USCHO Staff
Longtime Minnesota State assistant men’s hockey coach Darren Blue has stepped down to take a position in the private sector. Blue was a defenseman for the Mavericks from 1991-95. A two-time team captain, Blue was a two-time Unsung Hero Award recipient and a Maverick Achievement Award recipient as a senior. Blue spent the 1999-00 season … Read more
Mack Motzko, the 20-year-old son of Minnesota men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko, died Saturday night after a car accident in Orono, Minn. The Long Lake Fire Department and Orono Police responded to the single-vehicle crash at 11:23 p.m. Saturday near 3120 North Shore Drive. “The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and … Read more
The 2021 Ice Breaker Tournament, hosted in conjunction with Holy Cross, College Hockey Inc. and the Hockey Commissioners Association, will now be played at the DCU Center in downtown Worcester, Mass. The four-team season-opening tournament featuring Northeastern, Holy Cross, Quinnipiac and Boston College is set to take place on Oct. 8-9 and was originally scheduled … Read more
The 56th annual Great Lakes Invitational will be played in a showcase format at Yost Ice Arena and Munn Ice Arena, rather than a tournament format in Detroit. Michigan Tech will play at Michigan and Michigan State will host Western Michigan on Wednesday, December 29, and then the teams will flip opponents for Thursday, December … Read more
Lake Superior State assistant coaches Zack Cisek and Mike York have both been promoted to associate head coach. In addition, Cisek and York have both agreed to terms on multi-year contract extensions. “Mike and Zack have done an outstanding job in all facets of Laker hockey,” said LSSU head coach Damon Whitten in a statement. … Read more
The second day of the 2021 NHL Draft kicked off Saturday morning and a handful of incoming NCAA college hockey players heard their names called early. Shai Buium, a defenseman who played for the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers in 2020-21, was taken by the Detroit Red Wings with the 36th overall pick. The San Diego … Read more
Michigan defenseman Owen Power became just the fourth collegiate player selected first overall on Friday, taken with the top pick by the Buffalo Sabres (File photo: University of Michigan)
After 12 years as Western New England’s coach, Greg Heffernan has stepped down to become the coach and general manager of the EHL’s Connecticut Chiefs. Western New England did not play during the 2020-21 season. Heffernan finishes with an 81-181-18 mark behind the bench at WNE. “We are extraordinarily pleased to bring a coach of … Read more
The NHL’s newest team, the Seattle Kraken, selected 30 players from current NHL rosters during Wednesday night’s expansion draft. A total of 10 players skated with NCAA teams prior to turning pro.
Curry has named Peter Roundy the new head coach of the Colonels men’s hockey team. Roundy takes over for TJ Manastersky, who left Curry for an assistant coaching position at Union. Roundy will make his collegiate head coaching debut with the Colonels after spending six seasons at Holy Cross, including the last two as associate … Read more
Following a national search, Kyle Richards has been named the next coach for the men’s hockey team at Castleton. “We’re excited to have Kyle fill this role,” said Castleton associate dean for athletics and recreation Deanna Tyson in a statement. “He has been a part of this program for many years both as a player … Read more
The Toronto Six announced this past week that the team has signed forward Leah Marino, the youngest player picked in last month’s NWHL Draft, to her first professional contract. “I am beyond excited to get started and play in the NWHL,” said Marino to the Six website. “After the sudden discontinuation of the Robert Morris … Read more
Mike Kemp has been named Omaha’s interim athletic director and will assume the role on Monday, July 19, 2021. “This is a bittersweet time for me,” said Kemp in a statement. “Trev Alberts has been a trusted friend and a great colleague for over 12 years. Together, we have gone through many challenging and thrilling … Read more
Lake Superior State announced Friday that the university has selected veteran collegiate athletics executive and Michigan native David Diles as its new director of athletics after conducting a national search. He succeeds Dr. David Paitson, who earlier resigned after four years to accept an assistant professor of sport management position at University of Indianapolis. A … Read more
St. Thomas has announced the hiring of Bethany Brausen and Marty Sertich as assistant coaches with the Tommies preparing for their first season of Division I competition in 2021-22. Brausen won two NCAA championships playing for Minnesota and also coached the last five seasons at Minnesota as an assistant. A St. Thomas women’s assistant coach … Read more
Norwich has named Taylor Willard as the lead assistant coach for the women’s hockey team. Willard replaces Mollie Fitzpatrick, who left to join the Boston University women’s coaching staff in June. “I am beyond thrilled to have Taylor Willard join our staff,” Norwich head coach Sophie Leclerc said in a statement. “It was clear after … Read more
Robert Morris University and the newly-formed Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation have announced that they will partner together in an effort to raise sufficient funds to support the reinstatement of RMU’s NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey programs in time for the 2021-22 season. The university announced May 26 that it would discontinue the two … Read more
Chris Demczuk has been named the director of hockey operations at Colorado College, replacing Travis Culhane, who took the same job at Denver on Monday. Demczuk served as the video analyst and assisted with team services for the AHL’s Stockton Heat the last two seasons. He led video operations, oversaw the team’s operational budget, coordinated … Read more
Brown has announced the addition of Justin Simpson and Makenna Newkirk as assistant coaches for the Brown women’s hockey team. Simpson comes to College Hill after serving the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach for RIT. Prior to coaching the Tigers, Simpson spent two seasons in the same role at Colby. Prior to Colby, Simpson … Read more
A Team USA veteran, Olympic silver medalist and four-time IIHF World Champion, Shelly Picard has joined the Princeton women’s hockey staff as an assistant coach. Picard fills the opening created when Melanie Ruzzi became the head coach at Brown. “I’m thrilled to welcome Shelly to our coaching staff at Princeton,” said Princeton head coach Cara … Read more