Hello fellow Lakers and happy fall!
I hope that you all had a lovely summer. With a new academic year starting, that means that it’s time to start getting excited about Great Lake State Weekend (GLSW) at Lake State! This year I am especially excited about a new tradition that is starting in the Taffy Abel Arena. Announced earlier this year, Laker Hockey will be honoring four people who have been an integral part of the Laker Hockey family. The inaugural class of the Laker Ring of Honor includes Daniel Angelelli, Bill Crawford, Jim Dowd and Domenic Monardo.
Personally, I am very excited to welcome this group back to campus this year. Unfortunately Angelelli passed away in 2025 and will be awarded posthumously and I have never had the fortune of meeting Jim Dowd, but Bill Crawford and Domenic Monardo are two members of the Laker Hockey family that I have been fortunate enough to get to know throughout the years and I can’t wait to honor them this fall.
Bill Crawford, often known as the “Voice of the Lakers”, has been the radio broadcaster for longer than I have been alive. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to join him on air when he interviewed me after I won the Laker Super Fan in 2014. On a personal level, we’ve gotten to know Bill outside of the rink and always enjoy running into him and chatting. We’ve even brought our kids trick or treating at his house. Listening to Laker Hockey would never be the same without the voice of Bill Crawford. As such an integral part of Laker Hockey, this honor is well deserved for Bill.
Personally, the person I am most excited to welcome back to campus is Domenic Monardo. A 2013 graduate of LSSU, Monardo was a standout player on the ice and an even better person off ice. I was fortunate to get to know Dom during our time together at Lake State and have remained in contact since. Domenic is a bright light, always has a smile on his face, and is a friend to everyone he meets. He has a way of making everyone feel special, was a great leader and team captain, and a talented player on the ice. I am so very excited to be able to see Dom again this fall, and to meet his wife and children, while we honor one of my personal favorite Lakers of all time.
I hope that this letter finds you well and that you are able to return to campus to join us in celebrating and honoring four gentlemen who have helped shape Laker Hockey over the years. Great Lake State Weekend 2026 will be held on October 23-24th and a full schedule of events can be found at https://alumni.lssu.edu/great-lake-state-weekend-2026/ Hope to see you all there!
Brittany Barrett, Lake Superior State University Alumni Association President