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History
Portage Lakers - Established 1903
Article Link - United States Hockey Hall of Fame - John "Doc" Gibson
Gibson, a graduate of the Detroit Medical School, was a fine player in Canada and was prevailed upon by the late Merv Youngs, then a cub reporter and later editor of the Houghton Mining Gazette, to join the Portage Lake (Houghton-Hancock) organization. Gibson was a native of Berlin, Ontario, now Kitchener.
The new hockey team, fashioned by the late James R. Dee, was built around Gibson as captain. It was called the Portage Lakers.
A team known as the Portage Lakes which formed in 1899 had pretty much dominated the Hockey scene for years.
Mostly composed of Canadian imports who were too good to play as amateurs in their Amateur Canadian Leagues. By 1904 (IPHL) they were fully paid.
In 1904 as Champions of America, they played off against the Montreal Wanderers for the world championship winning decisively by scores of 8-4 and 9-2 becoming the World Champions!
By 1905 they issued a Stanley cup Challenge to the Ottawa Silver Seven(Senators) but were denied due to their professional status.
Again in 1906 they were denied a challenge by the Stanley Cup holding Wanderers.
With this, the Lakers and pro league dissolved by 1907.
Copper Country Hockey History - Timeline 1904-07
