MEN'S HOCKEY: Mike Lee Feature Story by Jake Laxen

Monday, February 8, 2010

By Jake Laxen
SCSU Athletic Media Relations

It was fresh into the New Year. Jan. 5 to be exact.

There was a packed arena in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with a high intense overtime atmosphere. St. Cloud State freshman goalie Mike Lee leaned up against the edge of the bench as his teammate John Carlson winded up for a shot.

Lee had played the first 23 minutes and 56 seconds of the game. But while he had been on the bench for the second half of the game, he was about to skate back out on the ice for a moment he’ll never forget.

Carlson’s shot ended up as the game-winner in Team USA’s 6-5 overtime win at the 2010 World Junior Championships title game. Celebration ensued.

"It was one big dog pile out on the ice," Lee said. "Everybody was screaming. That celebration is one of my best memories of my hockey career."

Lee was a world champion.

He helped beat Slovakia and Latvia in opening round of the tournament.  In the championship round, he was the goalie of record for Team USA in the squad's wins over Finland and Sweden.

"It was unbelievable, a dream come true," Lee said. "You dream about playing on a stage like that and playing for a gold medal."

It’s a celebration that Lee hopes to have in his tenure at St. Cloud State. And it’s one Team USA head coach Dean Blais predicted to ESPN.com last year, because he said he thinks Lee could help lead the Huskies to the program’s first national title.

Talk about pressure to live up to.

But for Lee, pressure has been a constant theme his whole career.

He grew up in the hockey-crazed town of Roseau. The hometown of hockey legend Neal Broten.

While it has a population of around just 2,800 people, hockey is practically a religion. There are three different indoor rinks that are often packed with young players out on the ice.

"It’s truly a hockey crazy town," Lee said. "You compare it a lot to Texas towns where they look for football. Well in Minnesota hockey is huge. And Roseau has a strong tradition and great history. Plus growing up there provides a ton of opportunities to play.

"With all the rinks, you can always find ice time to go out and try to improve yourself. I’m very fortunate to have grown up there."

Like most youth hockey programs, in Roseau everybody gets a crack at playing the goalie position. Lee mixed playing forward and goalie at the youngest levels of the game.

But for Lee, there was always something about the position he admired. So, when he was in the third grade he decided to move to the goalie position full-time.

"I finally got sick of rotating out of it," Lee said. "I just loved playing goalie. It was a great thing when I moved there full-time, I felt just right at home. My parents couldn’t keep me out of the crease."

And nobody could stop Lee from watching goalies. At a young age he watched many NHL games trying to pick up important tools for the goalie position.

"The main thing for me was just watching goalies," Lee said. "I really didn’t start working with goalie coaches until high school. I just watched goalies on TV or high school goalies when I went to games. It was the biggest factor in how I developed."

His favorite to watch? None other than former Colorado Avalanche star Patrick Roy.

"Roy was definitely the biggest influence one me," Lee said. "It was just his fire and passion. The way he competed. The passion he played with is something I still try to imitate. He was one of the best goalies of his time."

Like Roy, Lee had playoff success.

He started as a sophomore for Roseau High School and earned a early reputation by anchoring the 2007 state title team for the Rams.

Lee ended up leaving at the end of his senior year to join the expansion Fargo Force USHL juniors franchise where Blais was his head coach. Lee furthered his reputation there by posting a 2.40 GAA and .918 save percentage and going 26-15-4 in 48 games.

It helped him earn USHL Goalie of the Year and USA Hockey Junior Hockey Goalie of the Year honors.

"It was a great experience," Lee said. "To start with a new franchise there is all the excitement. Expectations weren’t very high but we accomplished a lot of great things."

Lee’s play helped him become the first American-born goalie taken in this year's NHL draft. He was taken with the 91st overall pick by the Phoenix Coyotes in the third round.

He then was excited to come to St. Cloud State, a program that has been a national powerhouse over the past decade.

"It was the coaching staff and direction the program was headed in that most convinced me to come here," Lee said. "It felt like the right fit overall. There were a lot of good recruits coming in here. They were the kind of players who really wanted to win.

"Plus I was able to make it to a couple games here and the National Hockey Center is special place in college hockey. I really enjoyed the atmosphere."

Lee came into SCSU as one of the first two players in the program history born in the 1990’s with Ben Hanowski, who was born 13 days after Lee.

He also came in with the same high expectations that has followed him throughout his career.

"We are excited about the addition of Mike Lee to St. Cloud State," Bob Motzko said before the season.  "He made great strides as a goaltender over the last few years and he shows all the signs of being an elite collegiate goalie."

With an 8-6-3 record, a 2.40 goals allowed average and a gold medal to his name he’s well on his way.