In the past 2 years, while the pandemic has dominated health news world-wide, future Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs defenseman Will Francis has battled a major knee injury, then cancer, to fight his way back to the college hockey rink.
Getting outshot 13-2 in the overtime period, UMass junior wing Garrett Wait scored the game-winning goal to keep the Bulldogs from a historic fourth-straight NCAA championship game appearance.
Much had changed for the program and perceptions surrounding the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs in the decade since they captured their first NCAA title in 2011, as they seek a third consecutive title in Pittsburgh.
At a golf outing and banquet to officially name him the 2020 Hobey Baker Award winner, former UMD Bulldogs defenseman Scott Perunovich enjoyed an afternoon with his parents, a return to some sort of normal life amid the pandemic, and a future shot at a roster spot with the NHL's St. Louis Blues.
The NCAA only permits college teams to have two full-time assistant coaches on staff, but many in the NCHC would like a third assistant to be permitted in the name of player safety.
While the players they coach take the summer off to recharge, NCAA Division I men's hockey assistant coaches are at camps and clinics in search of players. They miss time with their team in-season to watch junior games and Midget tournaments.
While professional coaches may grind non-stop in the season, NCAA Division I men's hockey assistants must balance their roles as coaches and scouts, and their season doesn't end when the games do.
