Former Gophers hockey player and US Olympian Len Lilyholm among 3 killed in Iowa car crash

Former University of Minnesota hockey player and U.S. Olympian Len Lilyholm has died.

Lilyholm and his wife were among three people killed in a head-on crash last weekend in northern Iowa. Authorities say Lilyholm went over the median and collided with an oncoming vehicle. The driver of that vehicle died, along with Lilyholm and his wife, Carol.

Lilyholm played with the Gophers in the early 1960s before playing for Team USA in the 1968 Winter Olympics.

Minnesota hockey legend Lou Nanne was Lilyholm’s teammate.

“Just a fantastic guy, a wonderful friend, a great teammate,” Nanne said. “He is one of the most decent and nice human beings you will ever meet. I love the guy and his wife. “The loss we had with the death of those two is just tragic.”

Lilyholm was 83 years old.