Garrett Raboin, a 2003 graduate of Detroit Lakes High School, was a three sport athlete who competed in football, hockey and golf. Raboin, a well-rounded athlete, is being inducted into the Detroit Lakes Athletic Foundation Hall of Honor in recognition of his considerable success on both the hockey rink and football field.

Although hockey has always been Raboin’s athletic love, the football field was where he and his teammates found the greatest success at the state level. During Raboin’s highly successful career, the Lakers were the 2001 state champions during his junior year and made a strong showing again his senior season reaching the 2002 state semi-finals. Raboin was a key component not only on offense and defense, but also as the long snapper on special teams. Raboin’s former coach, Flint Motschenbacher, referred to him as, “Pound for pound one of the toughest players I ever coached and a great leader by example.”

Raboin finished his career as the 7th leading rusher in Laker history, with 292 carries for 2,486 yards and an amazing 8.5 yards per rush average. He is the 14th leading career scorer with 164 points and was named to the 2002 Minnesota All Section 8 Team.

Despite achieving considerable success on the football field, hockey was Raboin’s true passion. He was a three year varsity letter winner and served as team captain his junior and senior seasons. From an early age, Raboin’s father, Bruce, was his hockey coach and mentor. Bruce Raboin was a former college and professional hockey player, playing at Providence College from 1979-1983 and was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the 1980 NHL draft. He prepared Garrett well for his own career at the next level.

Upon graduating high school, Raboin decided to pursue his passion for hockey by joining the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. From there, Raboin was recruited to play at the college level and received a scholarship to St. Cloud State University. Raboin’s accomplishments at St. Cloud read like a rap sheet of success and not just from the rink. He was selected as a scholar-athlete, made the Dean’s List, to go along with being named the team’s most valuable player, the WCHA defensive player of the week, being voted unanimously as the alternate captain for the Huskies as a sophomore and a captain his two final years. Raboin played in 156 games for St. Cloud scoring 21 times to go with 62 assists (83 points) and 134 penalty minutes. After completing college and graduating with a Special Education degree, Raboin played professionally overseas spending time in both Finland and Norway. Following his professional career, Raboin returned to his college alma mater where he currently serves as an assistant hockey coach for the St. Cloud State Huskies.

By Robert Williams on Sep 24, 2016 at 7:07 a.m.

Garrett Raboin, Class of 2003, was hockey standout as a defenseman at Detroit Lakes, in juniors in Lincoln, Nebraska, in college at St. Cloud State University, professionally in Finland and currently as an assistant coach at his alma mater in St. Cloud. However, one of Raboin’s most formative athletic experiences came in football as a junior member of the 2001 Detroit Lakes championship team.

“I always knew I was going to be a hockey player beyond high school; that’s where my first passion was,” he said. “Obviously, stemming from my father being the high school coach.”

Garrett’s dad Bruce is still an integral part of the Laker hockey program today.

“I always say some of my best memories as a high school athlete, those games and the title with the football team,” said Raboin. “It was always hockey, football was such a change for me in the sense that I just played. I just was having fun. I didn’t put a ton of pressure on myself to be a football player. I just had fun with it and it was a different group of friends than the ones I was with the rest of the year. Nine months of the year, I was with my hockey buddies and the other three months it was the football guys. We just had a really solid group of leaders.”

Raboin was part of a one-two rushing attack with teammate Tim Serviss. Both players rushed for over 1,000 yards two seasons in a row.

Raboin’s accomplishments at St. Cloud read like a rap sheet of success and not just from the rink. He was selected as a scholar-athlete, made the Dean’s List, to go along with being named the team’s most valuable player, the WCHA defensive player of the week, being voted unanimously as the alternate captain for the Huskies as a sophomore and a captain his two final years.

Raboin played in 156 games for St. Cloud scoring 21 times to go with 62 assists (83 points) and 134 penalty minutes.

“Being a student athlete was important,” said Raboin. “I wanted to be a hockey player, but my parents were both teachers and we had a competitive culture on our team and I think it carried into the classroom. It was cool to be good at school. We had a good group in that sense.”

Raboin was recruited from the USHL Lincoln Stars by Huskies’ Head Coach Bob Motzko and was a leader on the team that secured the first-ever national tournament victory for the program, a highlight from his playing days. As an assistant coach with Mike GIbbons and Motzko, Raboin helped lead St. Cloud to their first Frozen Four appearance.

“From a coaching standpoint, the Frozen Four has been the highlight; I think from the player’s aspect winning that first national tournament game for the program to bump the bar was special for our group,” he said.

After completing college and graduating with a Special Education degree, Raboin played professionally in Finland where he and his new bride Emily got a chance to travel and experience a honeymoon on the other side of the planet.

“After my college career, I had an outstanding opportunity to go overseas right away and it was a great transition year because I had just gotten married,” he said. “It gave my wife and I a chance to go see a whole other side of the world and a different culture. We spent time in Finland and Norway. My wife became pregnant with my son Louie over there. Those two years, looking back, it wasn’t a long duration we were over there but we talk about it all the time. It was a great time in our early marriage.”

Raboin suffered a broken ankle in the second period of play in his first game with the TPS team in Turku, Finland. He spent three months on crutches and rehabbed while signing two one-year contracts before returning to the States.

Finding such success in the sport he loves was also a byproduct of all the help along the way, especially when trying to succeed in hockey from a small town.

“There are so many people in Detroit Lakes,” he said. “It’s not easy to come out of DL. I don’t think anyone comes out of a smaller town in Minnesota without a ton of support. I think I was real fortunate to have a real, big group of people that pointed me in the right direction and supported me through my youth and high school career.”

Raboin names his father as the top coaching influence and hockey influence. Bruce was a Division I player at Providence College from 1979-1983 and was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.

Motzko has also had a profound influence.

“You look at Coach Motzko here in St. Cloud, not only for four years as a player, but to bring me back on staff and the mentorship he’s giving me as I stepped behind the bench,” said Raboin.

Motzko and fellow assistant Gibbons have allowed Raboin to freely interact in all aspects of coaching the team, not just sticking him with his expertise at the blue line.

“Our staff is a three-man unit,” said Raboin. “We help fill in across the spectrums. That’s been one of the big learning things. I’ve been allowed to work with the forwards and the defensemen. I think through video and the stuff we do now, I hope I’m able to help all our players whether it be forwards, goaltenders or defensmen.”

Having played for SCSU a mere six seasons ago, Raboin also brings relatability to the current players on the roster.

“Being a younger coach, I think relating to the players and I’m at St. Cloud where I played and I played for Mike GIbbons and Coach Motzko,” said Raboin. “I get what they’re going through. I’ve been in their shoes not so long ago. I try to assist our guys with not only the hockey stuff but the whole student athlete picture.”

Raboin is sticking to the learning curve and concentrating on the present, rather than looking too far into the future. Besides, he’s happy in St. Cloud.

“It’s a special opportunity I’ve been given and to have a family close to grandparents in Minnesota at my alma mater, being able to watch high school hockey on Tuesdays and Thursdays; it’s just an outstanding opportunity for me. I’m pretty shortsighted right now on all this stuff. I’m still learning so much, so I haven’t thought too much about it.”