As a college prospect from downstate Michigan in the early 1990s, current Lake Superior coach Damon Whitten was enamored by the college hockey juggernaut at the northeastern tip of the Upper Peninsula. 

“The first thing is the iconic jersey,” said Whitten, who saw the Lakers celebrate three natty champs when he was between ages 11 and 17. “That was the program that was ruling hockey.”

The bench boss for the Lakers’ incredible gold-silver-gold run from 1992 to 1994 was Jeff Jackson. His Lakers quite likely would have three-peated if Milwaukee’s Bradley Center had video review. The wide-eyed Whitten took it all in, infatuated by the warriors adorned in blue and gold. He yearned to be recruited by Jackson, but failed to catch his eye.

“I can’t honestly say why we didn’t recruit him,” Jackson said from his current office at Notre Dame. “It was always a challenge to see every kid, and see him enough to make decisions.” 

The fact that Whitten transitioned from goalie to wingman during his junior year in high school was clearly a factor why he never struck Jackson’s fancy. Whitten had to “settle” for Michigan State, where he enjoyed a solid career: reaching

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the Frozen Four in 1999 and going undefeated in eight Great Lakes Invitational games with the Sparties. 

But he will never forget his crush on the Sault’s dynasty. “I came up to Lake State and visited a couple of times, hoping and waiting for that offer,” Whittensaid . But that offer never materialized. 

Whitten shared his personal insights from his office high above Taffy Arena’s ice surface. Two hundred feet to the south were souvenirs from the Jackson era, gently rippling from the rafters. Whitten considers them beacons, not burdens. “You look around this arena, national championship banners, guys in the NHL, guys holding Stanley Cups all around,” Whitten said. “We have a rich tradition, a history we can sell.” 

After struggling his first four years coaching Lake State, Whitten finally enjoyed a season Lakers’ fans hadn’t experienced in over two decades: 20-plus wins (23) and a new addition to the trophy case—the program’s first Great Lakes Invitational title. It did not go unnoticed by Lake State’s proud hockey alums. “Those guys know nothing but the highest success,” Whitten said. “There’s excitement that maybe hasn’t been there for a while. Those echoes are stirring.”

Brian Rolston, a stalwart from the Lakers’ halcyon days, dropped in on his alma mater at USA Hockey Arena last December in Plymouth, Michigan. He watched Whitten’s gang manhandle his son Ryder and USA Hockey’s elite U-18 squad. “They remind me of our old teams,” Rolston said, bestowing a historic compliment. “They’re tough and hard to play against.”

Count the coaching legend down in South Bend as another fan of the Whitten turnaround. “Damon’s done a nice job up there,” Jackson said. “I’m happy they’re heading in the right direction, hopefully they take another step.”

Jackson, whose career has had more epic chapters than a Michener novel, will never cut ties to the program where he first became a big-time coach. “I root for them, I still contribute money up there, and have a scholarship endowed in my mom’s name,” Jackson, the second winningest active coach in the NCAA, said. “The program is still a part of me. It was a huge part of my life, my career. You never forget.”

The Lakers’ former coach has also played a role in the current Lake Superior squad. Zack Cisek, the volunteer assistant who helped guide Jackson’s Irish to the 2018 NCAA title game, needed a career boost over the offseason. Jackson made a point to invite the Lakers’ two primary coaches—Whitten and Mike York—to his cabin in the Upper Peninsula last summer. The primary reason was to advocate for his loyal assistant, and by the end of the night the deal was done—Cisek had his first paying job at the Division I level. It was a coaching asset that paid dividends for the Lakers renaissance in 2018-19.

Whitten exploits Cisek unapologetically, trying to emulate Jackson’s winning formula. It’s working. “You watch Jeff’s makeup at Notre Dame, you can steal a lot of good things,” Whitten said. “Zack Cisek came in from under Jeff, brought some of those areas you want to steal, install, and put in.” Coincidence or not, with Jackson’s protégé in the fold up in Sault Ste. Marie last season, the Lakers equaled the Notre Dame win total with 23.

Peering at the 2019-20 schedule, one can only wonder if the two-man mutual admiration society between the elder Jackson and the younger Whitten will continue. On the weekend of Oct. 26, Whitten’s Lakers will take a six-hour bus ride to South Bend, where his Lakers will take on the Jackson’s Golden Domers for a two-game series. Tune in, bring plenty of popcorn, and don’t change the channel until after Whitten and Jackson shake hands. Only one of the two men will be smiling.