DON LUCIA

Sports

Don Lucia set to be named CCHA commissioner

Don Lucia is coming back to the college hockey world.

Sports

3 with Minnesota ties are finalists for CCHA commissioner job

When play begins in the new Central Collegiate Hockey Association in the fall of 2021, the conference will have two teams and a commissioner from Minnesota. And there have been changes atop the hockey structure in the Big Ten.

May 27, 2020 09:25 AM

Sports

Degree in hand, former enforcer Stu Bickel hunting for his first coaching job

A decade ago, former Minnesota Gophers defenseman Stu Bickel was dropping his gloves for a living as a pro hockey player. Today, with his degree recently earned and a two-year stint as a Gophers assistant coach completed, he is ready for his first real coaching experience.

May 24, 2020 05:57 PM

Sports

In hockey and aviation, former Gophers defenseman Steve Johnson is off to a flying start

Post-hockey plans are up in the air for former Minnesota Gophers defenseman Steve Johnson, which is a solid career goal. While playing pro hockey, two years removed from the U of M, Johnson is also immersed in flight school, earning his pilot's license and aiming to follow his father into commercial aviation someday.

April 28, 2020 06:01 PM

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Sports

Former Colorado College, USHL coach Scott Owens retires after 40-plus seasons

Opponents always knew they were in for a battle when they saw Scott Owens on the other bench, as he led Colorado College to seven NCAA tournament trips and three conference titles in 15 seasons coaching his alma mater. A year after leading Sioux Falls to the USHL title, Owens announced his retirement.

March 27, 2020 09:08 AM

By Jess Myers

Sports

A decade of Gophers hockey, by the numbers

In the 2010s, the Minnesota Gophers won 218 games and a NCAA record six consecutive conference titles. They also played in two conferences, employed two head coaches and boasted two Stanley Cup winners. Those and other key numbers, good and bad, marked the decade for this renowned college hockey program.

December 30, 2019 01:47 PM

By Jess Myers

Sports

New arena the latest development in CC hockey's notable history

In 1948, what is now known as the NCAA Frozen Four got its start far away from the frozen ponds of traditional hockey hotbeds like New England and the Midwest. Now, after more than 75 years at two notable arenas in Colorado Springs, the hockey program at Colorado College is planning an on-campus move to a smaller rink.

October 10, 2019 04:56 PM

By Jess Myers

Sports

Part 2: Talking hockey with U of M athletic director Mark Coyle on the importance of regional rivalries

Since returning to the University of Minnesota in 2016, athletic director Mark Coyle has hired a new coach for the Gophers men's hockey program, has heard from fans still not at all sure about Big Ten hockey, and has dealt with dwindling attendance for home games. In Part 2 of a sit-down interview with The Rink Live, he talks about the importance of regional rivalries, the possibility of a new Big Ten team, and the future of the Gophers' home rink.

July 26, 2019 12:48 PM

By Jess Myers

1989 NCAA title game goal vs Harvard.jpg

Sports

Inside the NCAA Frozen Four, Part 1: The Past

In the early 1980s, communities like Duluth and Grand Forks hosted the NCAA Frozen Four in arenas with 6,000 seats or fewer. In the last 40 years, the event has changed dramatically, and today is housed almost exclusively in NHL buildings with 17,000-plus seats. In part one of a three-part series, a look at how the event has grown.

April 23, 2019 12:35 PM

By Jess Myers

Sports

For former Gopher Lettieri, solitude is perhaps his greatest pro hockey challenge

Used to being surrounded by friends and fellow students, former Minnesota Gophers forward Vinni Lettieri often finds himself alone in the nation's biggest city while playing for the New York Rangers. But family is never more than a phone call away.

February 26, 2019 02:20 PM

By Jess Myers

New York Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei (76) looks to make a pass against the Winnipeg Jets during the third period at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Man., on Feb. 11, 2018. Terrence Lee / USA TODAY Sports

Sports

Former Gopher Brady Skjei living his dream life in NYC

Just a few years removed from his time with the Minnesota Gophers, defenseman Brady Skjei has found a lucrative career and a dream life in pro hockey with the New York Rangers.

February 13, 2019 10:31 AM

By Jess Myers

New St. Cloud State University Men's Hockey Coach Brett Larson smiles while talking with people following a press conference Friday, April 13, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

Sports

UMD assistant Brett Larson accepts top St. Cloud State job

ST. CLOUD - The last time Brett Larson helped guide Minnesota Duluth to an NCAA title in 2011, it led to his hiring as head coach and general manager of the United States Hockey League's Sioux City Musketeers.Now after serving as an assistant coa...

April 13, 2018 05:44 PM

By Matt Wellens

New Gophers men's hockey head coach Bob Motzko answers questions after being introduced to the media and fans in the Club Room at the University of Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium on Thursday, March 29, 2018. John Autey / St. Paul Pioneer Press

Sports

How Bob Motzko became the new Gophers men's hockey coach

ST. PAUL-The St. Cloud State men's hockey team was upset by Air Force in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D., last Friday, March 23. On Saturday, Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle called Huskies AD Heather Weems as she...

March 29, 2018 06:47 PM

By Andy Greder / St. Paul Pioneer Press