Gibson Cup series kicks off Friday night

2017 Gibson Cup Schedule

• Game 1: Friday, March 24, 7:30 p.m. at Dee Stadium
• Game 2: Saturday, March 25, 7:30 p.m. at Calumet Colosseum
• Game 3: Tuesday, March 28, 7:30 p.m. at Dee Stadium (if needed)

Visit GibsonCup.com for more about the cup!

The Gibson Cup highlight’s hockey’s oldest rivalry. It’s been awarded nearly every year since its creation in 1938. The Cup is named after Doctor John L. Gibson, who was a player-coach and leading scorer for the Portage Lake teams from 1900 to 1905 including the World's Champion Hockey Portage Lake Hockey team in 1904. Gibson then helped organize the World's first Professional Hockey League with 5 teams playing 3 seasons 1904-07: the Portage Lakes, Calumet, Soo America, Soo Canada and Pittsburg. Gibson was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972.
 
The series was highlighted in 2016 on cable television channel VICELAND’s new television series featuring rivalries around the world entitled Vice World of Sports. The episode, named “The Perfect Sheet,” has been played in syndication on ESPN 2 and VICELAND regularly since its debut.
 
This year the season series between the Pioneers and Wolverines has been tight, with all three games being decided by one goal. The Pioneers won the first, but the Wolverines won the final two. The first game of this year’s Gibson Cup series will also count for the GLHL regular season standings.
 
About the Portage Lake Pioneers
The Portage Lake Pioneers are the dominant team in the Gibson Cup’s history. The Pioneers have won trophy of 24 times, more times than all other teams combined. That dominance has been incredible as of the last couple decades, with the Houghton-based team winning 16 of the last 19 series. The Pioneers are also back-to-back champions of the Great Lakes Hockey League.
 
The 2016-17 Pioneers are currently No. 4 in the GLHL with a 13-11-1 record. They are led in scoring by Reid Pietila who has 23 goals and 39 points in 17 games. He heads into the Gibson Cup on an 11-game point streak, including three or more points in five of his last six games. Veteran forwards Charlie Turner and Alex Roy pace the team with 22 assists each.
 
About the Calumet Wolverines
The Wolverines enjoyed dominance over the Gibson Cup from 1971 to 1983, winning all seven of the series played in that stretch. However, since the rivalry series was revived in 1995 the Wolverines have only won four titles, with the last one coming in 2007. Only seven players on the current Wolverines roster have earned a title during their Wolverines career, and only one of them, Nick Patrick, has won more than one.
 
This season the Wolverines won four of their first six games, but the team currently sit No. 7 in the GLHL standings with a 10-15-0 record. Logan Rastello leads the team in points with 33, including a team-high 19 assists. Josh Harju leads all GLHL defensemen with 16 goals. 13 of the Wolverines 25 games this season have been decided by one goal, which is the most in the GLHL.