Mike Golden (ice hockey) explained

Mike Golden
Birth Date:17 July 1965
Birth Place:Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Weight Lb:190
Position:Forward
Shoots:Right
Played For:New Hampshire
Maine
Denver Rangers
Flint Spirits
Albany Choppers
Milwaukee Admirals
Binghamton Rangers
Career Start:1983
Career End:1991
Draft:40th
Draft Year:1983
Draft Team:Edmonton Oilers

Michael Golden is an American retired ice hockey forward who was an All-American for the University of Maine.

Career

Golden was a star player for Reading Memorial High School in Massachusetts, leading his team to a Middlesex League championship while scoring nearly three points per game.[1] The Edmonton Oilers ended up selecting him in the second round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft and he began attending the University of New Hampshire in the fall.[2] Golden's tenure in Durham lasted just seven games and he left mid-season to play for both a junior-B team and at the World Junior Championships.

Golden ended up transferring to Maine and was forced to sit out the entire 1984–85 season due to NCAA requirements. He debuted for the Black Bears the following year and slowly worked his way to the top of the roster. Golden helped the team reach their first NCAA Tournament in 1987 and was named team captain for his senior season.[3] 1988 was a new high for the program as they finished first in the Hockey East standings with Golden finishing second on the team and sixth in the nation in scoring. Maine received the top eastern seed in 1988 and won their quarterfinal match to make the program's first Frozen Four.

While he was in college, Golden had been traded by the Oilers to the New York Rangers in a package that included Reijo Ruotsalainen. He began his professional career in the Rangers' farm system and played well for two years. His scoring diminished in 1991 as he moved between three teams and he retired as a player following the year.

Golden returned home and hung around his old high school team, eventually joining as a volunteer assistant. He left for a few years after the turn of the century but returned as the head coach for the women's team in 2009. He built the team into a power in short order, leading the team to its first state championship in 2015 with a record of 22–2–0. Work commitments unfortunately forced him to resign from his position following the year but Golden had already left an indelible mark on the school.[4]

Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular Season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1982–83ReadingMA-HS23224163
1983–84New HampshireECAC Hockey71122
1984–85Stratford CullitonsMWJHL128122018
1985–86MaineHockey East2413162910
1986–87MaineHockey East3619234237
1987–88MaineHockey East4431447546
1988–89Denver RangersIHL361210222133140
1989–90Flint SpiritsIHL681333463040000
1990–91Binghamton RangersAHL82020
1990–91Albany ChoppersIHL63140
1990–91Milwaukee AdmiralsIHL36212141240000
NCAA totals111 64 84 148 95
IHL totals146 30 56 86 63 11 3 1 4 2

International

Awards and honors

AwardYear
All-Hockey East Second Team1987–88[5]
AHCA East Second-Team All-American1987–88[6]

Notes and References

  1. News: Winter Coach of Year: Golden still making impact with Reading hockey . Daily Times Chronicle . March 19, 2015 . June 27, 2021.
  2. News: Mike Golden . Hockey Draft Central . June 27, 2021.
  3. News: Maine men's Hockey 2018-19 Record Book. Maine Black Bears . January 18, 2019.
  4. News: Work commitments force Reading girls hockey coach Golden to step away . Daily Times Chronicle . April 1, 2015 . June 27, 2021.
  5. News: Hockey East All-Teams. College Hockey Historical Archives. May 19, 2013.
  6. News: Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners. NCAA.org. June 11, 2013.