Latest news with #Idalski
Vancouver Sun
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
PWHL Vancouver: Coach Brian Idalski's history includes Hammer time
PWHL Vancouver coach Brian Idalski can obviously talk pro women's hockey. He can also talk Dave (The Hammer) Schultz. Idalski, 54, added to what has to be one of the more unique resumes in the sport a few weeks back when he was named bench boss of the Vancouver expansion team that starts play based out of the Pacific Coliseum in the fall. Idalski was coach of Team China at the Beijing 2022 Olympics. He guided a Chinese team in a Russian pro women's league for three seasons. He was bench boss of the University of North Dakota squad that helped produce American Olympians like twin sisters Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux but folded in 2017 due to funding constraints at the school. Before that, the Warren, Mich., native was a steady, stay-at-home defenceman who saw action in minor pro for five seasons. That included suiting up in 1996-97 for the Madison Monsters, a team in the Colonial Hockey League that was coached by Schultz, a winger for the Philadelphia Flyers in their Broad Street Bullies days. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. There have been four seasons in NHL history where a player has amassed 400 minutes or more in penalties. Schultz owns two of those, including a league record 472 minutes in 1974-75. Schultz was at the helm for Idalski's second year in Madison. Mark Johnson was the coach for the first campaign, and as a player he was a stylish, savvy centre who starred with the 1980 U.S. Olympic team and then went on see duty in 11 seasons in the NHL. For comparison's sake, Johnson totalled a mere 269 minutes in the sin bin in his career. 'The Hammer? I enjoyed playing for him, but it was funny because that was such a different era,' said Idalski, who was heading up minor hockey camps at the North Shore Winter Club this past weekend. 'Mark had brought in some Europeans and we were playing on an Olympic-sized sheet, so we were all over the place. Dave had a hard time with that. He was used to the Broad Street Bullies in the 1970s, up and down the wing, get it in deep and go. 'He was a great human being. I really enjoyed playing for him as a person. But there are a fair number of stories coming out of that year that I still chuckle about.' Idalski comes to PWHL Vancouver after spending the past three seasons guiding the St. Cloud State University Huskies. The St. Cloud, Minn., program had a 16-point jump in the overall standings in his first season in 2022-23, leading Idalski to win U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) coach of the year honours. Part of the appeal with the new job is the roster that general manager Cara Gardner Morey has assembled. The forward crew includes national team stalwart Sarah Nurse along with homegrown talents Hannah Miller and Jenn Gardiner . The defence features reigning PWHL defender of the year finalists Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, and the netminding has two former starters in the loop in Kristen Campbell and Emerance Maschmeyer. The team looks like it will contend instantly and, as Idalski says, 'The fact that I get the keys to something that has the opportunity to be special right away is really something — normally, you have to cut your teeth, pay your dues for a few years.' Running an NCAA team has become a complicated proposition of late as well, with more frequent player movement due to looser transfer regulations and enticements like Name Image Likeness (NIL) sponsorship deals ruling the day. 'This is a best-on-best league, and how you show up, how you prepare, gives you have a chance to win and that's on you,' Idalski said. 'There's a lot of things in college … it didn't matter how much time I put or how hard I worked.' All told, Idalski has coached 18 seasons in the NCAA, including 10 at North Dakota. They were a prominent program then, particularly when they had the Lamoureux sisters. The pair represented the U.S. at three Olympics, including Vancouver 2010. In 2017, North Dakota shut down the team as well as the men's and women's swimming squads in a bid to slice $1.3 million from the athletic budget. 'I wouldn't wish that on anybody, especially with what we had built and what was around the corner for us,' Idalski said. 'But, out of that, I can turn around and say that it was one of the best things that happened to me. I got to go to the Olympics, I got to coach overseas and live in China and Russia. Who gets to do those things? 'I probably would have stayed in North Dakota another 10 or 15 years. I may have ended my career there. But it forced me to grow. Dealing with that made me a better person.' After North Dakota, Idalski went to the KRS Vanke Rays and guided the team from Shenzhen, China to two titles in three years in the Russian Zhenskaya Hockey League. That led to him being named bench boss of the Chinese team for Beijing 2022. China went 2-2-0 there. Highlights from that stretch for him — a kid who grew up in a Detroit suburb — included having breakfast with former Red Wings winger Slava Kozlov when their teams wound up staying at the same hotel, and watching former Red Wings centre Pavel Datsyuk play in a 5,000-seat arena. 'I loved it. I thought it was just an awesome experience,' Idalski said. The PWHL has yet to announce its schedule for its upcoming third season, which now features eight teams with the additions of Vancouver and Seattle. Teams played 30-game seasons last year, beginning on Nov. 30. Check the PWHL Vancouver website for more information . @SteveEwen SEwen@
National Post
19 hours ago
- Sport
- National Post
PWHL Vancouver: Coach Brian Idalski's history includes Hammer time
Article content Running an NCAA team has become a complicated proposition of late as well, with more frequent player movement due to looser transfer regulations and enticements like Name Image Likeness (NIL) sponsorship deals ruling the day. Article content 'This is a best-on-best league, and how you show up, how you prepare, gives you have a chance to win and that's on you,' Idalski said. 'There's a lot of things in college … it didn't matter how much time I put or how hard I worked.' Article content All told, Idalski has coached 18 seasons in the NCAA, including 10 at North Dakota. They were a prominent program then, particularly when they had the Lamoureux sisters. The pair represented the U.S. at three Olympics, including Vancouver 2010. Article content Article content In 2017, North Dakota shut down the team as well as the men's and women's swimming squads in a bid to slice $1.3 million from the athletic budget. Article content 'I wouldn't wish that on anybody, especially with what we had built and what was around the corner for us,' Idalski said. 'But, out of that, I can turn around and say that it was one of the best things that happened to me. I got to go to the Olympics, I got to coach overseas and live in China and Russia. Who gets to do those things? Article content Article content 'I probably would have stayed in North Dakota another 10 or 15 years. I may have ended my career there. But it forced me to grow. Dealing with that made me a better person.' Article content After North Dakota, Idalski went to the KRS Vanke Rays and guided the team from Shenzhen, China to two titles in three years in the Russian Zhenskaya Hockey League. That led to him being named bench boss of the Chinese team for Beijing 2022. China went 2-2-0 there. Article content Highlights from that stretch for him — a kid who grew up in a Detroit suburb — included having breakfast with former Red Wings winger Slava Kozlov when their teams wound up staying at the same hotel, and watching former Red Wings centre Pavel Datsyuk play in a 5,000-seat arena. Article content
Boston Globe
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Courtney Kessel officially leaves Boston Fleet in return to Princeton as women's hockey coach
'It is bittersweet to move on from the Boston Fleet and the amazing people building that organization and the PWHL as a whole,' Kessel said. 'This opportunity was the only one that could draw me away from where I was.' From Toronto, Kessel played at New Hampshire, where she was a 2010 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the MVP of women's college hockey. She also represented Canada at three world championships, including a gold-medal win in 2012. Advertisement She also has Hockey Canada coaching experience, serving as a senior team assistant in 2024 and head coach of the 2023 gold-medal winning Under-18 team. The Fleet have undergone major changes this offseason. Star forward Advertisement 'Courtney set the tone from Day 1 and elevated our group with her competitiveness, preparation, and care,' Fleet GM Danielle Marmer said. 'She's already established herself as an elite coach early in her career, and I know she'll continue to raise the bar as the next head coach at Princeton.' In other PWHL coaching news, Brian Idalski is leaving St. Cloud State after being hired as coach of Vancouver, the league announced Monday. The 54-year-old has more than 20 years of women's hockey coaching experience, including overseeing China's national team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Idalski also coached the KRS Vanke Rays to two Russian-women's league ZhHL championships over a three-year period. Vancouver's inaugural roster includes former Vanke Rays players, Michela Cava and Hannah Miller, who also played for China in 2022. Idalski's hiring comes a day before the PWHL draft. Vancouver will select seventh followed by Seattle, with the expansion teams switching the final two spots in each successive round of the six-round draft. Idalski spent the past three seasons at St. Cloud State, where he earned college hockey coach of the year honors in 2023 after the team tied a school record with 18 wins. Seattle filled its coaching position last week by hiring Steve O'Rourke.
Hamilton Spectator
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
St. Cloud State's Brian Idalski hired as first coach of PWHL's expansion team in Vancouver
Brian Idalski is leaving St. Cloud State after being hired as coach of the PWHL's expansion team in Vancouver, the league announced Monday. The 54-year-old has more than 20 years of women's hockey coaching experience, including overseeing China's national team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. Idalski also coached the KRS Vanke Rays to two Russian-women's league ZhHL championships over a three-year period. Vancouver's inaugural roster includes former Vanke Rays players, Michela Cava and Hannah Miller , who also played for China in 2022. Idalski's hiring comes a day before the PWHL draft. Vancouver will select seventh followed by Seattle, with the expansion teams switching the final two spots in each successive round of the six-round draft. 'Brian is a proven winner who knows our sport, the players, and has coached at the highest levels,' general manager Cara Gardner Morey said. 'What stands out in Brian's experience is his ability to build and transform the programs he is a part of, from his work in professional leagues, at the Olympics, and turning collegiate teams into nationally ranked contenders.' From Warren, Michigan, Idalski spent the past three seasons at St. Cloud State, where he earned college hockey coach of the year honors in 2023 after the team tied a school record with 18 wins. His teams have combined for five NCAA Tournament appearances, with previous stops at North Dakota and Wisconsin-Stevens Point. 'I've been associated with a lot of players across the PWHL, either coaching them personally or against them over the years, so this role brings me full circle with an eagerness to work with the league's world-class talent,' Idalski said. Seattle filled its coaching position by hiring Steve O'Rourke last week . ___ AP women's hockey:
Vancouver Sun
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
PWHL's Vancouver team names Brian Idalski as its first head coach
The Professional Women's Hockey League's new team in Vancouver has named Brian Idalski as its first head coach. Idalski joins the expansion side following three seasons at St. Cloud State University, where he led the women's hockey team to a program-record 36 conference points and tied its record of 18 wins. The 54-year-old from Warren, Mich., joins the PWHL after 18 seasons as a collegiate coach, including time at the University of North Dakota and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and appearances in five NCAA tournament appearances. Idalski previously coached overseas for the KRS Vanke Rays in Shenzhen, China, where he won two Zhenskaya Hockey League titles in three years, and worked with recent PWHL Vancouver acquisitions Michela Cava and Hannah Miller. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. He was also head coach of the China's women's hockey team at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, a team that also included Miller. Idalski said working with so many familiar players in Vancouver is a unique opportunity. 'The PWHL has had a huge impact on the global game, and to be a part of that — with expansion helping push it even further forward — is an unbelievable feeling,' he said in a statement. 'I've been associated with a lot of players across the PWHL, either coaching them personally or against them over the years, so this role brings me full circle with an eagerness to work with the league's world-class talent.' Idalski is a 'proven winner who knows our sport, the players, and has coached at the highest levels,' said Vancouver general manager Cara Gardner Morey. 'What stands out in Brian's experience is his ability to build and transform the programs he is a part of, from his work in professional leagues, at the Olympics, and turning collegiate teams into nationally ranked contenders,' she said in a news release. 'I'm excited that he will lead our incredible group in Vancouver and can't wait to see his vision and influence shape our foundation.'
