Courtesy photo Lou Angotti is pictured in a Chicago Black Hawks uniform in 1970.

HOUGHTON — As a player, Lou Angotti was the kind every hockey coach wanted on their roster.

“Lou Angotti was a perfect complement of talent and know-how,” late Michigan Tech skipper John MacInnes once said. “He knew how to play the game and how to work with his teammates.”

Angotti was also the kind of player who didn’t forget his roots even when he went on to higher levels in his sport.

“Without my time in Houghton, I could have never done as well as I did,” he said in an interview in 2010. “John (MacInnes) was a great coach and a great man.”

The Toronto, Ont. native was recruited by MacInnes to come to Tech in 1957. He accepted the offer and never regretted it.

“We had great camaraderie on those teams,” he recalled. “It was like one big family. We lived in the barracks together, ate together and played together.”

When the Huskies won their first NCAA championship in the 1961-62 season, Angotti played a big role.

He recorded three goals and had two assists in wins over Providence and Clarkston in the event played in Utica, N.Y.

He was named to the NCAA All-Tourney team for his play.

He was a first team All-American forward his final two seasons in Houghton. As a junior, he led the nation in scoring.

His NHL career began with the New York Rangers in 1964 and he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1966.

He was named the first captain of the Flyers in 1967 when he had his best season with 12 goals and 37 assists. In all, he would rack up 103 goals and 186 assists in a 10-year NHL career.

Angotti also spent time with Pittsburgh and St. Louis. He served as head coach in both cities for a short time.

He also put in front office time for the Blues and Penguins.

When the 50th anniversary of Tech’s first NCAA title was celebrated in 2012, Angotti and several of his teammates were on hand.

They were inducted into the MTU Sports Hall of Fame — the first time that had happened as a team.

Angotti had been selected for the MTU Hall before that. But he said going in as a team was a bigger thrill.

“I was just happy to be with those guys,” he said. “It made it very special.”