Wausau RiverWolves owner Duncan Woodhull has agreed to transfer ownership of the team, a member of the North American 3 Hockey League, to Hockey Management Group, LLC. Hockey Management Group, LLC consists of Brad Fehl, Brian Brandt Jr, Corey Garrett, Hannah Westbrook and Curt White.
Going forward the team will be rebranded as the Wausau Cyclones, which has a rich history in Central Wisconsin. The original Wausau Cyclones were founded in 1972 by Walter “Coke” Fehl and played at Marathon Park into the early 2000’s.
"Our ownership group is excited to bring back some local hockey history in the Cyclones, but also share it with the greater Central Wisconsin community. Hockey has a deep and rich tradition in Central Wisconsin, and we want to continue to add to that. We look forward to the Cyclones being a regional asset for the development of hockey skills, personal growth that enhances players and coaches of all ages and providing entertainment and service to the community we know and love,” stated Cyclones Hockey Ownership.
Brad Fehl grew up around the game of hockey as his father, Walter “Coke” Fehl was instrumental in starting up local youth hockey programs in Wausau. In 1972, Walter founded the Wausau Cyclone Men’s Senior Hockey team; our family worked extremely hard to give local high school area graduates a place to continue their hockey aspirations. Brad’s dad was the owner/coach, with his mom selling tickets and sponsorship as needed and he was always found helping prep for games and running the scoreboard. As his father had done, he found himself in leadership and coaching roles for Wausau area youth teams. Fehl has always been passionate about giving back to the community. He currently sits on two Board of Director positions; one is a local scholarship endowment and the other is with Marathon County Youth Hockey.
Brian Brandt Jr. was born and raised in Wausau, WI. He has been involved in various levels of hockey since returning to Wausau in 2005. Brian is passionate about player/coach development and giving them the tools to advance themselves in the sport and being great members of the community that has given so much to him. As a coach with Wausau West High School Brandt has seen numerous players advance their hockey careers, including the USHL (8), NAHL (12), DIII (6) and DI (7).
Hannah Westbrook grew up in Laramie, Wyoming. Westbrook played Division 1 college hockey the University of Vermont where she got her bachelor’s degree in Community Development and Applied Economics with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. After graduating from college, she went on to play professionally for three years in Sweden, Finland, and Australia. Hannah currently resides in Denver, where she is an ambassador for women’s hockey serving as a director for the Colorado Select, and is an on-ice skills and power skating coach.
Corey Garrett grew up in Wausau and graduated from Wausau West High School in 2006. Garrett played high school hockey under Pete Susen's before playing collegiately at Lawrence University. Following college, he played professionally in Finland. Garrett have been coaching hockey since 2008 and is currently a volunteer assistant with Wausau West High School.
Curt White began his business activities as a Co-Op at Dow Chemical in 1962. He has specialized in antimicrobial agents and he has been involved in invention (50 patents), development, regulatory compliance, and commercialization of technologies for the control and elimination of bacteria, fungi, algae, and viruses that cause deterioration, staining and human, plant, and animal health and well-being problems. Curt has worked at Dow Chemical and built, with talented partners and support, and sold several companies. Curt now consults with startup and developmental technology companies on a global scale. He has been a sports participant, coach, and fan all of his life. Curt shares the vision of the founding partners of the Wausau Cyclones for the team to become a regional asset for the development of hockey skills and personal growth that enhances players of all ages and their lives, the community, the country, and the world. These are values that are fortified by coaches, family, and community with the Cyclones as a platform. Curt and his wife Pat live in Wausau and have two children: Andy and his wife Kori and their sons Thomas and Arthur and Kelly and her husband Brian (BJ) Brandt Jr. and their children Davis, Kate, Ali, and Emma.
All current staff will stay in place, including Director of Business Operations Zach Serwe, Head Coach Colin Bailey and Assistant Coach Jonah Williams.