Interviews/Mike L'Huillier

Mike L'Huillier. February 2001.
see also Marquette Mirror Player Profile for this player.

What do you remember about actually playing the games?

Well, one thing I remember is that most of the places that we played in were full. They had capacity crowds. I know that whenever we played in Marquette there was a capacity crowd. Green Bay...capacity crowd. Rochester...I mean people just really enjoyed this kind of hockey at that time.

Especially because you were winning?

Yeah, we drew the crowds because we were a good team. The games, I remember, were rough...a lot of physical stick-work...you know...hacking...a lot of fights. There was a lot of verbal jabbing. A lot of crowd involvement. That's basically what I remember about the games. They were very intense. You had to be mentally and physically prepared.

Is there a win or a loss that you remember?

The win that I remember the most is my first game and my first goal. Curran, who eventually played in the World Hockey League...great goaltender...I think we beat them 1-0, 2-1 or something. But anyway I scored my first goal against Curran, and we won that game. But anyway that's one of the games that I remember. One of the losses that I remember: We were playing the Canadian Soo in Marquette. It was in overtime, and I had the puck on the point. For some reason I ended up with the puck in our zone, and I tried to stickhandle by a guy. He poke-checked the puck and went in to score. I remember this specifically because the quote in the newspaper the next day was...Oakie said, "Apparently when L'Huillier got the puck he didn't know what he was doing!" or something like that.

[Laughter]

Oakie said it like it is and that was it. He didn't care who it was to. But...

Yep.

Anyway that was one of the wins I remember and that was one of the losses.

Any players, including opponents, that come to mind?

Well, of course, the players that stand out in my mind...some are from Green Bay. Fuzzy Frenette, Gordy Yeoman. Those two players...you know if you went in front of the net Fuzzy Frenette... you'd get speared in the ankles. And Gordy Yeoman would always try to antagonize people to fight. There were...who was the other guy from Green Bay that...? He was a big, tough guy. He later got an assault charge against him...

I don't know his name either. I should, but I can't think of it. Another player mentioned him, too.

He would challenge the benches. I ended up playing in Green Bay with him. But anyway, those antagonizing players you remember. But as far as the best players that I played with. The best player I ever played with was Jerry Sullivan. I mean he was, without question, the finest player I've ever seen...as far as all-around finesse goes...just a great player. And there was Ozzie O'Neill: He was a goal scorer...fast. Very complimentary with Jerry. I happened to end up on that line eventually, and we were a pretty good line at that time. I think I played one game against Henri Bouchet when I first got in the League. He ended up in the National Hockey League...Detroit Red Wings I think. Curran: You know the goaltender I mentioned earlier. I could mention all of the players on the Iron Rangers at that time who were just outstanding players. So...Henry Ackerville...Barry Cook...I could go on. There were some exceptional players.

What is the story of how you got in the team?

Well, I played my whole Junior hockey through the Marquette Junior Hockey program, and after high school I enlisted in the Navy. I was in the Navy you could enlist in a two-year stint and then six years in active reserve. A two-year stint meant that you went where they sent you. You didn't go to school or anything, but that was not my intention anyway. I just wanted to do my duty, you know, and that was it. So I went in and spent most of my time overseas on the USS Independence aircraft carrier, and when I came back...I'll never forget this because I hadn't skated for two years or something...and it was in September. I was walking up the bleachers at a Marquette High School football game, and Oakie was there. He said, "Hey Mike. Have you skated at all?" I said, "No." He said, "Well, why don't you just come and skate and see if you can skate at all?" So I said, "OK. That's fine, but I don't have any equipment". He said, "Don't worry. I'll take care of the equipment and stuff. Just bring your skates. So I just went out and skated with them...didn't think anything of it, you know. So they were having their tryouts. And Oakie, of course, gave me a little more attention because I was a local kid. Well, I skated with them for about a month and he said, "Well, you're really not good enough to make the team, but if you want to keep skating for practices and stuff that's fine". So I said, "Yeah. OK." And plus I was skating with other kids...they had a 'B' team that I'd mess around with. So I kept skating with them and skating with them, and all of a sudden I started getting better. Well somebody happened to get hurt and he (Oakie) said, "You know I think you might be ready to play". So I thought, "Really". And the game I was supposed to play...we had to go to the Canadian Soo...and that was the first actual game I ever played with them. And that's how I was introduced to Iron Ranger Hockey. And in that game I played well. I didn't feel out of place. I didn't look out of place, and from that game on I was a regular.

Great story.

Yeah, well...I just hung in there. I enjoyed it, and that's how I made it.

Can you say anything about the fans in the Palestra at that time?

Well, I can say that they were very vocal.. They were definitely true Iron Ranger Fans. They were always booing the other teams. I remember this one guy. He always sat in the north end. He'd go, "Let's go Rangers". I don't know. It was just goofy. But basically that's about it. I remember people getting hurt with pucks going into the crowd. I mean there was no glass, no protection. And there were antagonizers who would sit behind opposing benches that would antagonize the opposing players...and eventually the players would turn around and do something. So, yeah, actually they were a vicious crowd when you think about it.

Are there any stories that exemplify how hockey was different back then as compared to now?

Well back then there was a lot more stick work done. More hacking. I swear that at every game I was...most of the time I was cut in the facial area. I mean I got over a hundred stitches in my face besides broken noses. I got stitches all over...I mean...from sticks. They could wear helmets. A lot of guys didn't wear helmets. There were a lot of cheap shots that they would not get away with anymore. So, I mean compared to the game today? I think the game has calmed down more. I think the officials call more...a tighter game...than they did then.

You were less well-protected. That's true. Isn't that true?

Oh the equipment was definitely not as good as it is today. The shoulder pads were flimsy. The gloves didn't have the protection of today. The elbow pads were very small. I just think the game today has more finesse. We didn't really have a power play where people set up in certain areas. Now I have two different kinds of power plays that I introduce to the kids. An overload power play and an umbrella play. I don't remember any of that with us. We played on instinct then. You know Oakie used to have a few break out plays but nothing that we introduce today.

Were there any high points or low points to those years?

Mr. L'Huillier's Wife: Did you tell him about scoring the first goal at Lakeview Arena?

Oh yeah. That probably was one of my high points. I got the first goal at Lakeview Arena against Thunder Bay. It was the first game...full house...I went over the blue line. I went through one guy, and I just shot the puck and scored.

Did you realize at the time it was the first goal?

Well you want to know something. I didn't even bother getting the puck because I didn't even think anything of it. Somebody came to me and said, "Hey, you just got the first goal at Lakeview Arena". But most of the highlights for me were playing with Ozzie and Sullivan and the team.

Can you say anything about the road trips to different cities?

Well, like I said there were always packed houses where we played. But Oakie used to always make quotes in the paper to entice the other team. I mean just some quote that would just bring people in to watch this main event. So we always had to be prepared for this. Especially when we went to Green Bay and Rochester. A lot of times Oakie would make quotes that were just unreal.

Would you always know what he said?

Not always. But Oakie was always very up front and said what he wanted to say. He was a promoter. There's no question there.

Thousands of people in the Marquette area think of that team as very special. Why do you think that is so?

Well, probably at that time it was the only show in town. Second of all, Oakie was a great promoter. And Oakie somehow lured all these great players to town: The Sullivans, Ackervilles, the Lunneys, the Cooks, the Carlson Brothers, and he produced a quality team. I remember many times before the game Oakie coming and saying, "Now look. Keep the score down". Because we were beating these teams 10-1. He'd say, "Listen. Keep the score down". You know. So these people wouldn't be leaving. I mean that's how good these teams were. Especially 70, 71, 72 when we really had quality players. That's what people enjoyed. There were fights at the games. It was always exciting for people to go and watch us.

Was there any involvement with the team in any way by women? Minorities? Kids?

Well we had Karen Koch, that goalie in. Again Oakie brought her in for entertainment. Seriously, people used to come in to see...he promoted her as the first woman goaltender ever. I mean he was amazing, this guy. But the only woman that I can remember ever involved at that time is when I went to Green Bay there was a lady who was there promoter. But come to think of it I don't remember a lady in hockey at that time. Nowadays there are women trainers, women doctors...

Are there any memories specifically about the Palestra?

I know...you look back at the Palestra...my junior hockey days. I'd walk down Third Street. I lived in South Marquette...the front of the building...white paint. Then you walk inside. I remember all these sweepers, they used to call them. I remember these people who used to work there. Addie Orvea, she used to sit there...

What did she do there?

Well, she was, during general skating, the one who told you to get off the ice because you were messing around. She used to scream over this loudspeaker. There was a disinfectant smell...you'd walk in. The atmosphere was great with the old bleachers. You'd go underneath and find all these old beer bottles, whiskey bottles. And the dressing rooms were just dingy, dirty, smelly old rooms that nowadays you'd never think of for dressing rooms. Oakie added those dressing rooms. But at that time that's what we expected and we appreciated stuff like that. In Green Bay they had a brand new rink. I though that was a wonderful place, but they used to heat it up too much.

You know you could talk about Oakie Brumm. How he gave Marquette kids a chance to play. You know like Ozzie O'Neill, Pigeon Sommers, Brett Hanford, myself...

Dale Beerman?

Dale Beerman, Dave and Dennis Devooght. I could go on and on. He always gave the Marquette kid an extra chance over someone from out of town...