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Willard Ikola: Humble Giant

From Eveleth to Edina, the legendary player and coach left his mark.

A life-size bronze statue of Willard Ikola stands outside Braemar Arena, 7501 Ikola Way, Edina. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

From Eveleth to Edina, the legendary player and coach left his mark.

Heather Rule writes about the legendary player and coach, Willard Ikola.

This story was originally published in the 2025 MN State High School Hockey Tournament Guide.

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Heather's love for watching hockey started when the Minnesota Wild came to town in 2000. Before that, she caught a few Minnesota Moose games as a youngster, and more recently she's kept up with the Austin Bruins and Fargo Force. She's a freelance journalist who previously worked as a news reporter in Austin and Fergus Falls, Minn. She enjoys watching sports and closely follows the Wild, Minnesota Twins, IndyCar Series, tennis and prep sports. Heather keeps up her sports blog Thoughts from the Stands. You can follow her on Twitter/X @hlrule or Instagram @hlrule.

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