When high school hockey season begins in earnest around here, there are certain constants.
Whether it’s people, programs, memories or nuance.
Some things never go away.
Even when they do for a while.
So it was Nov. 17, when a pleasant surprise was announced:
In 2026-27, following a seven-year dormancy, Lake Catholic’s hockey program will return to the ice.
An attempt was made around when the dormancy was imminent to avert it. Whispers have been around about rekindling it since.
Lake Catholic announces return of hockey program for 2026-2027 season
But the notion of the Cougars getting back to having a hockey team just feels right.
Admittedly, I spend a lot of time each winter lamenting the state of News-Herald coverage area high school hockey’s program volume.
It leads into the same general point about seeing that state of affairs at its peak in the early 2000s.
We had our big expansion. We opened rinks. The team total was in double digits, with lofty aspirations for more. Hope was high. Then programs started going by the wayside.
Seeing Euclid exit was sad. As was Brush. So was the brief stint Chagrin Falls went dormant before returning. So was West Geauga (the Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League varsity iteration, to be clear).
But it felt different when it happened to Lake Catholic.
As the 2010s came to a close and roster numbers became more of a concern, you could kind of brace for it should it happen, hoping it wouldn’t.
But when it became reality, it was a wakeup call.
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The Cougars went dormant following 2018-19. That was just five years removed from a state frozen-four run, the first in program history. As a member of the Great Lakes Hockey League. As a former longstanding member of the traditional GCHSHL Red North.
As a program that, on its good days, could contend for state. Could make it to Baron Cup Sunday. Could compete against the best in Greater Cleveland and beyond.
Dormancy has seemed like an issue more for GCHSHL Blue programs, for which it was natural to play the numbers game and toe that line.
But upper-division programs like Lake Catholic? It didn’t seem all that feasible.
Until one day, it was.
Since taking over covering high school hockey for The News-Herald in 2000-01, I’ve witnessed first-hand a large chunk of Lake Catholic’s hockey lore.
Tempting as it is to list names of dozens of players who spring to mind, let’s leave well enough alone at the risk of leaving anyone out.
The first big program step during that span was getting into the Red North and transitioning from the Red Southeast. It was an arduous task, and not one that looked great every year, but that ambition came to fruition.
In the 2000s and 2010s, people surrounding the program had a vehement passion for the program’s cause. That could be a positive more times than not. But in fairness, yes there were also times during which that passion didn’t manifest itself well and could become a detriment.
That aside, though, on the ice, when Lake Catholic was buzzing, area hockey was simply a better product.
It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 20 years now. But walking into Mentor Civic Arena, I still peek over sometimes to the 2005-06 Red North title banner on the wall.
That was a breakthrough to be sure. The year prior, the Cougars had languished near the Red North cellar. So going from that to an 8-0-2 league-title push was a tremendous turnaround.
But bringing a Red North championship to the heart of Lake County was, symbolically, a big deal. Hockey in Greater Cleveland had long been a West Side and near East Side sport. So bringing that coveted hardware all the way out east, in a sense, further cemented hockey here. Not that it was lacking, of course. But it went a long way toward legitimizing what was possible.
There have been some fun years at Brooklyn — as we term it, “The Barn of all Barns” — for Baron Cup Sunday. But two of my favorites undoubtedly were 2009 and 2011. In those years, we got an all-coverage area Baron Cup I final between Lake Catholic and University.
Because US and Gilmour didn’t play for so long, and because Shaker Heights isn’t in The News-Herald coverage area, I used to call Lake-US clashes “The Quintessential.” Because that was the rivalry, at its best, on which we could hang our hat.
Lake Catholic goaltender Alex Guest eyes a save during a 2009 game against Mentor. (News-Herald file)
In 2009, the Cougars had a 2-1 lead on the Preppers heading into the third before US rallied for a 3-2 win. That was amid the most successful hockey season in News-Herald coverage area lore, as the 31-6-3 Preppers went on to claim the “triple” — Red North, Baron Cup I and state titles. Lake Catholic went 29-11-2, too, so that was a wonderful year all the way around.
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In 2011, that was the “Cardiac Cougars” year at Brooklyn. Lake Catholic went into the week sub-.500 but had frenetic wins to get to the final over Strongsville and St. Ignatius. I’ll never forget using “Cardiac Cougars” in passing in one of those game stories, then seeing a “Cardiac Cougars” sign at the final against US. Unforgettable not due to my involvement — just that the community believed the team had earned that moniker.
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By the way, that was a fantastic 2-1 final, won by US.
The Red North and Baron Cup were one thing. But 2014 and finally getting to the frozen four was the most prominent step yet. That Cougars’ squad went 27-9-3, had lost in the Cleveland Cup final to US then got on a heater at the Kent District to advance.
Five years later came dormancy. But not until such a great deal was accomplished.
Since 2019, several Lake Catholic students have plied their trade for Mentor, playing key roles as the Cardinals cemented their place as one of Greater Cleveland’s most dependable and consistent programs, including a frozen-four run this past winter, in a win-win for both schools.
So in a way, Lake Catholic never left the ice. But now, in the most complete sense, the Cougars are on their way back.
As this day of return draws nearer, I’ll be thinking about the countless student-athletes, coaches and parents who fought so hard in their era for the present and future of Lake Catholic hockey, as it rises once again soon.
There are just certain constants.
Having Lake Catholic back to add more chapters is a welcome return of one.