The field for the 2001 Hockey Humanitarian Award has been whittled to a diverse list of five finalists. The award has been handed out annually since 1996 by the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation. It goes to the college hockey player — men’s or women’s, Division I or III — who has “exhibited a strong commitment … Read more
Alaska-Anchorage head coach Dean Talafous has received a two-year contract extension and a raise from the school, according to the Anchorage Daily News. The deal was originally worked out in August, but Talafous asked that it not be made public because the school was in the middle of changing athletic directors. The current deal takes … Read more
Jade Galbraith, a freshman wing for Alaska-Anchorage, has left school for the Western Hockey League after just four games, according to the Anchorage Daily News. Galbraith has joined the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL, part of Canada’s Major Junior system. Galbraith, 18, scored 35 goals and 101 points in 62 games for Drayton Valley in … Read more
Entering his second year as head coach, Guy Gadowski says, “I’m very excited–as I think everybody in Fairbanks is–to see which of these freshmen are going to come in and step up.” It’s not that the Nanooks lack veteran talent, but some freshmen are bound to “step up” for UAF this season; there are 13 … Read more
Dean Talafous thinks the Gap is closing. But don’t run out to grab trendy-yet-overpriced clothes. He’s not talking about that Gap. The Alaska-Anchorage coach said the gap between his team and the league’s elite has dwindled. And, judging from last year’s results, he may be correct. The Seawolves were poised to host a first-round league … Read more
Alaska-Anchorage assistant coach Chris Brown has been named head coach at Marian College in Fond du Lac, Wis., athletic director Doug Hammonds announced Thursday. Brown succeeds Paul Caufield, who resigned Feb. 11 in the wake of an alleged hazing incident. “The athletic department and Marian College is thrilled and excited to have a quality coach … Read more
University of Alaska Anchorage athletic director Harry Larrabee and hockey head coach Dean Talafous announced Thursday that freshman goaltender Cory McEachran has been reinstated for competition. McEachran was suspended Dec. 3 after his involvement in an incident that included the discharge of a fire extinguisher in the UAA residence halls over the Thanksgiving holiday break. … Read more
Alaska-Anchorage freshman goaltender Cory McEachran has been suspended for an indefinite period of time, according to coach Dean Talafous, for what the Minneapolis Star Tribune is reporting as punishment for setting off a fire extinguisher in a dormitory. McEachran, a 6-foot-2, 200-pounder from Thunder Bay, Ont., has a 5-4 record in his first season with … Read more
Guy Gadowsky, head coach and general manager of the West Coast Hockey League’s Fresno Falcons, was named head coach at Alaska-Fairbanks on Wednesday. Gadowsky, a former captain at Colorado College, was one of the finalists for the position, and was offered the job after St. Norbert head coach Tim Coghlin turned down UAF’s offer last … Read more
Tim Coghlin, head coach at Division III St. Norbert and the top candidate for Alaska-Fairbanks’ vacant head coaching position, turned down the university’s job offer Monday, the Fairbanks Daily Miner reported. A perceived lack of institutional commitment to the hockey program was crucial in Coghlin’s decision, he said. “I needed to see some more institutional … Read more
Alaska-Anchorage goaltender Gregg Naumenko will renounce his remaining three years of collegiate eligibility to sign a two-year guaranteed contract with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Los Angeles Times and the Anchorage Daily News reported Wednesday. Naumenko, the 1999 WCHA Rookie of the Year, led the conference in both goals-against average and save percentage, setting … Read more
If points were awarded for locker-room speeches, Alaska-Anchorage coach Dean Talafous would be near the top of the country. And it’s not because of screaming or throwing things. It’s due to his message. Recently, Talafous revealed a bit of what he would say to his Seawolves as they prepared to face Colorado College in their … Read more
Alaska-Fairbanks head coach Dave Laurion has announced his resignation, effective after his contract expires at the end of May. Laurion joined UAF in 1985 as an assistant coach, serving under Ric Schafer until Schafer’s departure to become the head coach at Notre Dame in 1987. Laurion then served under Don Lucia for six more years … Read more
Much has been said about Anchorage as a place to play hockey. Too far. Too dark. Too cold. Even more has been said about Alaska-Anchorage hockey under Dean Talafous, who took over the program at the beginning of the 1996-97 season. Too low-scoring. Too slow. Too boring. Talafous takes umbrage at these comments. It is … Read more
According to Wednesday’s Anchorage Daily Times, left winger Neil Schell, who led all Seawolf freshmen with 20 points in 35 games last season, will not return to UAA this year. Seawolf head coach Dean Talafous said Schell’s decision was based on health concerns — Schell is missing one kidney due to a junior-hockey injury — … Read more
University of Alaska-Fairbanks hockey coach Dave Laurion sighs. “The first five games of the year, soon after Erik got hurt, we weren’t very good. All of our returning players who knew Erik didn’t play well. Right away, we’re oh-and-seven at home against good teams, when we’re not playing our best hockey.” He pauses. In his … Read more
Challenges. Some people run, while others choose to ignore them. But still others grab hold and work to overcome them. Those folks may conquer, or they may fall short. For Tim Watters and Dean Talafous, the latest challenge is as head coach of a WCHA team — working to get to the top of one … Read more
On October 7, in practice only days before the opening of the season, University of Alaska Fairbanks sophomore defenseman Erik Drygas fell head first into the boards when he caught a skate edge during a drill and severely fractured his fifth cervical vertebra. Two days later he underwent successful surgery to stabilize his neck and … Read more
University of Alaska Fairbanks defenseman Erik Drygas is recovering in the Intensive Care Unit at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital after suffering a serious neck injury resulting from a head-first collision with the boards during practice on Monday, October 7, 1996. On Oct. 10, Drygas underwent surgery to repair a severe fracture to his fifth cervical vertebra. … Read more