Jump to content

Scott Sandelin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scott Sandelin
Born (1964-08-08) August 8, 1964 (age 60)
Hibbing, Minnesota, U.S.
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Defense
Shot Right
Played for Montreal Canadiens
Philadelphia Flyers
Minnesota North Stars
National team  United States
NHL draft 40th overall, 1982
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 1986–1992
Coaching career
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamMinnesota Duluth
ConferenceNCHC
Biographical details
Alma materUniversity of North Dakota
Playing career
1982–1986North Dakota
Position(s)Defenceman
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1992–1993Fargo–Moorhead Express
1993–1994Fargo–Moorhead jr. Kings
1994–2000North Dakota (assistant)
2000–PresentMinnesota Duluth
2005US World Junior Team
2012US World Junior Team (assistant)
2020US World Junior Team
Head coaching record
Overall456–388–101 (.536) [college]
Tournaments23–8 (.742)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As an assistant coach

NCAA national champion (1997, 2000)

As a head coach

NCAA national champion (2011, 2018, 2019)
6x NCAA Frozen Four Appearances (2004, 2011, 2017-2019, 2021)
NCHC tournament champion (2017, 2019)

WCHA tournament champion (2009)
Awards
Spencer Penrose Award (2004)
WCHA Coach of the Year (2004)

Scott Alan Sandelin (born August 8, 1964) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He is currently the head coach of the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey team. In 2011, he became the first coach in Bulldog history to lead them to a national title, in a 3–2 overtime game against the University of Michigan at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In the 2018 NCAAs, he led the Bulldogs to a second national title, over Notre Dame 2–1, also played at the Xcel Energy Center. The following season, in the 2019 NCAAs, he led the Bulldogs to a third national title. Sandelin grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota, where he went on to be drafted in the second round by the Montreal Canadiens (40th overall) and play collegiate hockey for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux.

Collegiate career

[edit]

During his senior year at North Dakota, Sandelin was chosen as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, ALL-WCHA First Team, All American Second Team, and the MVP of the Fighting Sioux.

Professional career

[edit]

Sandelin's NHL career totaled seven seasons with the Canadiens (1986–88), Philadelphia Flyers (1990–91), and his home state team, the Minnesota North Stars (1991–92). His career was cut short with continuous injuries, but he managed four assists in 25 games. His playing years also included stints with the US World Junior Championship team in 1984 and World Championships in 1986.

Coaching

[edit]

Sandelin started his coaching career with the Fargo-Moorhead Junior Kings of the Junior Elite Hockey League, which he was with from 1993 to 1994. From there he went to work on the North Dakota staff from 1994 to 2000. The first three as a recruiter and assisting with games and practices. The last three were spent as an associate head coach to Dean Blais. In his years with Fighting Sioux, they went on to make four NCAA from (1996 to 2000), win two National Champions in (1996–97 and 1999–2000), three WCHA regular season champions from (1996–99) and two WCHA conference tournament champions in (1996–97 and 1999–2000).

Minnesota-Duluth

[edit]

On March 30, 2000, Sandelin accepted the job as the head coach of the University of Minneasota-Duluth Bulldogs for long time Bulldog coach Mike Sertich. As head coach he has led the Bulldogs to six 22+ win seasons, eight NCAA tournament appearances (2003–04, 2008–09, 2010–2012, 2015–2019). In 2008–09, he knocked off his former North Dakota team to become the WCHA Final Five Champions. Then in 2010–2011 the Bulldogs made a run in the NCAA tournament to become the 2011 NCAA Champions, beating Yale, Union, Notre Dame and Michigan for the title. He made the Bulldogs the second Division I collegiate team in Minnesota to take home the Frozen Four Title, after the Minnesota Golden Gophers. In 2003–04, he was named the WCHA Coach of the year and the National Coach of the year posting a 28–13–4 record and leading the Bulldogs to a third-place finish in the Frozen Four. He has also produced three Hobey Baker winners in Junior Lessard in 2004, Jack Connolly in 2012, and Scott Perunovich in 2020, along with 15 future NHL hockey players and 17 All WCHA selections. During the stretch he was the US National Junior coach in 2005 and assistant coach in 2012. In the 2011–12 season he led the Bulldogs to a 17-game unbeaten streak, and the first time in Bulldog history at the number one in the USCHO polls for 9 straight weeks. In 2016, he signed a 4-year extension, keeping him under contract until the 2020–2021 season.

He led the 2017 Bulldogs to an NCHC conference tournament championship, the season ended in 3–2 loss to conference foe Denver as NCAA Runner up. In 2018 he led the Bulldogs to a 2nd National Title beating Notre Dame 2–1. The Bulldogs made the 2018 NCAA Hockey Tournament by 0.0001% besting in state rival Minnesota for the last at-large tournament bid. Scott's 2nd National championship as head coach in 2018 was unexpected by many in the hockey community after losing to Denver in the 2017 title game, losing many key players to graduation and early departures to the NHL. Until 2024, each time the NCAA Frozen Four had been held at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, a Minnesota team has won in overtime, University of Minnesota in (2001–02) beating the University of Maine 4–3 and the Bulldogs in (2010–11) against the University of Michigan 3–2, and again in 2017-2018 beating Notre Dame 2–1.

Sandelin led the 2018-19 Bulldogs to an NCHC conference championship, besting St. Cloud 3–2 in a 2 OT game. The Bulldog's earned a trip to the Frozen Four by beating Bowling Green (2-1 OT) and Quinnipiac (3-1). The semifinal match-up with Providence ended in a 4–1 win. The Bulldog's finished the season by beating UMass (3-0) earning Sandelin's third coaching championship.

Sandelin led the 2019-20 Bulldogs to 2nd place in the NCHC regular season, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the conference and NCAA tournaments were cancelled. His team goes into the next season still the reigning NCAA hockey champions.

Career statistics

[edit]

Regular season and playoffs

[edit]
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1981–82 Hibbing High School HS-MN 20 5 15 20 30
1982–83 University of North Dakota WCHA 30 1 6 7 10
1983–84 University of North Dakota WCHA 41 4 23 27 24
1984–85 University of North Dakota WCHA 38 4 17 21 30
1985–86 University of North Dakota WCHA 40 7 31 38 38
1985–86 Sherbrooke Canadiens AHL 6 0 2 2 2
1986–87 Sherbrooke Canadiens AHL 74 7 22 29 35 16 2 4 6 2
1986–87 Montreal Canadiens NHL 1 0 0 0 0
1987–88 Montreal Canadiens NHL 8 0 1 1 2
1987–88 Sherbrooke Canadiens AHL 58 8 14 22 35 4 0 2 2 0
1988–89 Sherbrooke Canadiens AHL 12 0 9 9 8
1988–89 Hershey Bears AHL 39 6 9 15 38 8 2 1 3 4
1989–90 Hershey Bears AHL 70 4 27 31 38
1990–91 Hershey Bears AHL 39 3 10 13 21 7 1 2 3 0
1990–91 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 15 0 3 3 0
1991–92 Kalamazoo Wings IHL 49 3 18 21 32 11 1 1 2 2
1991–92 Minnesota North Stars NHL 1 0 0 0 0
NHL totals 25 0 4 4 2

International

[edit]
Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
1984 United States WJC 7 0 1 1 10
1986 United States WC 10 2 0 2 2
Junior totals 7 0 1 1 10
Senior totals 10 2 0 2 2

Head coaching record

[edit]
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs (WCHA) (2000–2013)
2000–01 Minnesota–Duluth 7–28–4 3–22–3 10th WCHA first round
2001–02 Minnesota–Duluth 13–24–3 6–19–3 9th WCHA first round
2002–03 Minnesota–Duluth 22–15–5 14–10–4 5th WCHA third-place game (win)
2003–04 Minnesota–Duluth 28–13–4 19–7–2 2nd NCAA Frozen Four
2004–05 Minnesota–Duluth 15–17–6 11–13–4 6th WCHA first round
2005–06 Minnesota–Duluth 11–25–4 6–19–3 9th WCHA Quarterfinal
2006–07 Minnesota–Duluth 13–21–5 8–16–4 9th WCHA first round
2007–08 Minnesota–Duluth 13–17–6 9–14–5 9th WCHA first round
2008–09 Minnesota–Duluth 22–13–8 10–11–7 7th NCAA West Regional Final
2009–10 Minnesota–Duluth 22–17–1 16–11–1 t-4th WCHA Quarterfinal
2010–11 Minnesota–Duluth 26–10–6 15–8–5 4th NCAA national champion
2011–12 Minnesota–Duluth 25–10–6 16–7–5 2nd NCAA Northeast Regional Final
2012–13 Minnesota–Duluth 14–19–5 10–13–5 9th WCHA first round
Minnesota–Duluth: 231–229–63 143–170–51
Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (NCHC) (2013–present)
2013–14 Minnesota–Duluth 16–16–4 11–11–2–2 t-4th NCHC Quarterfinals
2014–15 Minnesota–Duluth 21–16–3 12–9–3–0 5th NCAA Northeast Regional Final
2015–16 Minnesota–Duluth 19–16–5 11–10–3–1 4th NCAA Northeast Regional Final
2016–17 Minnesota–Duluth 28–7–7 15–5–4–3 2nd NCAA runner-up
2017–18 Minnesota–Duluth 25–16–3 13–11–0–0 3rd NCAA national champion
2018–19 Minnesota–Duluth 29–11–2 14–9–1–0 2nd NCAA national champion
2019–20 Minnesota Duluth 22–10–2 17–5–2–0 2nd Tournament Cancelled
2020–21 Minnesota Duluth 15–11–2 13–9–2 3rd NCAA Frozen Four
2021–22 Minnesota Duluth 22–16–4 10–10–4 T–4th NCAA West Regional Final
2022–23 Minnesota Duluth 16–20–1 10–14–0 T–5th NCHC Quarterfinals
2023–24 Minnesota Duluth 12–20–5 8–14–2 7th NCHC Quarterfinals
Minnesota Duluth: 225–159–38 135–107–23
Total: 456–388–101

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Awards and honors

[edit]
Award Year
All-WCHA First Team 1985–86 [1]
AHCA West Second-Team All-American 1985–86 [2]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "WCHA All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  2. ^ "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Spencer Penrose Award
2003–04
Succeeded by
Preceded by WCHA Coach of the Year
2003–04
Succeeded by