Dean Blais
Encyclopedia
Dean Blais is currently the Head Coach for the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Head Coach for the United States men's national junior ice hockey team
. He led Team USA to a gold medal in the IIHF 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
in Saskatoon
, Canada
, held in late December 2009 through early January 2010.
He is the former associate coach of the NHL
's Columbus Blue Jackets
. He led the University of North Dakota
Fighting Sioux hockey men's team to Frozen Four NCAA Division I championships in 1997 and 2000. Blais also led the 1990 Roseau Rams to a Minnesota State Hockey Championship.
On March 10, 2009 and May 14, 2010, a photograph of Blais was shown on The Late Show with David Letterman for a segment called, "Guys who look like Dave."
A native of International Falls
, Minnesota
, Blais played college hockey at the University of Minnesota
from 1970 to 1973. He played three seasons of pro hockey with the Chicago Blackhawks
’ development team in Dallas
.
United States men's national junior ice hockey team
The United States men's national junior ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in the United States. The team represents the United States at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF World U20 Championship....
. He led Team USA to a gold medal in the IIHF 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2010 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred to as the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships , was the 34th edition of World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. The tournament was hosted in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, from December 26, 2009 to January 5, 2010...
in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, held in late December 2009 through early January 2010.
He is the former associate coach of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He led the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
Fighting Sioux hockey men's team to Frozen Four NCAA Division I championships in 1997 and 2000. Blais also led the 1990 Roseau Rams to a Minnesota State Hockey Championship.
On March 10, 2009 and May 14, 2010, a photograph of Blais was shown on The Late Show with David Letterman for a segment called, "Guys who look like Dave."
A native of International Falls
International Falls, Minnesota
International Falls is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 6,424 at the 2010 census....
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Blais played college hockey at the University of Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...
from 1970 to 1973. He played three seasons of pro hockey with the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
’ development team in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
.
Career
- 1976–1977 - University of MinnesotaMinnesota Golden GophersThe Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...
- Assistant Coach - 1977–1980 - Minot High SchoolMinot High SchoolMinot High School is the public high school in Minot, North Dakota, USA, divided between two main campuses: Magic City and Central...
(MinotMinot, North DakotaMinot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state...
, North DakotaNorth DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
) - Head Coach - 1980–1989 - University of North Dakota - Assistant Coach
- 1990–1991 - Roseau High School (Roseau, MinnesotaRoseau, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 2,756 people, 1,157 households, and 713 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,153.6 people per square mile . There were 1,229 housing units at an average density of 514.4 per square mile...
) - Head Coach - 1992–1994 - International Falls High School (International Falls, MinnesotaInternational Falls, MinnesotaInternational Falls is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 6,424 at the 2010 census....
) - Head Coach - 1994–2004 - University of North Dakota - Head Coach
- 2004–2006 - Columbus Blue JacketsColumbus Blue JacketsThe Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
(NHL) - Associate Coach - 2006–2007 - Columbus Blue JacketsColumbus Blue JacketsThe Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
(NHL) - Player Development - 2007-2009 - Fargo ForceFargo ForceThe Fargo Force is a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team in the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League .-History:In early 2007, Fargo was granted a USHL team, intended as an anchor tenant for the then-under-construction Urban Plains Center, which is now called Scheels Arena...
(USHL) - General Manager/Head Coach - 2009-2010 - Team USA U20United States men's national junior ice hockey teamThe United States men's national junior ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in the United States. The team represents the United States at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF World U20 Championship....
- Head Coach - 2009–present - University of Nebraska-Omaha - Head Coach