Marquette Iron Rangers
Order classic Marquette Iron Rangers tees, hoodies, hats, jerseys, pint glasses and more. Playing at the historic Palestra, the Iron Rangers had the Carlson brothers, two of them of Slap Shot fame, on the roster in 1973-74, and in 1969 they became the first team to pay a woman, goalie Karen Koch, to play hockey. Celebrate Upper Peninsula hockey by browsing all of our Iron Rangers gear, then read the team history below. Every design comes from an American small business devoted to preserving the history of fondly remembered and long-lost hockey teams.
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Marquette Iron Rangers History
The Marquette Iron Rangers were a semi-pro hockey team based in Marquette, Michigan from 1964-76. They played at the historic Palestra in Marquette. The team is named for the large deposits of iron that are prevalent around Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and in northeastern Minnesota. The team is also known for the Carlson brothers -- two of whom played Hanson brothers in Slap Shot -- who played a season in Marquette in 1973-74. Probably the Iron Rangers' best season was 1968-69 when they topped the league with 31 wins in 38 games.
The Iron Rangers also have another historical note - they were the first team to pay a woman to play ice hockey. Karen Koch tried out -- and made -- the team for the 1969-70 season as the third goalie in the USHL making $40 per game. This was back when the USHL was semi-pro as opposed to its non-paying, amateur status today.
A portion of the proceeds from sales of Iron Rangers merchandise is donated to the Oakie Brumm/Iron Ranger Memorial Scholarship Fund.
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