Michigan Mourns Passing of Three-Time All-American Wally Grant
11/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Former University of Michigan ice hockey player Wally Grant, the program's first three-time All-American and a key member of Michigan's first national championship team in 1948, passed away Wednesday (Nov. 5) at the age of 86. A 1950 U-M graduate, Grant remained involved in the Michigan hockey program long after graduation, serving as president of the Dekers Blue Line Club while also holding membership in the Graduate "M" Club and Michigan's Victors Club. Wally was the first former player to support an endowed scholarship for Michigan hockey, establishing the Mickey and Wally Grant Ice Hockey Scholarship.
"Wally and I became good friends in 1984 when I came back to coach the team," head coach Red Berenson said. "Although his career was outstanding, his relationship with the program was even more outstanding. He and his wife Mickey have been solid supporters in every regard. They've done whatever it takes to support this hockey team and all of the players and the program in general. Wally did it in such a happy, supportive, positive way. You just can't say enough about his contributions to Michigan. We're all going to miss him. He was a terrific guy, a great friend, and in his day he was a terrific player."
A native of Eveleth, Minnesota, Grant was a standout athlete at Eveleth High School. He led Eveleth to three straight unbeaten seasons, winning the first Minnesota state high school hockey championship in addition to playing quarterback on the football team and starring on the track team.
After graduating high school, Grant took a bus from Duluth to Ann Arbor in 1945 along with Eveleth teammate Clem Cossalter, hoping to secure spots on the Michigan hockey team. Once in town, they phoned Michigan director of athletics Fritz Crisler, who put them in touch with Michigan hockey head coach Vic Heyliger. The rest is history. Heyliger later called Grant the best two-way hockey player he had ever seen.
A tenacious left winger listed at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, Grant played four years of varsity hockey at Michigan, missing the 1946-47 season after serving 18 months in the United States military. He returned in January 1948 to help lead Michigan to its first national championship, forming the formidable "G Line" along with center Wally Gacek and right wing Ted Greer. In the national championship game, Grant scored the game-winning goal at 1:30 of the third period to help the Wolverines defeat Dartmouth, 8-4. Michigan was 80-15-4 (.812) in Grant's four seasons at Michigan. He scored 63 goals and added 83 assists for 146 points.
Grant graduated from Michigan with a B.B.A from Michigan's business school in 1950 and worked for General Motors until his retirement in 1987. In 1994, Grant was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. He was a Legend of Michigan Hockey as well as a member of the University of Michigan Hall of Honor and the Dekers Club Hall of Fame.
A memorial service will be held in December with details pending.
Communications Contact: Jeffrey Weinstein (734) 763-4423
