Sport Ice hockey No. of teams 10 Official website GLHL.com Number of teams 10 Parent organization Eagle Legend | Commissioner Pete Krueger Country United States Founded 2010 Inaugural season 1937–38 Football League | |
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Most recent
champion(s) Fond du Lac Bears (2016) | ||
The Great Lakes Hockey League (GLHL) is an elite amateur Senior men’s full contact ice hockey league that is affiliated with USA Hockey. Players must be at least 18 years of age and most have previous college, Junior or semi-pro hockey experience. There are currently ten teams in the league divided into two divisions. The teams are all based in Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan.
Contents
History
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. The club played just one season before folding. They were replaced by the Marquette Mutineers in the fall of 2016.
League format
The league is made up of ten teams that play a 26-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 5-minute overtime and if still tied a 4-round shootout.
Following the regular season is the playoff tournament. The top eight teams in the league qualify for the playoff tournament. In the quarterfinal round teams are seeded first through eighth, and play with the first seed against the last, second against the second last, and so on. The teams that win in the first round move onto the semifinals of the championship bracket, while those who lose move onto the consolation bracket. Semifinal teams that win in the championship bracket go on to the final, while those that lose are eliminated. Teams that win in the consolation bracket go on for the consolation final. In the Finals, teams that win are crowned champions of the appropriate bracket.
Gibson Cup
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.
Keevin Cup
An annual four-team tournament hosted by the Fond du Lac Bears, the Keevin Cup honors Kevin Ristau, a long-time club board member and ambassador. The tournament takes place in late October.