Houghton forward Gunner Gullstrand plays the puck along the boards during the Division 3 championship game, which the Gremlins won 5-2, Saturday, March 7, at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth. (A.M. Arrick/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — When he came home from Detroit, where he was playing AAA hockey for Little Caesars, near Christmas, sophomore forward Gunner Gullstrand got to see his older brother, Gage, a senior, play for the Houghton Gremlins. He paid attention to how his brother was enjoying his final year of high school hockey.

At that point, the Gremlins, who had opened the season 4-5-1 after a three-game losing streak, had won six games in a row, and were starting to look like a team capable of doing something special.

Gunner wanted in.

He talked with Gremlins coach Micah Stipech, and joined Houghton’s varsity team just in time to face Brother Rice on Jan. 9. From there, he helped his brother and his teammates do what had proved elusive to so many Gremlins hockey players and coaches over the past 44 years, win a state championship.

“It was great,” Gunner said. “We haven’t played together since probably, I don’t know, spring, on the same team since probably spring, a couple years ago, at least. Just being around him and being at home, it’s just great. It’s just super fun.”

Gunner, who had been out of the Copper Country playing high-level hockey for multiple years, decided he wanted a chance to skate with his brother, even if it meant putting his dreams on hold for a few months.

“I knew it would be fun,” said Gunner. “All my buddies are here and everything. But really, I just wanted to be at home so I can see my family more, and that’s pretty much it. Just coming back and being able to play, too, with Houghton, it was great.”

For Gage, getting a chance to play with his younger brother was everything he could hope for.

“I don’t know. It was awesome,” Gage said. “When he first moved away, and I was freshman, eighth grade or freshman. I know it was hard just going into high school. Brother moves away, parents were gone a lot downstate with him.

“Then he came back this year, senior year, last year of high school. It was sweet playing with my brother one last year. It was just awesome.”

Both Gullstrand boys are natural forwards, so, of course, Gage’s first thought was that his younger brother was going to steal ice time from him.

“When my parents told me at first that he was going to (stay), he came over Christmas break, then he told my parents he didn’t want to go back down, and he wanted to play here,” said Gage. “The next day he was talking with Micah. In my head, first thing I thought, ‘He’s going to take my line. But then after that, after I got over that, I was like, this is going to be sweet, finishing off my senior year, going to go play with my brother.”

Against the Warriors, the Gullstrands found themselves on the same line for Gunner’s debut in Orange and Black.

“That was awesome,” Gage said. “We were on the same line that game, and Micah comes into the locker room (to do) our starting lineups, and he goes, ‘Gulfstrand brothers are starting.’ That just like that made me smile. That was awesome to be able to play with him first game back. It was sweet.”

Gunner had two assists in the game, a 6-5 win by Houghton. Gage did not score.

In 11 games to close out the regular season, Gunner finished with nine goals and 21 points, for an average of 1.91 points per game. Two of those goals were game-winners. He ended tied for fifth on the team in scoring.

Gage finished the season with four goals and 10 points on the season, mostly playing on the team’s third line.

Gage quickly became his younger brother’s biggest cheerleader from the bench whenever Gunner was on the ice.

“I didn’t get to play with him after that first game,” said Gage. “I got to play with him that first game, but after that, on the bench, just to see him out there score goals and stuff. It just felt like, ‘That’s my brother out there.’ That’s pretty cool.”

After that game, Gunner settled onto a line with junior forward Brody Donnelly, one of his best friends on the team, and sophomore forward Braden Kari.

“It was awesome,” Gunner said. “We do summer skates together, and we used to play together, too. Back on the (Portage Lake) Flyers, we played together, and could always find each other on the ice.

“Braden being on our line, too. It just, I don’t know, it just sang together and everything, which made us look real good.”

Having his younger brother home was also special for Gage off the ice.

“At home, while he was gone, it was weird,” said Gage. “At home, we didn’t really talk to each other much, but it was just different not having somebody there to, like, go punch or something, just mess around with. But now he’s there, it’s just like, oh, there’s somebody else helping. (I can) go talk to somebody.

“It was just really cool for me to have somebody at home again, and then be able to play with them.”

With Gunner in the lineup, the Gremlins finished the regular season 10-1, giving them a record of 20-6-1. That one loss, a 6-5 defeat against Hancock during Wing Ding.

In the playoffs, the Gremlins straightened themselves out, and rolled through five wins to earn the state title. Gunner was one of Houghton’s top scorers, netting five goals and nine points in the playoffs. Gage picked up a goal and an assist.

With the 5-2 win over Orchard Lake-St. Mary’s, something their father, Ben, and their uncle, Gabe, were not able to do, the Gullstrand brothers now have bragging rights in their own house.
”I work with my dad’s brother, Gabe, and he was talking about it,” said Gage. “He’s like, ‘Yeah, well, you can rub it in me and your dad’s face now. We couldn’t get her done, but you guys did. I was so pumped watching on TV and stuff.’ It was awesome for him.”

No matter what the future holds for the Gullstrand brothers, they will have a state championship to show for their 16 games together with the Gremlins.