Karyn Bye

2023 Inductee
Karyn Bye was born and raised in River Falls where she played youth hockey in a generation where she needed to hide her gender to play, and, in fact, used her initials K.L. Bye as an identity, rather then her first name.

Sis Paulsen

2023 Inductee
Sis Paulsen was born and raised in Eau Claire. She played youth hockey for the Eau Claire Youth Hockey Association, and high school hockey for Eau Claire North High School.

Terry Watkins

2023 Inductee
Terry Watkins was born and raised in St. Paul, Minn., where he played youth hockey followed by high school hockey at Cretin High School.

  • Steve Freeman - 2016
Steve Freeman was born and raised in New Brighton, Minn., where he played his youth hockey, followed by high school hockey at tradition-rich Irondale High School.  Following graduation, Freeman went on to play junior hockey with the Minneapolis Junior Bruins, and then on to UW-Stevens Point for college hockey.

Following graduation from Stevens Point, Freeman would move into the coaching ranks with stops at the high school, Junior A and college, as both an assistant and head coach.  Those stops included Stevens Point Area Senior High School, St. Mary’s Springs High School, the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL, UW-Stevens Point and UW-River Falls.  He was the assistant coach at River Falls from 1989-1996.  With the departure of Dean Talafous for the Division I ranks in 1996, Freeman took over and remains head coach of the UW-River Falls Falcons.

While serving as head coach at Stevens Point Area Senior High, Freeman’s teams won four conference championships.  During his tenure at UW-River Falls, Freeman led his team to an NCAA National Championship.  His teams have made five National Championship appearances and 12 appearances at the NCHAA Peters Cup Championship Tournament.  His teams won the NCHA Championship in 1996 and 2007.  Freeman has been named Coach of the Year 11 times and is the WIAC all-time leader in games won.  He is the winningest head coach in UW-River Falls history, a feat accomplished in just six seasons, the shortest period of time for any River Falls coach.  His teams are consistently ranked top ten in the nation and have a strong team grade-point average.  Freeman has coached 16 AHCA All-Americans, 56 All-NCHA players, 75 All-WIAC players and four NCHA Players of the Year.  During his collegiate coaching career, he has earned 11 Coach-of-the- Year Awards in the WIAC, NCHA and WIAC.  His coaching record in 20 seasons is 356-179-46, leading his nearest competitor by almost 100 wins.  He holds a winning percentage in 20 season of .652.
 
During his coaching career, Freeman has served as a Director or Chair of numerous hockey clinics and camps, and charitable causes related to hockey, such as the Walk to end Alzheimer’s, Relay for Life, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Christmas Bikes for Needy Children.  Freeman was one of the original coaches for Wisconsin Selects, a summer youth hockey program that showcased the best youth hockey players in the State of Wisconsin.  He has been a presenter at numerous hockey seminars including local and region coaching clinics, and participation in Master Hockey Coaching Symposiums in locations as varied as Bloomington, Minn., Colorado Springs, Colo., York, Ontario and Vienna, Austria.  He is a member of the American Hockey Coaches Association and has served on the NCAA Ice Hockey Western Region committee.  He has also been a member of the U.S. College Hockey On-Line Poll Committee.

Freeman holds a Bachelor’s Degree from U.W. Stevens Point, and a Master’s Degree in Education and Professional Development from UW-River Falls.  He is an avid buck hunter and fisherman.  Freeman and his wife Deb reside in River Falls.