Wally Gacek
Walter Frank Gacek (June 26, 1926 – May 27, 2020) was a Canadian ice hockey player who was a member of the Michigan Wolverines team that won the first NCAA ice hockey championship in 1948. He played four years of hockey at Michigan from 1946 to 1949.[1]
Junior Hockey
Gacek grew up in
Winnipeg, Manitoba, and played for the St. James Canadians, a Winnipeg team that played in the 1944 western Canada junior hockey championship.[2]
University of Michigan
Gacek later enrolled at the University of Michigan. As a freshman in 1946, Gacek helped Michigan win the
Wally Grant and Ted Greer.[5] Each of the three linemates scored a third-period goal in Michigan's championship game against Dartmouth. Gacek led all scorers in the first Frozen Four with five goals and three assists for eight points.[4][5] His six points in the championship game (3 goals, 3 assists) remains the record for an NCAA championship game.[6] Gacek and Gordon McMillan scored goals five seconds apart in the third period against Dartmouth, which also remains a record for the fastest consecutive goals by a team in the championship round.[4][6] The hockey title capped off a year in which Michigan had also won the Rose Bowl and the conference basketball championship.[7]
Awards and honors
Award | Year | |
---|---|---|
AHCA Second Team All-American | 1947–48
|
[8] |
All-Tournament Second Team
|
1948, 1949 | [9] |
AHCA First Team All-American | 1948–49
|
[10] |
In 1949, he was selected as Michigan's Most Valuable Player.[11] In 2007, Gacek was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor.[12]
See also
References
- ^ "Obituary of Walter Frank GACEK | McInnis & Holloway, Fish Creek".
- ^ "Port Arthur Flyers Enter Western Junior Hockey Final: St. James Loses 4–2 in 4th Game". The Lethbridge Herald. 1944-03-28.
- ^ "Michigan and Gopher Hockey Teams Tie". The Evening Tribune. 1946-02-02.
- ^ a b c Theodore A. Breidenthal (1996-12-02). "Golden moments: Ice hockey championship celebrates 50th anniversary". The NCAA News.
- ^ ISBN 1-57167-115-3.
- ^ a b "Team Results" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Michigan Adds Puck Title to Growing Sports Record". Oakland Tribune. 1948-03-22.
- ^ "1947-1948 All-American Team". The American Hockey Coaches Association. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- ^ "1948-1949 All-American Team". The American Hockey Coaches Association. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ "Two Michigan Hockey Players Honored". Wisconsin State Journal. 1949-03-26.
- ^ "Hall of Honor". M Club.