The battle for the Gibson Cup starts tonight. For over 85 years the trophy has been passed to a champion-caliber team in the upper Great Lakes. The cup was first awarded as the championship trophy for the Northern Michigan-Ontario Professional Hockey League. After previous leagues fell apart, the remaining teams the Calumet Wolverines and Portage Lake Pioneers keep the tradition alive.
Calumet and I host a pretty good rivalry game every year, whether it’s during the regular season or, obviously, the Gibson Cup. It’s going to be a packed barn both here and on Friday up in Calumet. – Wyatt Geshel, Center, Portage Lake Pioneers
Bruce Coppo, coach of the Calumet Wolverines, also ranks as one of the club’s most heralded players. His number 9 was retired by the team in 2022. He says over the years seeing the Calumet Colosseum and Dee Stadium filled during the tournament has become one of his favorite parts of Gibson Cup weekend.
Well, it’s a great thing because a lot of times during the winter when it’s cold we play in front of a thin crowd. It just, I even heard some of the Houghton guys talk and they said, oh, it’s going to be packed. That’s awesome. Yeah, everybody looks forward to it. – Bruce Coppo, Coach, Calumet Wolverines
Doors to the Dee stadium for game one will open tonight ahead of the puck drop at 7:30 pm. Game two will move to the Calumet Colosseum tomorrow night. A tiebreaker game is scheduled for Saturday in Houghton. Learn more about the Gibson Cup and the two of the most historic teams in hockey below.
