Cloquet continues its winning ways in alumni hockey game

CLOQUET – One of the most anticipated events in the Santa's Home for the Holidays celebration in Cloquet has fast become the Alumni Hockey game.

Featuring alumni from Cloquet, Esko, and Carlton taking on alumni from longtime rival Duluth East, the now annual event was a high-scoring affair, with the Lumberjacks coming out on top by a score of 14-9.

Still, it wasn't the score that mattered in the end - it was old friends and opponents out on the ice once again, competing like they did back in their high school years.

The contest featured four former professional players, 12 Division I players and five others who played college hockey at a Division II or III level.

Here are a few of the names on a Lumberjacks squad packed with former standouts:

Reid Ellingson played professional hockey in Sweden for two years and played college hockey at Northern Michigan University. Reid is a 2007 graduate of Cloquet.

Justin Jokinen, a 2008 Carlton grad who had over 130 points in his high school career for the Lumberjacks and went on to play college hockey in Mankato.

Tyler Johnson, another 2007 graduate, played pro hockey in Sweden and one year in Norway. During his senior year for CEC, he tallied 37 points for the 'Jacks. Tyler was also a Mr. Hockey finalist and was on the coaching staff of the 2014-2015 Minnesota Wilderness.

Mitch Ryan, Class of 2005 and Cloquet's third all-time leading scorer and a St. Cloud State standout was part of this year's alumni team, as were other college standouts such as David Brown, who played for Providence.

Stu Plante was the oldest skater on the ice Saturday. A four-year player with UMD in the late 1980s, the 1985 Cloquet grad showed he still had what it took to be out on the ice with some of the younger bucks.

Cloquet has won the event now for three consecutive years. Each year the Lumberjacks alumni team has seen its goal output grow, as the 'Jacks won the first meeting in 2016 5-2, then beat East 9-3 at Northwood's Credit Union Arena last year.

The winning team also included Tyler Fast (2005), Joe Carlson (2001), Austin Hatch (2008), Travis Fast (2001), Miah Snesrud (1999), Jeff Leno (2002), Zach Johnson (2006), Travis Denzel 92001), Sever Lundquist (2007), and Paul Johnson (2010).

The Greyhounds also had a team with former college and pro standouts including Max Tardy, Bryan Olds, Rusty Fitzgerald, Nick Angell and Kyle Campion.

The Lumberjacks jumped out early and often on the Greyhounds. CEC scored six first-period goals, taking a 6-2 lead after the first period. The Lumberjack alumni continued the onslaught in the second period as well, outscoring Duluth East 5-1 in the period and taking an 11-3 lead after two periods.

Duluth East responded in the third period by scoring six times, but the Lumberjacks would also add three more goals of their own as they went on to the 14-9 win.

Ellingson and Aaron Baker (2008) combined for 31 saves for the Lumberjacks, while Dylan Parker had 23 saves for the losing Greyhounds.

Justin Jokinen had quite a night for the Jacks has he finished with two goals and eight assists on the night for 10 points in the win; Tyler Johnson scored four times and had two assists, and Mitch Ryan add three goals to go along with two assists.

Kyle Campion finished with four goals and one assist for East, while Bryan Olds chipped in with two goals for the Greyhounds.