By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com
Logan Lake first joined the Minnesota Moose out of an accomplished Midget career in Michigan in 2019.
Four years later, he closed an accomplished junior career with his third trip to the Nationals in four seasons, two of which saw him named as a USPHL Midwest West Division All-Star. All in all, he pulled the Moose jersey on for 175 combined regular season and playoff games, making him the Moose’s all-time leader in that category.
Lake also was the only Moose defenseman to ever pass the 100-point career mark, finishing with 115, including 98 career assists, also tops among Moose defensemen all-time. He takes all of this production and experience now to the NCAA level, where he’ll join Hamline University.
“I’ve been looking into Hamline for the past couple years and started talking to them more towards the end of this season,” said Lake, originally a native of Austin, Texas. “On the academic side, Hamline is a highly ranked school in the Midwest and has small class sizes, which will be a great fit with me being out of school for a couple years. On the hockey side, Hamline is a well-run program with a great coaching staff, awesome facilities, and an overall good team.”
Hamline, a program that saw its birth in 2001, has made two NCAA trips in its history, and its’ 13-win season in 2022-23 was its best since hitting 14 in 2014-15, when the Pipers also made their last trip to the NCAA tournament. Lake is looking forward to contributing to that continued success, and he’ll be joined at Hamline by high-scoring Moose forward Ryan Mulrenin.
“I like the area Hamline is in [St. Paul, Minn.], and with the school being small, I’ll be able to get more focus from teachers in the classroom and be able to learn and stay on task more with the small classroom sizes,” he said, additionally stating that he plans to study business.
That shouldn’t come as any surprise, considering Lake was all business every time he stepped on the ice for the Moose. He looks back on his four years with Head Coach Jon Jonasson with great fondness for the program, located in Blaine, Minn., not very far from his new college home.
“I think the Moose as an organization are one of the best-run programs in the USPHL and they have a great staff that would do anything for you. The Moose are a winning mindset organization and that’s what brought us to the National tournament three out of the fouor seasons I was with them,” said Lake. “They do a really good job at recruiting fine young men that really mesh well in and out of the locker room. Everyone has their own families, but you know coming into every season that you’re going to have a group of people that you can call your second family.”
Lake left the Moose with a combined +114 rating, never finishing below +20 for a season and hitting a high of +39 in 2020-21. He certainly benefited from everything Jonasson and the Moose staff could teach him.
“I think the Moose’s defenseman development helps prepare you for higher levels by breaking out and regrouping fast and getting your feet and the puck moving up the ice quickly,” he added.
The United States Premier Hockey League provided the canvas upon which Lake was able to practice his art, in locales as wide-ranging as Massachusetts, Virginia, New York and Chicago, just to name a few. The Nation’s Largest Junior League gave him a chance to be seen by coaches from all over the country, but he’s certainly happy coaches from right within Minnesota turned out to be the right choice.
“I think the USPHL is an underrated league that is very competitive and brings in a lot of opportunities for the NCAA,” he said.
Logan Lake has a number of distinct portions of his game he will focus on this season, as he wants to be the best player he can be when he first dons a Piper jersey in St. Paul.
“I’m going to continue staying in condition, speed training, utilizing shot opportunities, and train hard in the gym,” he said.
The USPHL congratulates Logan Lake, his family, the Minnesota Moose and Hamline University for his commitment.
