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Legend comes home: Original Northern Michigan University head coach Rick Comley back to have name placed on Berry Events Center ice

By Ryan Stieg 5 min read

MARQUETTE -- A legend was honored at Northern Michigan University on Saturday night and he made sure to take everything in during the festivities.

Original Wildcats head hockey coach Rick Comley was recognized before the team's game against Lake Superior State and had his name placed on center ice at the Berry Events Center. The ice surface will now be known as Rick Comley Rink.

Comley said he enjoyed walking around the corridors of the arena and that it means a lot to have his name be part of an arena that he worked so hard to build.

"It's kind of neat to see how much this room (Izzo-Mariucci Room) has been transformed," he said. "Just walking into the locker room right now and there's nostalgia. It's just fun for me to see all these things. It's a special night.

"Jack Parker had it done in Boston (University) and I always felt that Jerry York will (at Boston College) and Ron Mason (Michigan State) should've already. Red Berenson (Michigan) will too.

"It's great company and it took so long to build this rink. I tried every conceivable plan to make it happen, so I'm very proud of it and to have your name attached to it is tremendous."

Comley also talked about how much time and effort it took to have success at Northern after achieving it as a coach at Lake Superior State and that he really wanted this community to embrace the Wildcats.

"When we built this program, it wasn't just building a hockey team," he said. "It was building a culture and a fan base to make sure people supported it. It was all that to mushroom together and to create that team with all that success in those first four years."

The Wildcats' first season was in 1976, and by 1980, they were in the national championship game. Even though it was almost 40 years ago, Comley says he is still close to the players on that team, more so than any other squad.

"We tried to model after Michigan Tech and (head coach) John MacInnes," he said. "You'll get there if you can beat Michigan Tech.

"So we had goals, but it wasn't numbers. It was such a unique experience for me. It wasn't numbers or championships. Those were nice, but it was bringing that team on the road. Recruiting one kid, two kids and three kids from a team and getting ones with a lot of talent.

"Some of those records will never be touched and the game is different for sure. What they did, though, is almost unheard of at that time.

"College hockey was different in those days. I don't think anyone would forecast that we would win 34 games. You could tell after that third year, that we had a special group that was going to accomplish some good things."

One of the players on the 1980 team was former Wildcats head coach Walt Kyle, who Comley praised profusely and said that if Kyle hadn't agreed to take the job in 2002, he wouldn't have left NMU.

"Walt did a great job here," Comley said. "Things certainly slipped toward the end, but I told people just a couple of weeks ago, don't underestimate what he's done for this program.

"He's the most important assistant I've ever had. It helped create a chance for a championship in 1980 and he helped build one in 1991. I wouldn't have left if he wasn't willing to come back when he did.

"The call I made to see if he would come was before I accepted the job at Michigan State. So he's very special to me."

When asked if he would every consider coaching again, Comley seemed open to the idea. Even though he enjoys being a scout with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks, he says if the perfect coaching opportunity came along, he might take it.

"I miss it (coaching) like crazy," he said. "Would I do it? I don't know. I think in the right situation, I would. At my age, I probably shouldn't. I love the game, though, and I love the scouting because I get to sit with fans and talk with coaches. To see their reactions, it's just great.

"It's such a special game. If I got the opportunity and I don't expect one, I would probably."

Future plans aside, Comley came back to Marquette to just enjoy the experience and interact with the people that mean so much to him.

"I live in Chicago and they don't know me," he said. "It means a lot when people here say hi and call me coach. Everybody calls me that and I don't think they know my name.

"It's hard to establish that and build it and involve people. You don't lose that. It isn't the wins. Not that they don't mean nothing, it's the people. I worked so hard over my lifetime to do things with respect. What's happening tonight is kind of a return.

"I made a decision to stay here. I turned down (jobs at) Wisconsin, North Dakota, Denver and Bowling Green and other opportunities to leave because we were doing something really good here. So I think it's maybe a reward in a sense for what we gave here and now given back to me. It's a win-win and this is like the icing on the cake."

Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 252. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.

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