September 4, 2008
Guentzel Goes to CC
CHN Staff Report
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Mike Guentzel, who resigned his post at Minnesota after a long stint as an assistant there, has hooked up with Colorado College as its new assistant coach.
Guentzel, a 22-year veteran of coaching at the national select, junior A and NCAA Division I levels, replaces Norm Bazin, who left the Tigers after eight seasons last month to become head coach at Division III Hamilton.
Guentzel, whose son Gabe is a freshman defenseman at CC, spent the last 14 seasons (1994-2008) as an assistant at Minnesota and played an instrumental role in steering the Gophers to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2002 and 2003.
"I am very pleased to have Mike join Colorado College and the Tiger family," said CC head coach Scott Owens. "I personally have had the chance to follow Mike's coaching career and watch him grow into an elite NCAA coach. Mike will add a wealth of knowledge and experience to a veteran Tiger team. He is an exceptional person that has an unbelievable track record of developing athletes, recruiting and winning at both the WCHA and national level. I look forward to working with Mike on a daily basis."
Before joining the Minnesota staff in 1994, Guentzel served as head coach for two teams -- the St. Paul Vulcans (1989-92) and the Omaha Lancers (1992-94) -- in the United State Hockey League, guiding the Vulcans to a junior A national title in 1991. He went on to win one regular-season and two playoff championships with the Lancers, in 1993 and 1994, and was honored as USHL Coach of the Year on two occasions. He began his coaching career as an assistant with St. Paul in 1986.
"I'm excited about this opportunity and looking forward to getting started at Colorado College," said the 46-year-old Guentzel. “It’s obviously a program that competes at a very high level, with a philosophy similar to my own. When I started with the Vulcans back in the late 1980s, Scotty (Owens) also was in the USHL, so I’m familiar with his approach, beliefs and coaching style. I think I’ll be stepping into a very compatible situation.”
Guentzel coached the Gophers’ defensemen for the last nine years under head coach Don Lucia, helping to produce five All-Americans including 2002 Hobey Baker Award winner Jordan Leopold. He earlier was associate head coach there under Doug Woog. His involvement with USA Hockey has included stints as an assistant coach with three junior national teams (1994, 1995 and 1996).
Guentzel's oldest son, Ryan, is a sophomore and plays at Notre Dame.
Welcome home Mike! You'll find that the weather, lovely landscape and the hockey are exponentially better than that of the frozen hell hole that is Minnesota!
Sep 5 2008, 10:22 am by D-Man, Denver
Repeat after me, Mike...
Gophers suck!
Sep 9 2008, 10:16 pm by Redman, Madison
As a huge Gopgher fan, I am happy to see Mike go to a great hockey school. Unfortunately, I think Don Lucia and the Gophers will pay for forcing Mike out.
Sep 11 2008, 1:26 am by jonb seattle
BIG MISTAKE HUGE MISTAKE DONNIE THE MAN HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE DID GETTING RID OF MIKE. BUT HE DID HIRE A CLASS GUY IN HASTINGS, THEY ARE ALLOT ALIKE HE AND GUENTZEL. MAYBE HASTINGS CAN TEACH LUCIA HOW TO COACH BECAUSE HE IS A GREAT COACH AS IS GUENTZLE. ALSO MAYBE DONNIE CAN LEARN NOT TO BE SO PARANOID AND INTO HIMSELF SOMETIME SOON. AND YES GOPHERS JUST LIKE BADGERS ARE PESKY RODENTS.
Sep 12 2008, 10:46 am by FRED MIDWEST
Good move on Mike's part I wish him well. He's a good coach and will bring a wealth of experience to the CC program. Although it makes one wonder if Scotty O is hinting at hanging up the whistle. Nice comments girls......I've had the chance to speak with 4 head coaches in the WCHA and believe me they all have HUGE egos. Donnie isn't the first nor the last.
Sep 16 2008, 4:52 pm by Thor, Titletown
Glad Mike is at a class act school! The Gophers let a good one go, that's for sure. You will be missed. As a former CC fan and current Gopher fan, I wish you all the best at CC!
Sep 18 2008, 10:20 pm by Meg, Minneapolis
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