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Four enshrined in Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame

By Michael Trzinski & Submitted, 09/14/14, 7:15AM CDT

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Jerry Tighe and Kuklinski brothers make up 'Class of 2014'

Four hockey legends were enshrined in the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame last Saturday in Eagle River.

Jerry Tighe, and Tom, Jeff, and Gary Kuklinski made up the 'Class of 2014' that joined 107 previous inductees in the Hall of Fame.

Gary Kuklinski

Gary Kuklinski, along with his brothers, was raised in Mosinee where he played his youth hockey, contributing to State Championships at the Peewee and Bantam levels.

He went on to play for the Wisconsin Badgers under “Badger” Bob Johnson, winning a full scholarship after making the varsity lineup.

He played for the semi-pro Central Wisconsin Flyers for one season, and for the Mosinee Papermakers for 13 years where he helped win three state tournaments and numerous league titles. He then went on to play no-check hockey for more than 20 years.

Gary Kuklinski’s coaching career included all levels from Mites to Bantams and two years as the Mosinee High School head coach. He has served both as the head coach and assistant coach for the Papermakers since 1995 helping them to six league titles, four league tournaments and two national championships.

He has returned to his roots and is working on the next generation as he coaches Learn to Skate and Mini-Mites and plans to continue in that role as long as he can. He has spent numerous hours as a volunteer helping to develop the arena in Mosinee.

Gary is a self-employed contractor. He and his wife Susan have three children, Keith, Kurt and Kevin.


Gary Kuklinski

jeff kuklinski

Jeff Kuklinski, the youngest of the brothers carried on the family tradition of hockey including a number of State Championships at the youth level. He was a member of the first varsity high school team in Mosinee and led the Indians twice to the WIAA State Tournament.

Following two years of hockey at UW-River Falls, he played semi-pro hockey for the Central Wisconsin Flyers and then the Waterloo Blackhawks.

In 1975, he began a 16-year career with the Mosinee Papermakers. During that time, the Papermakers won two State Championships, and Jeff was twice voted Defensemen of the Year. He also played in four All-Star Games and three National Tournaments. In his last three years, he was the team’s player-coach.

He followed this with consecutive yearly appearances in the Badger State Winter Games, winning eight gold medals, three silvers and five bronze. He also served as the Badger State Games Adult Coordinator for several years.

Like his brother Gary, Jeff Kuklinski helped with fund-raising and worked on many of the projects that resulted in what the Mosinee ice facility is today. He coached in the youth program at all levels and served a number of terms on the Mosinee Youth Hockey Board, and two years as its president. Jeff Kuklinski also served one term as a member of the WAHA Board of Directors.

Jeff is a self-employed contractor. He and his wife Gayle have three children, Jocelyn, Brock and Chaylan.


Jeff Kuklinski

tom kuklinski

Tom Kuklinski, now of Hayward, grew up playing youth hockey in Mosinee, but, unlike them, Tom pursued hockey as a way of life, in the form of coaching. He played on nine State Championship youth teams, and participated in the 1965 National Bantam Tournament in Detroit. With no high school team to play on, Tom played with the Mosinee Papermakers until walking on with Badgers, eventually earning a spot with Badger Bob’s team, and playing on the first National Championship Badger team in 1973.

After college, he began his high school coaching career at Stevens Point, and then returned to Mosinee where he served three years as the high school head coach.

He then began a 20-year career as the head coach at Eau Claire North, where he won two conference championships, as well as WIAA Sectional Championships in 1991, 1993 and 1995. He was three times named Coach of the Year by the Northwest Conference, and again by the Big Rivers Conference.

He received the Eau Claire Youth Hockey Richard G. O’Brien Distinguished Service Award in 2000, and was inducted into the Eau Claire Center Ice Club Hall of Fame in 2007.

Over all of these years, he also played for the Papermakers for almost 20 years, the semi-pro Central Wisconsin Flyers and Chippewa Falls Blades, as well as numerous Badger State Winter Games teams, winning five gold medals, and continues to play no-check hockey to this day.

Tom Kuklinski’s hockey journey would then take him north to Hayward, where he would become the principal at Hayward High School, and would immerse himself once again in this hockey community. Whether it was coaching Mites or Bantams, or acting as Steve Kirley’s assistant for the boys varsity or as Steve Billing's girls varsity goalie coach, he continued his pursuit of excellence in the the game and became even more involved in the sport.

He is also a charter member of the the Wisconsin High School Hockey Coaches Association. He has served both USA Hockey and WAHA, working coaching clinics and select camps throughout his career. He has worked camps and clinics for almost four decades, and is one of those hockey guys who can’t seem to say No when asked to fill in or contribute, even at the last minute.

Tom holds a Masters Degree in Educational Administration and is retired from the Hayward School system. He and his wife Gail reside in Hayward and have two children, Eric and Julie.


Tom Kuklinski

jerry tighe

Jerry Tighe was born on December 9, 1933 in Leroy, Wisconsin, where he spent his youth, and then graduated from Mayville High School in 1952.

Although Jerry never played hockey himself--the ice rink, the love of the game, and all that comes with it-- was his passion. This devotion led him to the Fond du Lac Blue Line Hockey Association, where he was a leader, long-time member and diligent volunteer.

He was instrumental in procuring a year round sheet of ice at the Fond du Lac rink in 1971. He served the Fond du Lac BLHA on the board of directors, including the role of board secretary and president. He began his coaching with the BLHA youth program in 1972. Youth coaching titles included state champions for Squirt AA in 1975; state champions for Peewee AA in 1978; state champions for Bantams in 1979 and Mid-America, Park Ridge IL tournament champions in 1980.

Jerry’s legendary role as a youth hockey supporter spurred him to help in spearheading the addition of varsity hockey to the St. Mary’s Springs High School athletic program.

Read complete bio on

Wisconsin Prep Hockey


Jerry Tighe