St. Lawrence has announced the hiring of assistant coach Mike Aikens to complete the Saints’ men’s hockey coaching staff for the 2022-23 season.
Aikens spent last season as the head coach of the NAHL’s Anchorage Wolverines, leading the team to a 33-19-4 regular season record and an 8-2 record in the Robertson Cup playoffs, where the team advanced to the league finals.
“We are extremely excited to have Mike joining our program,” said St. Lawrence head coach Brent Brekke in a statement. “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 most recent success was in the NAHL, leading the Anchorage Wolverines to the league finals. 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.”
Prior to his time with the Wolverines, Aikens worked in sports performance and was a hockey trainer at the Olmstead Medical Center in Rochester, Minn.
Aikens has extensive coaching experience at the junior level, serving as a head coach for the Rochester Mustangs, Billings Bulls, Williams Lake Timberwolves, Omaha Lancers, and Wolverines, and has been an assistant coach for the Omaha Lancers, Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks, Chicago Steel, and the Topeka Roadrunners.
“I am excited about the opportunity to work with Coach Brekke and Coach Hill here at St. Lawrence University,” said Aikens. “I look forward to contributing to the development of our student-athletes both on the ice and in the classroom. The St. Lawrence hockey program has a storied past, and I am happy to be a part of the family here as we continue to build off the positive culture this staff has created.”
Aikens holds a bachelor of science degree in business from Bellevue University.
As an athlete, Aikens played for Denver for 27 games in 1990-91, scoring five goals and tallying four assists his freshman year before being suffering an injury and moving into a student coaching role with the Pioneers.
