Head Coach Dave Hakstol
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Four seasons as head coach - four berths in the NCAA Frozen Four. That's what Dave Hakstol has accomplished since taking over as head coach of the University of North Dakota men's hockey team in July of 2004.
Just two other coaches in college hockey history (Jack Parker and Doug Woog) have achieved that feat, with Hakstol becoming the third.
Last season Hakstol led UND to a 28-11-4 overall record and 18-7-3 WCHA mark (second place). The Fighting Sioux have moved up in the WCHA regular season standings in each of Hakstol's four seasons, from fifth to fourth to third to second last season.
In Hakstol's first season (2004-05) as head coach, he led a team with nine seniors to the Frozen Four. In his second season (2005-06), he led a team with 13 freshmen and just two seniors to the Frozen Four.
In his third season, Hakstol took UND to the Frozen Four yet again, and sophomore forward Ryan Duncan won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the best player in college hockey.
In four seasons, Hakstol has compiled a record of 106-56-15 (.641) overall.
A key in Hakstol's success has been surrounding himself with an outstanding coaching staff. His first two seasons, he was joined by associate head coach Brad Berry and assistant coach Cary Eades. Eades has won championships on every level at which he has played or coached.
Berry's outstanding work at UND resulted in him accepting an assistant coach position in the NHL's Vancouver Canucks organization in the summer of 2006.
To fill the vacancy created by Berry's departure, Eades was promoted to associate head coach and Hakstol hired former Sioux and NHL player Dane Jackson as an assistant coach.
Jackson, who had an 11-year career as a professional hockey player, has became an integral part of the coaching staff the past two seasons by working individually with each Fighting Sioux player on developing their skills.
Impressive Postseason Record
The trademark of the Fighting Sioux during Hakstol's first four seasons has been UND's ability to play its best hockey at the most crucial time of the year - in the playoffs.
During his first four years, Hakstol has led the Sioux to an overall postseason record of 23-9 (.719) that includes a 14-5 WCHA playoff record and 9-4 NCAA playoff mark. UND's 14 WCHA playoff wins the last four seasons are two more than any other WCHA team, and UND's nine NCAA playoff wins the last four seasons are second-best in the nation during that time.
Four-Time Finalist for National Coaching Award
After UND's impressive postseason runs in each of the last four seasons, Hakstol has been honored as a national finalist for the American Hockey Coaches Association's Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Coach of the Year. In 2005, he was one of three coaches named as runner-up for the prestigious award.
Player Development
UND has developed a reputation for doing an outstanding job in preparing players for professional hockey careers and careers beyond hockey. Last year (2007-08) 14 former Fighting Sioux played in the National Hockey League and another 28 former UND players played professional hockey.
Eleven of the 14 former UND players who played in the NHL were coached by Hakstol during the eight seasons he has coached at UND.
Last season (2007-08), Jonathan Toews made the jump directly to the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks after playing two years at UND. He was a finalist for the NHL's Rookie of the Year Award and in the summer of 2008 was named the captain of the Blackhawks, becoming the third-youngest captain in NHL history. Toews was 20 years and 79 days old when he assumed the role as Chicago's captain.
Toews is one of four former UND players in the last two seasons to debut in the NHL the year after completing their UND careers.
Defenseman Brian Lee debuted with Ottawa last season after playing two seasons for UND. Two players who completed their Fighting Sioux careers in 2005-06 - Travis Zajac and Drew Stafford - made their NHL debuts the very next season (2006-07).
In the last six seasons, 29 UND players have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft, including six in both the 2007 and 2008 NHL Drafts.
UND leads WCHA in All-Academic selections in back-to-back seasons. UND men's hockey players are also outstanding students. In 2007-08, 10 UND men's hockey players earned WCHA All-Academic honors, most in the league. In 2006-07, 11 Fighting Sioux were named to the WCHA All-Academic team, tying for the WCHA league high.
