Former MSU hockey great, gold medalist Weldon Olson dies at age 90

Weldon "Weldy" Olson played in a whole lot of big hockey games, but it was an exhibition that stood out above all the rest. In 1966, as part of a family reunion, he laced up his skates with his eight brothers and six of his nephews, and they played together in a charity event in Illinois that benefitted the March of Dimes.

The Olson team won, 14-5.

"You want to know who's on the dream team?" Olson once said. "That's when you're on the dream team."

Olson, who led Michigan State in goal-scoring all four years he played for the Spartans in the 1950s and went on to win silver and gold medals at the Olympics, died May 13 in Findlay, Ohio. He was 90.

Olson, a Marquette native, was one of the first big recruits by Amo Bessone after he took the Michigan State job, following a run at Michigan Tech, where he coached three of Olson's brothers.

Olson remains the only Michigan State player to lead the team in goal-scoring for four years, and he finished his Spartans career with a then-record 71 goals, 54 assists and 125 points. He never missed a game at Michigan State.

He was inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001, and gave a short and humble speech. He noted the speech came almost 50 years to the day that he arrived in East Lansing.

"Since a nervous young man from Marquette came to Michigan State," Olson said in his speech. "Now, you've got a nervous old man back at Michigan State."

Olson played at Michigan State from 1951-55, and was team MVP and co-captain during the early — and lean — years of Bessone's tenure, which lasted until 1979 and eventually included a national championship (1966) and a runner-up (1959), as well as a third-place showing (1967).

After college, he joined the USA national team that won a silver medal at the 1956 Olympics in Italy, and then a surprising gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in California. The 1960 team won Team USA's first gold medal in hockey. That was the "Miracle on Ice" before the "Miracle on Ice."

In 14 Olympic games, Olson scored seven goals. He also played on five world-championship teams.

In 1960, he retired from competitive hockey, "and I married the girl next door," he once said.

Olson and wife Helen, who survives him, were married for nearly 63 years, and they had three sons: Scott, Greg and Keith. Olson also is survived by one brother, Mark, and seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by nine siblings, including two sisters, whom he called the best skaters in a family full of skaters.

"We had one terrific family experience," Olson, the youngest of 11, once said.

After his playing career, Olson stayed in hockey, as a coach, referee, official, board member and league administrator, at a variety of levels, according to his obituary.

Olson, a graduate of John D. Pierce High in Marquette, was inducted into several Halls of Fame, including Michigan State's, the Upper Peninsula's, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was honored by the NHL for a lifetime of service to hockey.

A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m., Saturday, June 10 at Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services in Marquette, with interment to follow.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984