A Rochester Mustangs reunion: Aikens to join Brekke's staff at Division I St. Lawrence

Sep. 8—Mike Aikens was in the coaches' office in Anchorage, Alaska, two weeks ago, when his phone buzzed during a break between two-a-day practices with the North American Hockey League's Anchorage Wolverines.

The name and number were quite familiar to Aikens, and the opportunity that came with the call was one he couldn't pass up.

Brent Brekke, a teammate of Aikens' with the USHL's Rochester Grizzlies during the 1989-90 season and the current head coach of the NCAA Division I St. Lawrence University men's hockey team was on the other end.

The Saints had an opening on their coaching staff and Brekke knew exactly who he wanted to fill it — his former junior hockey teammate, a guy who led a first-year NAHL franchise to the league's championship game a year ago.

"I've known Brent for over 30 years," Aikens, a 1988 John Marshall graduate and former three-year Rochester Grizzlies assistant coach, said. "And Tommy Hill, the other assistant coach, I coached him in Topeka (in the NAHL in 2007-08), so I have a really good relationship with these guys already. I think it's a great opportunity at the Division I level with guys I trust and more importantly they trust me to step in and contribute."

The chance to coach at the Division I college level again was far too good for Aikens to pass up. He's coached at every level of junior hockey over the past three decades, but it's been 27 years since he was a Division I college coach — since the 1994-95 season at Denver University, his alma mater.

It's been a whirlwind two weeks for Aikens, who flew to Canton, N.Y., last week to watch the Saints practice and tour the community, the campus and the hockey facilities (the university and donors have put close to $20 million, Aikens said, into revitalizing 3,200-seat Appleton Arena as well as the men's and women's hockey locker rooms, coaches offices and training facilities.

Brekke has coached at the Division I level since 1999, as an assistant coach at Cornell, then at Miami (Ohio) and Clarkson, before becoming the head coach at St. Lawrence. He knew exactly what he was looking for in an assistant.

"I came out and watched practice, flew home (to Rochester), got in the truck and pulled a U-Haul out here a few days later," Aikens said with a laugh. "I've been on the ice this week with the guys. ... (Brekke) is very detailed, he's a very good teacher. He's done this for a long time, was an assistant at some very good programs.

"Now he has the reins as a head coach. He's ready for it, he's good at what he does and he has a great relationship with the players. I can already see that. He's a very upbeat, positive guy. He'll be demanding, but he's not a yeller or a screamer."

The toughest part of the process, Aikens said, was saying goodbye to the players, assistant coaches and staff in Anchorage.

Aikens and Director of Hockey Operations Keith Morris built last year's inaugural team from the ground up and molded it throughout the season, then led it to the Robertson Cup final, the NAHL's championship game, on May 24, when the Wolverines fell to New Jersey 3-0 at Fogarty Ice Arena in Minneapolis.

"We had a Friday afternoon practice and I knew I wasn't going to see the guys again," Aikens said of the Anchorage players. "I made the announcement to the team ... it was emotional, an amazing experience, the veteran players lining up for hugs and goodbyes. ... Some had tears in their eyes. It's a tight group, we developed quite a bond last year. That was a big part of our success, how much we cared for each other."

The Wolverines' success a year ago opened eyes around the high ranks of junior hockey, and college hockey, as to Aikens' ability to lead and build a team. He'll share recruiting duties at St. Lawrence with Hill, something Aikens said he's looking forward to. He'll also work with the Saints' power play and, if he's not on the road recruiting, he'll run the team's defensemen during games.

He said assistant coach Evan Trupp, an Anchorage native and former Division I player at North Dakota, will take over as Anchorage's head coach.

"Absolutely it helped," Aikens said of Anchorage's quick success. "I think it raised a lot of eyebrows, people recognized what we did up there.

"The owners, the coaches, the players, volunteers, billet families — without all of those people I wouldn't have gotten this opportunity this year. They made it possible.

"It's a testament to the NAHL, the Anchorage Wolverines, the commitment to that ladder of development — to move guys on, whether it's players, coaches or officials."

When Aikens took the job as the Rochester Grizzlies' inaugural assistant coach four years ago, he had been out of coaching for more than five years. He said at the time his goal was to work his way back up to a Division I job. He's done that faster than many people — perhaps even himself — could have anticipated.

"The success of the Grizzlies certainly helped," he said. "The success we had in Anchorage certainly helped. Those teams were both built well early, were contending for national championships right away.

"I wasn't necessarily out looking for this job, but when the phone rang and it's a guy who I've known for a long time and respect what he's done ... It's a great university out here, beautiful facility and setup for players and the program."

The Saints play in the ECAC Hockey Conference and have annually improved throughout the season under Brekke's guidance. They won the ECAC playoff championship in 2021, then had to withdraw from the NCAA tournament before it started due to positive COVID tests.

"We are extremely excited to have Mike joining our program," Brekke said in a press release. "He brings a lot of experience, knowledge and passion for the game. Mike has been deeply rooted in the junior hockey ranks for many years now. ... His experience in the NAHL, USHL, and BCHL have created a vast network of coaches and scouts. This aspect, combined with Mike's eye for talent will be a great asset for our program."

Last season, the Saints went 11-19-7, but knocked off Brown University in a first-round playoff series before having their season end in a double-OT loss to nationally ranked Quinnipiac.

"It's a great opportunity," Aikens said, "a game changer for our family."