While we have been fortunate to have had many great and talented hockey coaches here at the resort with us over the years, and we always enjoy sitting around the fire or pool hearing about the previous season and next year’s hopes, here is a little history for you hockey junkies out there!
Shortly after our arrival at Everett Bay Lodge, we had a visit from a family that had managed the resort many years back. They told us much of what they knew of the resort’s history, and the part that stuck best with Dave was the mention of the Chicago Blackhawks ownership of the property and use of the facilities as a training venue. While we shared that tidbit occasionally because it just sounded interesting and had seen old photos where an old resort sign called it “Iversons,” that was the extent of our search.
Last week, while removing some old siding from the bait house, we tossed the piece of wood in the picture onto the pile, and Dave spied the stenciled name IVERSON burned into the board. It again sparked our interest, and a little more digging tied things together. Emil Iverson coached the MN Gophers Hockey team from 1922-1930, with a record of 82-20-11 – for a 77 win %, the highest in Gopher coach history. While some articles credit him with 7 National Championships during that time, the Gophers don’t record it as such. He then coached the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1932-33 season.
The interesting link to the lodge was further confirmed in an article that reported that, while at the University of Minnesota, Coach Iverson worked as a guide and outfitter at his exploration headquarters located on Lake Vermilion. Vintage Minnesota Hockey has a nice article found at:
http://history.vintagemnhockey.com/page/show/815962-emil-iverson-era-1923-1924-through-1929-1930
And that… is the rest of the story. You can check out the photo on our Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/Everett.Bay.Lodge.Lake.Vermilion