After four seasons with the Lakers, Grand Valley State University men’s club hockey Head Coach Carl Trosien will move on from his position with the program.

“I am grateful to GVSU for the opportunity to coach here,” Trosien said. “I have really enjoyed my time here and the friendships we have made.”

This decision comes just five months after the club won its first conference title in the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey Conference (GLCHC) Division 1 league, which was also the same year the club moved up to that level. 

Trosien made it clear that he was not actively looking for a new position, but instead an opportunity fell into his lap.

“I was not looking, the family was very happy here,” Trosien said. “(However) there are not a ton of full-time ACHA jobs that are run through NCAA athletic departments, so it was something I had to consider. Long story short, it was a family decision first and a hockey decision second.”

Trosien received an offer from Purdue Northwest for a head coach position and he elected to listen to what they had in mind.

With 15 years under his belt of coaching at the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) level, Trosien knew his patience and perseverance had finally paid off to reach the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) level of coaching following his talks with the other program.

However, there were several times throughout his career when Trosien realized success isn’t always highlighted by titles or trophies, but by understanding what the passion for the sport really means to the individual.

“Coaching has provided me with a good amount of success professionally,” Trosien said. “I think as I have gotten older I have learned the difference between personal and professional succes. Going through the pandemic and sitting a year really helped me realize how much I love what I do. I think that passion is what makes or breaks you. It’s a tough business, but if you love it and enjoy the grind of it, putting in the work is easy. I think that level of ownership is what leads to success.”

Although any coach or athlete strives to leave their programs feeling like they accomplished everything they could, Trosien admitted he would have loved for his teams to reach the national tournament, which leaves him with a feeling of “what if.”

“I think that was something I would have liked to do here,” Trosien said. “It’s hard because we were building D1 and then the pandemic hit, so I feel like my time here was very much as a builder. I feel like I am leaving here earlier than I expected. I feel like we were really close to accomplishing some really special things. This is a very good hockey team and now it’s up to them to accomplish those things without me.”

The soon-to-be former head coach for the Lakers once believed his first full year with Delta College was going to be the most impactful moment of his coaching career as his team won regionals and secured a chance to play in the national tournament.

Although he still holds that season close to heart, he stated the illustrious year by GVSU’s DI and DIII clubs is what helped him realize why he became a hockey coach to begin with.

“This year, we won the GLCHL and DIII won the MCHC using the model I helped build,” Trosien said. “When we won the GLCHL, I was just so happy for our players and my young staff. I really enjoyed watching them celebrate it and enjoy it. I think that is when I realized why I do this.”

Trosien gave his final thoughts while reflecting on his time at the university, giving nods to his players and coaching staff, as well as others that helped pave the way for a successful career.

“It’s a very talented roster I am leaving behind and a coaching staff that I am pretty tight with, so I wish them nothing but the best,” Trosien said. “I hope maybe a handful of things we tried to really stress over the last two years help them as they move forward and find their way under new leadership.