Doug Woog RIP

[The Sicatoka]

Doug Woog passed away at age 75 on Saturday, December 14, 2019.

Much respect to the past adversary.

Condolences to his family.

[MafiaMan]

This deserved its own thread for sure.  I copied over the quotes from the other thread.  A sad weekend for all of college hockey, not just Minnesota.

12 hours ago, St Patrick said:

Doug Woog has passed away, sad news for all of college hockey. He seemed to be a great person and he certainly loved college hockey.  

https://www.twincities.com/2019/12/14/gophers-south-st-paul-hockey-hero-doug-woog-dies-at-75/

 

12 hours ago, crb1 said:

That is sad news. He was a homer but gosh, it was fun to play against his teams. My condolences to his family and the gopher faithful. 

 

10 hours ago, Wilbur said:

RIP to the Wooger.  Hated us, we hated him, but there was always a mutual respect.  

Boy did he want to win a natty with an entire team of Minnesotans.  Didn't get it done, but came ohh so close.

 

9 hours ago, Goon said:

For some funny quotes, https://www.gopherpucklive.com/woogisms/

 

9 hours ago, Blackheart said:

Wooger vs Blaiser in bubble hockey...Go Deano!!

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-dcola-005&hsimp=yhs-005&hspart=dcola&p=doug+woog+dean+blais+bubble+hockey#action=view&id=2&vid=9be64956243986a17b47b5c6bb3b2760

 

 

9 hours ago, yzerman19 said:

Doug Woog will be remembered as one of the greats of all-time in Minnesota hockey.  Moreover, he was a genuinely great guy.  My two favorite personal Woog moments:

1.  Having met him previously, I went over to him (in a bar) where he was watching a DU game.  He was short with me to the point that i went back to my seat.  When the intermission came.  Doug made a beeline to me, apologized profusely and explained that the Gophers were playing DU the next weekend and he needed to watch for work.  We chatted hockey over a beer and he treated me like an old friend.

2.  At the Ralph with my son who was maybe 3 years old at the time.  Doug’s in town doing the game.  I see him in the entry before the game- he’s headed up to go on camera, but He see’s me and my son looking at the murals and trophies.  He comes over to us and leans over and says to my son “pretty impressive isn’t it?  It’s a great program”. 
 

Rest In Peace Doug.  God Bless You.  

 

14 hours ago, sioux rube said:

Doug Woog has passed away at the age of 75. Got to meet him and talk with him for 5-10 minutes at one of his hockey camps. Always liked him 

 

14 hours ago, Sodbuster said:

Loved it when he and Mozzaco did  the Sioux/Gopher games.....and the Sioux won.

 

14 hours ago, petey23 said:

Sad to here about Doug Woog's passing. Had a few interactions with him over the years...always gracious and a great sense of humor...have a great picture with him after he joined us for a couple drinks at Stub & Herbs after a Sioux/Gopher series.

 

14 hours ago, runaroundsioux said:

RIP Wooger. Met him at the 2011 F4 in St. Paul. A nice man.

 

14 hours ago, MafiaMan said:

I had the opportunity to chat with Coach Woog 2-3 times over the years, including an hour-long conversation somewhere around 2004-2007 at Joe Senser’s in Bloomington during a Sunday night WCHA opening round series between North Dakota and Mankato. I told him that despite my disdain for the Gophers, I truly wished he had coached a national champion. He said in reply, “thanks...that means a lot to me, especially coming from a North Dakota fan.”

My condolences go out to the Gopher hockey family tonight. I’m sorry for your loss. God bless you, Coach Woog.

 

13 hours ago, Tbone said:

  I as well enjoyed listening to Woog during the broadcasts: “that’s been going on before the Dead Sea got sick” & listening to him struggle and stumble with a few names like Rastislav Spirko, although I’m sure that he embellished a few times for the humor. College hockey lost a good one and a character. 

  A sincere and heartfelt tip of the hat tonight to Doug and the Gopher Family. R.I.P. Wooger. 

 

[SiouxScore]

He was a good man who really cared for others. Great sense of humor and he definitely will be missed. RIP Wooger.

[siouxfan512]

Great guy! I grew up a huge Gopher fan as a kid and always remember seeing Woog. Watching his son play, who I briefly met years later. My Dad played golf with him once as well and had great things to say. 

College hockey lost a good one. 

Prayers and condolences to the Woog family.

[Godsmack]

Lots of great memories listening to Doug and Frank Mazzocco covering Gopher games on the old Midwest Sports Channel. I loved hearing Doug complain about how hard it was reading the names and numbers on the backs of the old CC jerseys Stories like that and many others, you were always entertained listening to a Gopher hockey broadcast with Woog.

Nice guy too, met him only one time at Whitey’s but also got to hear him speak at Sioux boosters his last year coaching the Gophers and he was such a great sport, taking the ribbing that he got from old Marvin who told lots of jokes at Doug’s expense. 

[MafiaBoy]

My dad and I ran into Doug Woog in the old Radisson Hotel about 10 years ago.  He signed my Sioux jersey and laughed - said he didn’t recall ever being asked to autograph one of those.  Nice big signature too.  I got back to my seat and seconds later, another kid’s dad (Gopher fans) sitting right behind us saw the back of my jersey and says, “hey, is that DOUG WOOG’S autograph?”  It’s like 3” from top to bottom and VERY readable.

[burd]

Grateful for what Doug Woog brought to college hockey.   He understood how to do everything you can to beat the opponent but to do so with dignity and humor.   Hats off. 

[geaux_sioux]

Still miss he and Mizako calling Gooher games. Loved to hate those guys but it just felt right. 

[808287]

Woog teams always came to play, and we loved to hate those goofer teams because they were dangerous on any given night.  

 

R.I.P. Coach

[The Sicatoka]

“Spirko Radislav Sparky Rusty ... whatever you want to call him.”

We’ll all miss that on the color call. 

[Wilbur]

I think others have said what needs to be said.  What the guy did for college hockey was fantastic.  Even after he got a "change of scenery" at the U of M he was still the team's biggest fan.  Met him at a coaching clinic and gave him some hell about a Nodak kid getting Minnesota over the hump and he was a really good sport about it.  

Loved to talk hockey anywhere, anytime.  

[NoDak Fan]

I was returning to Grand Forks from Phoenix in February of 1998. The Sioux and Gophers were playing a Saturday-Sunday afternoon series in Grand Forks. I was waiting to board my

connecting flight from Minneapolis to Grand Forks on Friday afternoon when the ticket desk worker called my name and asked if I would be willing to be "bumped up" to first class on the short flight.

Sitting in the gate I noticed Dave Spehar and a few other Gophers milling around. I realized the team was going to be on the flight. (No bus trip that weekend).

 Perhaps they needed more seats together in the back and needed a few passengers to move up to the front of the plane.

Anyway, Doug Woog was sitting in first class a few seats up from me and I could hear him making some jokes about having to go to Grand Forks. He was visiting with some parents of players or others associated with the team. 

As I recall, UND would sweep both games that week, including the dramatic come-from-behind victory on Sunday. 

Not sure the plane ride home was as joyous. 

He was proud of Minnesota hockey and was a great ambassador of the WCHA.

He will be missed.

[siouxfaninseattle]

TCoS to Woog.

[ChrisUND1]

RIP Wooger.  

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

RIP Woog, really liked him doing the games.

[dden3]

RIP Wooger

 

i am sure I am not the only person on this board who heard Woog during a broadcast of one of the last games the Sioux played the Gophers before they left the WCHA.  Woog cautioned that the Gophers better tighten up their chin and jockstraps because the Sioux always come to play.  And play hard. He went on to say that “I can’t believe we are giving this up”, referring to the Gophers imminent departure from the WCHA and specifically, the rivalry with North Dakota. He had immense respect for us even though he really wanted to win against us.  He loved the rivalry.

[ScottM]

Some of my fondest memories of Wooger were when he was done coaching and doing color commentary during games. Definitely a class act. A great guy in person too.  RIP Doug.

[Old Barn Guy at Home]

Coach Woog was a one-of-a-kind.  I especially liked it when Mazocco would start whining about some call/non-call and Doug would set him straight on why it was called that way.  I have nothing but respect for a true legend of US hockey.  RIP Coach Woog.

[ChrisUND1]

15 minutes ago, Old Barn Guy at Home said:

Coach Woog was a one-of-a-kind.  I especially liked it when Mazocco would start whining about some call/non-call and Doug would set him straight on why it was called that way.  I have nothing but respect for a true legend of US hockey.  RIP Coach Woog.

Grew up watching his hated UMN teams go up against the Sioux.  Loved when he played Blais in bubble hockey at the Ralph, he was a great sport doing that.  Woog was the opposite of the arrogant A-hole, Don Lucia.  Woog and "the Rug" Frank Mazzaco were always fun to listen to, as you mentioned.  

[Dustin]

 

[JakeLove]

Woog was a decent man who obviously received and shared the joy of Hockey.