The caramel cold brew with a shot of cream makes its way to Mike Brown every morning without even having to ask for it. The staff at Superior Cafe loves the Lake Superior State University hockey team, so the Belmont resident never needs to tell them what he wants.
After every Lakers home game, kids wait outside the Taffy Abel Arena to get autographs from Brown and his teammates. It’s the new life for the big fish in the small, hockey-crazed pond of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, a new vibe for the 23-year-old who transferred from Merrimack this year.
“One of the big things I was taught when I got [here] was that, because everyone knows you, you make a big impact on the community,” Brown said. “It’s awesome getting support from everyone and you need that in college hockey.”
Not that Merrimack doesn’t have fans, but after three years with the Warriors, Brown, who attended Belmont Public Schools until seventh grade, Belmont Hill for his freshman and sophomore years of high school and finished at Belmont High School “wanted a change.” Playing junior hockey in Ohio before enrolling at Merrimack left a lasting impression on the 6-foot-3, 215-pound defender.
“Obviously, I love my family and all my friends back home, but it’s very nice to kind of be alone and focus on my game, school and keep the noise out of my ears,” said Brown, who was home for the holidays in mid-December for the first time since July.
Lake Superior State University, commonly known as LSSU, lies just a few miles south of the Canadian border in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, part of the state’s Upper Peninsula. The school’s campus is a stone’s throw from the banks of Lake Superior.
Brown starred at Belmont Hill, played for the East Coast Wizards, Boston Jr. Eagles, and Boston Jr. Bruins, and appeared in the USA Hockey Player Development Camp during his amateur career. He spent one season and two games in juniors with the Youngstown, Ohio Phantoms of the United States Hockey League before enrolling at Merrimack in the fall of 2021.
Brown appeared in 21 games as a freshman with the Warriors and picked up an assist. He developed into a regular as a sophomore, scoring four goals and tallying five assists across 33 games.
Brown did not play last year while recovering from a “pretty major” back surgery and tossed his name in the transfer portal as an academic senior with two years of eligibility remaining. Brown has appeared in 12 of the Laker’s first 18 games (8-9-1, 6-4-0 Central Collegiate Hockey Association), missing six contests from mid-October to mid-November with a lower-body injury. Brown averages more than a blocked shot per game, leading the team.
Brown said he loved the flair of Hockey East play at Merrimack, but the CCHA’s more physical nature better suits his game.
“Hockey East is loaded with talent, high-paced and run and gun, which I loved,” Brown said. “I’m a stay-at-home kind of defenseman who takes pride in my defensive abilities. The game [here] is a lot more physical and allows me to have time and space to retrieve pucks and make plays.”
Brown’s grandparents and parents visited LSSU for games this semester, and his father, Jim, often travels to the school’s road games.
Difficult to Play Against
Hockey is the only LSSU Division I sport. The rest of the aptly named Lakers sports compete in Division II. LSSU coach Damon Whitten said he didn’t expect to look in the transfer portal much for this year, but two freshman defenders left, forcing his hand.
Merrimack coach Scott Borek, who formerly coached at LSSU, gave Whitten a positive review on what Brown might bring to the Lakers program.
“He’s been tremendous for us,” Whitten said. “He’s loved in the locker room and has great character. On the ice, he’s the type of guy you win with. He’s extremely difficult to play against, partly because of his size and length. Your opponents have to be aware of where he’s at.”
Normally, Whitten and his staff begin to recruit 15- and 16-year-olds playing juniors. Finding and getting Brown, or any experienced upperclassmen, out of the transfer portal comes with a much different process.
“Obviously, a lot of this is adviser driven, the long-term relationships are with their advisors and you’re going through advisers quite a bit to sell your program and show the opportunities that exist for, in this case, Mike,” Whitten said. “Most of these guys in the portal are pursuing a better opportunity or a bigger role … and they want to play professional hockey.”
The coach believes Brown, who attended the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers’ development camp in 2023, is on track to go pro.
“With his simple, dependable, reliable, hard-to-play defenseman, a lot of teams will have interest in him,” Whitten said.
With two years of college eligibility left, Brown will finish his business finance major and is unsure whether to play professionally or complete one more year of college.
