University of Michigan Hall of Honor
Willard Ikola
- Induction:
- 1990
Willard Ikola, the Eveleth, Minnesota, native, served as the goaltender on Michigan’s two back-to-back hockey NCAA championships teams in 1951 and 1952. From Ann Arbor, “Ike” launched a decorated career that earned him a place among the all-time U.S.-born hockey greats. In 1955, Ikola joined the USA Olympic hockey team, where he helped the Americans earn a silver medal in the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy. Ikola was named the outstanding goalie of the ’56 Games, and alongside former U-M teammate Johnny Matchefts, became the first Michigan medalists in the history of the Winter Games. In 1958, Ikola began an illustrious 33-year high school coaching career in Minnesota. Over that span, his teams won a remarkable eight state championships. In 1990, Ikola was inducted to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
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