Wisconsin Hockey Wall of Fame

Terry Klay

 

Terry Klay grew up in International Falls, Minnesota where he played during his youth hockey years. After high school and time serving our country, he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where he played for one season. Terry moved to Wausau on January 1, 1976. On January 2nd, he found the ice arena and began skating! In the fall of ’76, he set out on what would be a long coaching career. His first assignment, with the then Wausau Area Youth Hockey program, was coaching two teams. He had a Bantam and Squirt team. It seemed that he was gone constantly and as a newlywed, his wife Gail would come along to “assist” and support.

In 1980, Terry was hired at Wausau East High School as an assistant coach to Denny Overland. He coached with with him for years until Denny left the program. The next season, Terry’s role remained the same as East welcomed UW-Madison hockey standout, Tim Sager. Terry was with the East program for a total of twenty-one years. In a return to the past, he once again found himself at the youth level coaching PeeWees and Squirts for another fifteen years. In 2012, Terry joined a group of veteran Wausau coaches and was part of the developmental “Learn to Skate” program for mini-mites. Additionally, he was with the Badger State Games as the coordinator of hockey for sixteen years. Terry was also a high school and Division III hockey official refereeing around the state of Wisconsin.

He notes that one of his biggest thrills is now coaching players who are children of former youth and high school players. “My enthusiasm has not changed. I still have the passion like I was ten years old.”