglas Tesen, Ted Nelson, Curly Kolehmainen, Jack Crawford, Paul Pesonen, Hank Latva, Bill Mason, Edward Gillis, Albin Sippola. Kneeling L-R: Peg Ollila, Leo Roy. Gogebic Rangers;  Ironwood, Mi. 1929 AAHA Champs L-R: Doc Conn, Sam Kokko, Doc Allaire, Buster -- -Goalie, unk, -- McGregor, Curley Kolehmainen, Syd Polhill, Mickey McMasters, Neil Hogg, -- Trethwey -mgr. Curly is 2nd to Right from the Cup Pictures all courtesy of Ray & Clare Kolehmainen

1932-33 St Paul Saints Curly is top row, 3rd from left. 1933-34 Duluth Hornets 1934-35 Baltimore Orioles Curly is top row, 3rd from Rt. Tulsa Oilers 1935-36 Curly is kneeling, 3rd from Rt.

Tim Kolasa, born 19-- in Shelby Twp, MI, and a resident of nearby Laurium, was a Center on the 1992-03 State Championship Calumet HS Team. He went on to play AAA Midget Majors for the Falcons in Detroit and then Jr A and Jr B Jets in Waterford, MI) Tim eventually switched to play defense in Jr's and led the league in points his second year. Tim was recruited by an Eastern College - American International College in Springfield, Ma. He played for AIC 4 years - 2 years in the D-2 league and 3 in the NCAA D-1 MAAC League. Tim played some Pro and Semi Pro in the southern hockey leagues: Louisiana, Texarkana -Men's Senior Elite Division, Lake Charles Ice Pirates, and Wichita Thunder in the Central Hockey League. Tim currently plays Defense for the Portage Lake Pioneers; he has a degree in History and is currently employed by Finlandia College. need picture etc here

Pete Kolosa born 1978 in Sterling Heights -Detroit, was a Calumet High School hockey player. He then played for a Chesterfield, Mi team, then the Metro Jets -CSHL, Billings Bulls, -AWHL NCAA Div III 2 seasons 1997-1999, then for the local Finlandia University Hockey Team 2000-2004, except a year he played hockey in Finland 2002-03 for Diskos Jyväskylä -Suomisarja. He now plays with a pro hockey team in Wilhelmshaven, Germany in the 3rd Division of a German League where each team only carries five import-players.  need picture etc here

Josh Koskela, born 19-- in --, was a Houghton High School hockey player, plays for the local Finlandia University Hockey Team.  need picture etc here

Doug Koski, born 19-- in --, was a Houghton native, played hockey for Michigan Tech 1948-53. need picture etc here

Wayne Edward Koski, (1903-1968) was born in Calumet, brother to Art and Wesley, played hockey on the Calumet teams then he played professional hockey from 1928 through 1934. Waino played with the Marquette Indians and the Calumet Hawks, where he played center. He then played for the Duluth Hornets (AHA) in 1928-29 and 1933-34, for the Boston Cubs (CAHL) (the Bruin's farm team) in 1931-32 and for the Regina Capitals/Vancouver (WCHL) in 1932-33 and then with Edmonton, which he left in 1934. When working in the Detroit area, he played with the Pontiac and Windsor Motors teams.

Frank Krieber, born 1959 in Hancock, was the goaltender for Houghton High School 1973-1977 and on the All Conference Team and Most Valuable Player Award in 1977. He went on to be Michigan Tech's Goaltender 1977-1981. Honors Frank received as an athlete at MTU: 1980 -WCHA Honorable Mention Team; 1981 - WCHA First Team; 1981 Merv Young Award for the Most Valuable Player; 1981-Goaltender in the NCAA Final Four when MTU finished 3rd place.

Frank Krieber

Ken Kulju, born 19-- in --, was from nearby Franklin Mine, played hockey for Michigan Tech 1951-54. need picture etc here

Matt Kumlin, born 19-- in --, was a Hancock High School hockey player -1999, plays for the local Finlandia University Hockey Team. need picture etc here

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