Friday, the University of North Dakota announced that associate head coach Dave Hakstol has been named interim head coach in the wake of Dean Blais’ departure for the NHL. Hakstol, a 1992 graduate of UND and former hockey captain, has head coaching experience with the USHL’s Sioux City franchise — where he was the league’s … Read more
North Dakota’s Dean Blais, first in winning percentage among all active Division I coaches and winner of two national championships, is stepping down from his job in Grand Forks to take over as associate coach for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets.
Drew Stafford is expected to uphold North Dakota’s recent tradition of first-round picks at the NHL Draft.
Two players that recently went pro, including one that left early, plus one player still playing are the three Hobey Hat Trick finalists for the 2004 Hobey Baker Award. The three finalists are: Minnesota-Duluth forward Junior Lessard, the nation’s leading scorer, will lead his team into the Frozen Four, starting next Thursday with the Bulldogs’ … Read more
Hobey Baker Award finalist Zach Parise has left school to sign a three-year deal with the Devils.
The hometown coach will get the task of defending his nation’s gold medal. North Dakota coach Dean Blais was named head coach of the 2005 U.S. National Junior Team, which will compete in the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship, Dec. 25, 2004-Jan. 4-2005. The U.S. will be defending the gold medal it just won on … Read more
North Dakota’s talent was in evidence in Helsinki: three Sioux — including tourney MVP Zach Parise — helped the U.S. go gold.
Ralph Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, N.D., Dec. 27-28 Brown vs. Wayne State, 4 CT Saturday Findlay at North Dakota, 7 CT Saturday Consolation, 1 CT Sunday Championship, 4 CT Sunday Television: North Dakota, local cable. No. 12 Brown (6-2-2) Players to Watch: F Brian Ihnacak, Fr. (6-9–15); G Yann Danis, Sr. (6-2-2, 1.50, .953). Notable: … Read more
Maine goalie Jimmy Howard and Harvard defenseman Dylan Reese will miss the upcoming World Junior tournament because of injury, as will Dustin Brown, a first-round draft pick last June from Ithaca, N.Y., who now plays for the Los Angeles Kings. Brown’s spot was filled by North Dakota forward Drew Stafford. Michigan defenseman Matt Hunwick will … Read more
Seven is an especially lucky number for North Dakota — it adorns the back of the Sioux’s Brandon Bochenski, a goalscorer’s goalscorer.
Those who criticized the University of North Dakota for its nonconference schedule last season might be surprised at who was in their corner. Early last season, Fighting Sioux coach Dean Blais received a gift from Ralph Engelstad, the late UND hockey benefactor. "It doesn’t do you any good to play top-caliber teams if you don’t … Read more
The promising start North Dakota put together a year ago ended up amounting only to an appearance at the WCHA Final Five and an appearance in the NCAA tournament, not the victories in each of those competitions that seemed plausible. Things like that happen. Often, there’s a scapegoat — for the Sioux last season, it … Read more
North Dakota goaltender Jake Brandt has been arrested for theft in his hometown of Roseau, Minn. According to police, Brandt stole $200 worth of “pull tabs” from a local bar. His first court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 6. WDAZ-TV Channel 8 in Grand Forks, N.D., quotes Sioux coach Dean Blais as saying, “Brandt is … Read more
North Dakota beat the clock on Dean Blais’ deadline for a contract extension, and the Sioux coach now has a deal that runs through the 2006-07 season. Blais, who set a July 1 deadline for the school to give him an extension or see him leave when his current contract expires after the 2003-04 season, … Read more
The first day of the 2003 NHL Draft was filled with plenty of surprises, some pleasant and some not so pleasant. Zach Parise’s day was definitely falling into the latter category. Thought by many to be a solid top 10 selection, 16 picks went by the board without Parise hearing his name called. Zach Parise … Read more
The WCHA has voted unanimously to admit North Dakota’s women’s team beginning with the 2004-05 season. The addition of the Sioux brings the number of women’s WCHA teams to eight and marks the first expansion of the four-year-old league. North Dakota joins Bemidji State, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, MSU-Mankato, Ohio State, St. Cloud State and Wisconsin as … Read more
North Dakota defenseman David Hale became the second WCHA player to forego his senior season and turn pro, signing with the New Jersey Devils this week. Hale joins Peter Sejna, the Hobey Baker finalist who signed a free-agent deal with the St. Louis Blues. Hale was a first-round draft pick of New Jersey in the … Read more
The WCHA and CCHA led the way with three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award each, and Colorado College has two of the 10 that will be considered for college hockey’s top individual award. Also, the CHA has its first Hobey finalist, Niagara forward Joe Tallari. Colorado College junior forward Peter Sejna and senior defenseman … Read more
North Dakota junior defenseman David Hale doesn’t expect to play for the Fighting Sioux again until their Feb. 14-15 series in Denver against the Pioneers. Hale After being struck with illness shortly after the Sioux arrived in Colorado Springs on Jan. 30, Hale missed all of UND’s series against Colorado College and won’t play this … Read more
Overcoming serious illness and the death of their mother, North Dakota’s Hale brothers have the Sioux contending for another title.