St. Cloud State Hires Johnson as Assistant

St. Cloud State has named longtime USHL coach and former North Dakota player Steve Johnson as an assistant coach. Johnson replaces Eric Rud, who left the Huskies to become the head coach with Green Bay of the USHL. He coached Fargo in the USHL last season but is best known for a decade-long run with … Read more

St. Cloud State Assistant Rud Heads to USHL

Assistant coach Eric Rud is leaving St. Cloud State to become the head coach and general manager of the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. Rud spent the last five years at St. Cloud State following one season at Colorado College, his alma mater. He was an assistant coach with the USHL’s Cedar Rapids Roughriders from 2002 … Read more

Michigan Tech Sets Off on European Trip

Michigan Tech will play five games against professional teams from Germany and Austria as part of a 10-day European tour that started Wednesday. NCAA rules allow a team to take one foreign trip every four years. Only current, eligible players may go along; incoming freshmen are not eligible. “This trip will not only be a … Read more

Duluth Equipment Manager Recovering After Bone Marrow Transplant

Chris Garner, the equipment manager for the Minnesota-Duluth men’s team, is recovering after a bone marrow transplant last week in his battle against myelodysplatic syndromes. Myelodysplastic syndromes, formerly known as preleukemia, describes a group of cancers of the blood and marrow. Garner had the transplant on Aug. 4 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. … Read more

Alaska-Anchorage Hires McKelvie as Assistant

Ryan McKelvie is joining Alaska-Anchorage’s coaching staff. McKelvie, a former Minnesota State player, has been named an assistant coach, replacing Regg Simon, who became the head coach and general manager with Des Moines of the USHL. From the archives: Ryan McKelvie’s Minnesota State statistics He was the associate head coach of the Wenatchee Wild of … Read more

Anchorage Assistant Simon Leaves for USHL Job

Alaska-Anchorage assistant coach Regg Simon is leaving his alma mater to become the head coach and general manager of the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers. Simon had been a Seawolves assistant for the past two seasons. In Des Moines, he will replace Mike Guentzel, who left to join the staff at Nebraska-Omaha. “Regg did a great … Read more

Facing Suspension, Minnesota’s Birkholz Leaves Team

Minnesota forward Josh Birkholz, facing a suspension for a violation of team rules, instead has decided to leave the program, the school announced Tuesday. No information was given as to the nature of the suspension, or what it was for. Related link: Josh Birkholz career statistics Birkholz, a third-round NHL draft pick of the Florida … Read more

Leddy Set to Leave Minnesota for NHL’s Blackhawks

Minnesota defenseman Nick Leddy is leaving school after one season to sign with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. The Star Tribune of Minneapolis and the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday that Leddy agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract. It would pay him the rookie maximum $900,000 a year if he plays with the Blackhawks or $67,500 if … Read more

Guentzel Joins Nebraska-Omaha Staff

Longtime WCHA assistant coach Mike Guentzel is joining the Nebraska-Omaha staff. Guentzel will be an assistant for the Mavericks as they join the WCHA this season, the Omaha World-Herald reported. He was an assistant at Minnesota for 14 years, then spent one year as an assistant at Colorado College. Last year, he was the head … Read more

Wisconsin Captain McDonagh Signs With Rangers

Ryan McDonagh has made it official: The Wisconsin defenseman is heading to the pros. McDonagh has agreed to terms with the New York Rangers and is the fourth player this offseason to leave the Badgers with eligibility remaining. McDonagh, who was set to be the Badgers’ captain in 2010-11, was plus-22 and had 18 points … Read more

Denver Boosts Assistant Miller’s Title

Denver has promoted Steve Miller to associate head coach. Miller has been an assistant to coach George Gwozdecky for the last 19 seasons, three at Miami and 16 at Denver. “Steve Miller has been a trusted friend and confidante for 19 years,” Gwozdecky said in a statement. “He is recognized as one of the finest … Read more

Draft’s Second Day Has College Feel, Too

College hockey’s celebrated opening day of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft was followed by a solid performance in the Draft’s conclusion on Saturday. Eight players with college ties were selected in the second round, giving college hockey a grand total of 17 collegians selected in the top two rounds. After closing Friday’s opening round with … Read more