Cow chips make national champions
Mark “Greenie” Greenhalgh. Photo credit: Wisconsin Athletics
Nestled in the country right outside the city of Janesville, Wisconsin was a small pond across the road from Mark “Greenie” Greenhalgh’s childhood home. When the pond wasn’t frozen from the Wisconsin winters, Greenie would see lots of cows over there having a drink.
When it was frozen? It was all Greenie’s.
“That was probably the first place I ever skated,” said Greenie. “It was the early 60’s. I had a used pair of hockey skates and would go over there to skate around and then play hockey. We would literally use a chunk of frozen cow chip for a puck or a crumpled up Schlitz malt liquor can. And branches for sticks.”
No one in Greenie’s family or neighborhood played hockey at the time. But between cow chips and watching the Blackhawks games on WGN Channel 9, began a love for the sport that remains strong in Greenie today.
“We lived on a hill and could get WGN clear as a bell,” recalled Greenie. “And there were only six teams in the NHL back then, so you could watch any team in the league.”
Janesville had an outdoor hockey rink at Traxler Park for the community where he would later go to play. Greenie would go and watch the men’s league. Right next to the rink stood a green army locker where goalie equipment was kept for others to use.
“Once, my friend’s dad who coached and played in the men’s league needed a goalie,” said Greenie. “I was there, so I said I would try it! I got in the net and played with the guys and managed to stop a few pucks.”
Greenie never left the goal after that. By Pee-Wees, he was playing in the net for a city league that was put together by local churches. His first year as a Bantam was still all outdoors. During his high school years (which were three years back then. Freshmen year was considered Jr. High), Greenie ventured to Rockton, Ill. right on the Wisconsin and Illinois border to play at the Wagon Wheel – an indoor rink.
“It was the premiere place at the time,” said Greenie. “One of the first places to have an indoor rink and renowned for figure skating. It became my home rink in high school, and we would practice there twice a week. By then, Janesville had two hockey teams, Janesville Parker and Craig. I played for Parker, but most of the guys I played with growing up played for Craig. Today, there is only one team in Janesville, but I always appreciated that Janesville was able to make that possible for all of us to play.”
While Greenie’s high school years didn’t see any state trophies, a game he will never forget occurred during his senior year at the Wagon Wheel against Madison Memorial – one of the league’s best teams.
“We beat Memorial that day 1-0,” said Greenie. “It was one of five games we won that year. We had a guy on our team by the name of Nick Nichols whose dad survived the Bataan Death March – so imagine the type of guy Nichols was. We fended Memorial off the first period and then in the second, Nichols shoots the puck on the left wing from the blue line and hits the back of the net. A rocket. We got the shutout and won. It reminded me to never take any opponent for granted.”
That reminder served Greenie well as he began college at UW-Madison. With no intention of playing hockey for the Badgers, he went to the UW to pursue a civil engineering degree.
“My first class was at 7:45 a.m., a real freshmen move,” laughed Greenie. “I’m in this class and I meet Mike Eaves. No one knows him at the time, but we get talking and it leads to hockey. He encourages me to tryout and walk-on, but I don’t think he knew where I came from.”
Eaves was persistent. He told Greenie where Coach Bob Johnson’s office was in Camp Randall and that his secretary would get him all set up with equipment and a physical.
“After my last class of the day, I went to his office,” said Greenie. “There he was, classic Bob ‘Hawk’ Johnson sitting at the back of his desk. I introduced myself and asked if I could tryout. He told me, ‘alright’ and to be at Shell Ice the next day.”
At the Shell, Greenie put on his gear and found Coach Johnson standing in the slot in front of the net with 20 pucks.
“He tells me to get in the net,” said Greenie. “And, this particular practice was for varsity. There was a JV team, but I had to tryout with varsity. I hadn’t skated since February, but he starts shooting these pucks at me and I just start sweating. Later on, he went up to the cat-walk and had his two assistant coaches take over to referee an intrasquad scrimmage. About 90 seconds into the game, a fight breaks out and the goalie, Dick Perkins gets ejected…I was his backup.”
Greenie was one of three goalies kept on the JV team out of the nine that tried out. Around December of that season, he got called up to Varsity. The following year, Coach Johnson was tasked with coaching the 1976 Olympic team, and Greenie realized he needed to pay for schooling and wasn’t going to be playing much from where he was in the team. He decided to play for the Madison Blues in the Continental Hockey League for his sophomore and junior seasons but the memories of his year with the Badgers are ones he holds close today.
“Our freshmen class of guys on that team are people I think the world of,” said Greenie. “Everyone in the program are all just really good people. They are my friends for the rest of my life.”
The Badger program will always be part of Greenie’s life – literally and figuratively. Today heading into his 15th year as the Volunteer Assistant Coach for the UW-Badger women’s hockey program, it’s been literally. After building his coaching resume while growing his career as a safety professional working in Los Angeles, Whitewater and Madison, long-time friend and childhood opponent Mark Johnson wanted Greenie on his team.
“I have four national title rings and a boatload of memories with wonderful people,” said Greenie. “Hockey has created all of this for me. I didn’t know any better. I just did what I loved to do. I just feel really lucky to be part of it all.”
Photo credit: Wisconsin Athletics