The Edina Community sent their deepest condolences to Willard Ikola’s wife and the rest of his family.
Minnesota hockey legend Willard Ikola, who played with Eveleth and won three state high school titles before coaching Edian to eight more, passed away on January 20, 2025, at 92.
Highlights
- Legendary ice hockey coach Willard Ikola passed away at 92 for unspecified reasons.
- Willard Ikola met his wife Laurie Ikola in Michigan and tied the knot in 1962.
- Laurie and Willard had four children: Deb Becker, Matt Ikola, Steve Ikola, and Sarah Carter.
The memorial service of Willard will held on January 31, 2025, at 11 a.m., with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 4801 France Ave. S., Mpls.
Ikola started playing hockey at a young age while growing up in Eveleth on the Iron Range.
He was in goal as Eveleth High School won consecutive state titles in 1948, 1949, and 1950.
Ikola shared memories of those state tournament appearances in an MPR interview 1993. He told,
“We had a tremendous opportunity up there to play the game as youngsters. We had two inside arenas when I was up there, and of course, it was during the war years, when we were in the early grades there, in early junior high — and we had the opportunity to use those rinks because there was no city team or junior college team because of World War II,” he recalled. “Once we hit the high school squad, we were a pretty well-oiled machine.”
Willard Ikola
Ikola went on to play for the University of Michigan, where he won two national titles.
While serving in the U.S. Air Force, he played for the U.S. Olympic team and earned a silver medal at the 1958 Olympics in Italy.
He then began a 33-year run as Edina’s coach, leading the Hornets to eight state titles and 19 state tournament appearances.
In 1990, Ikola was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. He was also named Minnesota High School Hockey Coach of the Year six times before retiring in 1991.
Willard Ikola Had Four Children With His Wife, Laurie Ikola
Late ice hockey player and coach Willard Ikola and Laurie Ikola met in Michigan for the first time.
During one of the interviews, Willard said that his first meeting with Laurie was a blind date. After dating for several years, they married in 1962.
Willard Ikola, legendary Edina (Minn.) High School coach and 1956 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, passed away yesterday at 92. A 1990 USHHOF inductee, he leaves a lasting legacy.
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) January 21, 2025
Our condolences to his family and friends in the hockey community and beyond. pic.twitter.com/0k2Z0JNtWt
However, their married life ended after 63 years following the tragic death of Willard Ikola due to unspecified reasons.
Willard’s fans and relatives have condoned Laurie and Ikola’s family to stay strong in this challenging period.
Laurie and Willard were blessed with four children: Deb Becker, Matt Ikola, Steve Ikola, and Sarah Carter.
Willard’s daughter Deb Becker is married to Brad Becker, who played ice hockey at the University of North Dakota.
They share three children: Joe, Bryan, and Matt, who played college hockey at Air Force.
While Joe was on the Concordia college campus, he had the blue Team USA jersey his grandfather Willard wore during the 1956 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy.
Joe’s brother Bryan was a three-year letterman and a 2008 graduate of the Air Force Academy.
Whereas Matt has played 20 games for the Fargo-Moorhead Jets of the North American Hockey League in 2006-07.
On the other hand, Willard’s other daughter, Sarah Ikola, is married to Doug Carter.
Willard and Laurie’s son Matt Ikola married Amy B Parzyck in 1989 in Minnesota. Matt also played ice hockey at Edina Wast High School in the 1975-76 season.
(L-R) Matt Ikola, Willard Ikola, Steve Ikola from 1975-1976 @edinahornets @edinahistory pic.twitter.com/S9TkQnodpz
— Vintage MN Hockey (@VintageMNHockey) March 18, 2015
Their other son, Steve Ikola, followed his father Willard’s footsteps and played for the Bloomington Junior Stars in the United States Hockey League in the 1978-79 season.
Currently, Willard’s kids are mourning the tragic loss of their father.
Additional Information
- As head ice hockey coach at Edina High School and Edina East High School in Edina, Minnesota, Ikola compiled a 616-149-38 record, which is third-best in the nation and the second-most wins by any coach in Minnesota.
- Although he retired from coaching in 1991, he still stayed active in hockey by becoming a scout for the NHL’s New York Islanders.
- Ikola was of Finnish descent. His brother Roy Ikola was also an ice hockey goaltender.
