Dean Blais is retiring

[Old Barn Guy at Home]

I just saw a headline that Dean Blais has decided to retire from coaching the Mavs in Omaha.  Best of luck to him and enjoy the fishing and hunting that he so much enjoys.  Thanks for everything that he did at UND and for US hockey.

[cberkas]

And he just said he was going to stay.

Dean Blais has done all he could at Omaha. He made Omaha better then they were before, just didn't get a goalie that could put back to back good seasons. Omaha looked like the old Sioux teams. 

[scpa0305]

Legend

[sioux rube]

Just read an article where he said he was coming back for another year and questioned where he said he was going to retire. Anyhow what a great career he had behind the bench. Great guy and wish him all the best. 

[Stack]

http://www.omaha.com/uno/hockey/dean-blais-steps-down-as-uno-hockey-coach/article_771e7314-08dd-11e7-ae41-8f22eefae827.html

 

Glad that Dean can now enjoy retirement.

[cberkas]

So who do they replace Blais with?

Gabinet - Coached Albert before Going to Omaha, former Omaha player. Current coach.

Mike Hastings - A legend in Omaha

Cary Eades

Mike Guentzel

George Gwozdecky 

Rob Facca - helped build Western Michigan 

[tnt]

What has Omaha's power play looked like since Blais started coaching there?  Maybe we can hire him as a consultant to get ours kick started.  Half kidding, but part of me wonders how we can't have a better power play percentage with 4 guys in the pros from last year and three guys at least on this years team that will be there in short order.  

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

5 minutes ago, tnt said:

What has Omaha's power play looked like since Blais started coaching there?  Maybe we can hire him as a consultant to get ours kick started.  Half kidding, but part of me wonders how we can't have a better power play percentage with 4 guys in the pros from last year and three guys at least on this years team that will be there in short order.  

One thing I'll say about Coach Shaw is that he seems to have figured out zone entries on the PP. It'd be great if we could somehow track this because I feel like our % of entering the zone and maintaining control of the puck on the PP has skyrocketed since he came in.

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

Brian Kaufman could be brought on as an assistant. Hill Murray grad, captained Miami during their title game collapse. Current HC and GM of Omaha Lancers.

[Frozen4sioux]

Eades. Jackson. Gwoz........

If Philly fans had their way.....Hak. 

Hastings Guentzel Gwoz Gabinet.....Lotta young guys out there too.....

there's a lot of talent out there but I think UNO is going to look on the cheap.

 

[NDinCO]

46 minutes ago, cberkas said:

So who do they replace Blais with?

Gabinet - Coached Albert before Going to Omaha, former Omaha player. Current coach.

Mike Hastings - A legend in Omaha

Cary Eades

Mike Guentzel

George Gwozdecky 

Rob Facca - helped build Western Michigan 

Dane Jackson?

[siouxfan512]

3 minutes ago, NDinCO said:

Dane Jackson?

Was wondering about this myself. Would stink to see Dane leave, but would be a great opportunity for him.

[bigskyvikes]

All his tv time this season, seems like he is being groomed to head coach somewhere!

Hope not!

Talking about Jackson..

[Ray77]

53 minutes ago, cberkas said:

So who do they replace Blais with?

Gabinet - Coached Albert before Going to Omaha, former Omaha player. Current coach.

Mike Hastings - A legend in Omaha

Cary Eades

Mike Guentzel

George Gwozdecky 

Rob Facca - helped build Western Michigan 

I wouldn't be surprised to see Potulny throw his name in there either.

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

I think he always had a desire to coach at MN, he sure did a great at UND and elseware, Thank You Mr. Coach!

[tnt]

47 minutes ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

One thing I'll say about Coach Shaw is that he seems to have figured out zone entries on the PP. It'd be great if we could somehow track this because I feel like our % of entering the zone and maintaining control of the puck on the PP has skyrocketed since he came in.

Just looked at the last 4 years and St. Cloud has a PP percentage of 24.65 and UND 18.9.  Part of that can be attributed to the big ice surface in St. Cloud, but that is such a big discrepancy.  20 percent should be the norm with the kind of talent we have from year to year. 

[MafiaMan]

Wow, surprised to read this.  Dean Blais has always been easily approachable whenever I have run into him - at home or on the road.  Had a chance to exchange a few words with him at the 1998 regional in Ann Arbor.  Good story. 

Enjoy your retirement, coach, and thanks for your efforts in "restoring the glory" at North Dakota.  The job you did bringing that program back was incredible.  

[UNDBIZ]

Wonder if he'd be interested in being the AD someplace?  Has a good history of getting a new rink built wherever he goes.

[UND1981]

27 minutes ago, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

I think he always had a desire to coach at MN, he sure did a great at UND and elseware, Thank You Mr. Coach!

Very glad he retired before going back to be HC of the Rodents!

 

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

21 minutes ago, tnt said:

Just looked at the last 4 years and St. Cloud has a PP percentage of 24.65 and UND 18.9.  Part of that can be attributed to the big ice surface in St. Cloud, but that is such a big discrepancy.  20 percent should be the norm with the kind of talent we have from year to year. 

Yeah we have always seemed to have an underperforming PP, not sure the reason.

However, I was specifically referring to just the zone entry w/ possession.  It has seemed to improve greatly since Shaw came in. I love the play where: 3 players skate to the blue line with the Center having puck possession > before the blue line he turns around and passes it back to one of the trailers > Trailer reads the defense and either passes to other trailer who carries it in or carries it in himself if there's an opening. Seen them do it dozens of times this yr and it has a great success rate.

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

17 minutes ago, UNDBIZ said:

Wonder if he'd be interested in being the AD someplace?  Has a good history of getting a new rink built wherever he goes.

He has a cabin in Northern MN...is it near Moorhead? Getting them an arena to join d1 would further cement his status.

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

3 minutes ago, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

He has a cabin in Northern MN...is it near Moorhead? Getting them an arena to join d1 would further cement his status.

I think Blais is going to get hooked on fishing.

[gfhockey]

Heard he's going in to contracting as he has built 3 arenas

[petey23]

1 hour ago, tnt said:

Just looked at the last 4 years and St. Cloud has a PP percentage of 24.65 and UND 18.9.  Part of that can be attributed to the big ice surface in St. Cloud, but that is such a big discrepancy.  20 percent should be the norm with the kind of talent we have from year to year. 

105 is the goal for power play + penalty kill

[cberkas]

Not sure if this is true but Quinn on the Mavpuck message board is saying that Omaha is so broke that they can't go on recruiting trips. If that s true then Alberts should have been fired a long time ago.