Jim Roque became the ninth coach in the 42-year history of Lake Superior State hockey when he replaced Frank Anzalone in June of 2005. He is the second former Laker player to take the helm of the LSSU program.

During his first season (2005-06), he led the Lakers to a 15-14-7 finish and their first winning season since 1999-00. The Lakers also earned home ice for the first round of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Playoffs for the first time since that year.

The Lakers continued their upward climb in 2006-07 by finishing 21-19-3 and reaching the CCHA semifinals at Joe Louis Arena for the first time since 1995-96. Roque and his coaching staff mentored outstanding leaders during those two seasons, including Lowe’s Senior CLASS first-team and All-CCHA goaltender Jeff Jakaitis, All-CCHA defenseman Derek A. Smith and outstanding captains Steve McJannet, Barnabas Birkeland and Troy Schwab, who were the captains for three years. Smith made his National Hockey League debut with Ottawa during the 2009-10 season.

In 2007-08, a young Laker team got off to a 2-11-3 start, then closed with an 8-8-4 record during the second half. The 2008-09 team made big strides offensively, averaging 2.82 goals per game to rank fifth in the CCHA. The Lakers were 11-20-8 and finished 1-12 in games decided by one goal. The 2009-10 squad, featuring a veteran defense, also had its share of wire-to-wire thrillers and finished a much-improved 8-6 in one-goal games.

The Lakers are 85-108-39 during Roque’s six-year tenure, including 13-17-9 in 2010-11 while competing with 10 rookies. Led by CCHA All-Rookie Team goaltender Kevin Kapalka and senior forwards Rick Schofield and Will Acton, last year’s team beat Ohio State 4-0 and 3-2 to sweep a CCHA Playoff home series for the first time since 1996.

Roque began his third stint at Lake Superior State as an assistant coach in 2001-02. Previously, he was an assistant coach for the Lakers from 1987-91 and also in 1994-95. After six seasons as an assistant at Clarkson University, he returned to LSSU in 2001. Roque also spent two and one-half seasons coaching in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League from 1991-93.

During Roque’s assistant coach tenure from 2001-05, LSSU moved up in the CCHA standings after enduring three straight 12th-place finishes The Lakers improved to 11^th in 2003-04 and ninth in 2004-05. In 2005-06, they placed sixth in the CCHA and began to attract notice in the national polls.

Roque was a member of the LSSU coaching staff when it won the 1988 NCAA Championship, and he recruited the majority of the 1992 title team. He has played a role in all five NCAA Tournament appearances and was part of two CCHA playoff titles and two regular-season titles.

After graduating from LSSU in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in management, the Killarney, Ontario, native started his coaching career as an assistant under Anzalone and stayed on to work with LSSU Hall of Fame coach Jeff Jackson. This is his 16th overall season as a coach at LSSU.

Roque played for the Lakers from 1983-87 and totaled 56 goals and 144 career points, which was good for 19^th place on the Lakers’ total career points chart. Roque was a part of the first recruited class brought in by Anzalone and was also a member of the first Laker squad to advance to the NCAA Tournament in 1985.

The only other former Laker who went on to become the program’s head coach was Rick Comley, who recently retired as head coach of the Michigan State Spartans. He coached at LSSU from 1973-76.

At Clarkson, Roque coached two Hobey Baker finalists and four NHL players. He was also a part of three Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) regular-season titles, four trips to the NCAA Tournament and one playoff championship.

He and his wife, Julia, have two children—Emma (16) and Abby (14).

Tim Christian is in his 10th season as an assistant coach at Lake Superior State and was promoted to No. 1 assistant coach in 2008.

Christian’s role with the Lakers has increased substantially as he has established himself as a highly-respected recruiter, on-ice and conditioning coach, and camps director. He is a Central Collegiate Hockey Association alumus who understands what it takes to compete with the nation’s top programs.

Since 2005, Christian has served as director of the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association Bantam Select Camps held in Sault Ste. Marie in June, and the Laker Hockey Summer Camps.

Christian played for former LSSU head coach Frank Anzalone in the East Coast Hockey League for three years. In 2001-02, Christian was a volunteer assistant coach of the ECHL’s Roanoke Express.

Christian, a Grand Rapids, Mich., native, graduated from Ferris State University in 1995 and is ranked 12th on the Bulldogs’ all-time goal-scoring list. He totaled 100 goals and 109 assists in five seasons at Roanoke and was inducted into the Roanoke Hall of Fame. He leads the now-defunct Express in career goals and was fourth in career points. Two of the three players who are ahead of him in points are former Lakers, Mike Peron and Michael Smith.

Christian and his wife, Lana, have two sons, Andrew (13) and Alex (11).

Former LSSU forward and volunteer coach Doug Laprade ‘91 is no stranger to Laker Hockey and returns to the program as a part-time assistant coach.

Laprade played for the Lakers from 1987-91 and was part of the 1988 national championship team. Coach Jim Roque and Laprade were assistant coaches together at LSSU under Jeff Jackson. Laprade was a volunteer assistant in 1991-92 and 1992-93.

Laprade spent the past seven seasons with the Sault Area High School hockey program, including four years as head coach. The Blue Devils won 70 games and three regional titles during that tenure. They made one MHSAA state semifinal appearance.

Laprade, along with his wife, Pam, son, Ryan (15), and daughter, Kristen (11), have lived in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., for more than two decades. After spending most of his professional career in radio advertising sales, Doug recently became agent-owner of the Sutter-Laprade Insurance Agency.

Laprade was a 1988 11th round draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings. The Thunder Bay, Ontario, native totaled 17 goals and 16 assists during four seasons with the Lakers.

Veteran goalie coach Terry Barbeau is in his second season working with Lake Superior State goaltenders after replacing long-time volunteer coach and Laker alumnus Don Mio.

Barbeau spent eight season as the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds’ goaltender coach in the Ontario Hockey League. His ability to develop young goaltenders is well documented, having trained Buffalo Sabres standout and Hobey Baker Award winner Ryan Miller for more than a decade, as well as former Greyhound Adam Munro. Along with training several minor pro, junior and college goalies he is also the head instructor of the Czech Republic Hockey School in Ostrava.

Barbeau, a resident of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and retired from Canada Post, also worked with LSSU goaltenders from 1999-02. He is a consultant for several goaltending schools.