Louis Erickson

 

One of the early promoters of hockey in the State of Wisconsin, Louis Erickson would coach kids who would later become the founding generation of the modern era of ice hockey in the Badger State. A graduate of Carroll College where he won fifteen letters, Erickson went on to coach hockey, football, tennis, track, cross country and basketball at the high school level, as well as serving as the athletic director at Shorewood High School for 27 years. Erickson started ice hockey at Shorewood High in 1927 with the Milwaukee River serving as the ice sheet. After losing the rink numerous times to January thaws, he managed to have the rink moved to one of the high school’s athletic fields in order to provide a safer and more stable environment on which to play the game. Players from his teams went on to play college, senior and club hockey. Erickson organized the Southeastern Prep Hockey League which included teams from Wauwatosa, St. Francis, Milwaukee Country Day, Messmer, St. John’s, Northwestern Prep and Marquette. Erickson directly affected the lives of many young men in all sports, but paid particular attention to hockey and was labeled in at least one news article as a “hockey nut”. He not only passed on a love of the sport on the ice, but also took many of his players to Chicago for Blackhawk games at his own expense. Besides coaching hundreds of players during his career, he made the ice sheet available to hundreds of more youngsters and developed new players by encouraging and teaching skating and hockey skills. Promoting the sport of hockey, Erickson helped other teams in the metro area such as the Milwaukee Flyers and the Milwaukee Buicks, and encouraged amateur play by organizing a county adult league for Sunday afternoon.