Blais Named Coach of 2012 U.S. Junior Team
Mar 18, 2011 | General, Hockey
Video Q&A with Coach Blais
ST. PAUL, Minn. – UNO head hockey coach #Dean Blais# has been named the head coach of the United States National Junior Team which will compete in the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship next winter. The announcement was made by USA Hockey prior to the semifinals of the WCHA Final Five at the Xcel Energy Center.
"I'm extremely honored to coach this team," said Blais. "It's really exciting to see how far hockey has come in our country. We now go into the World Juniors expecting to win and that will be our mind set from the summer camp right through the tournament next December and January in Edmonton and Calgary."
This is the third time Blais will guide the U.S. junior team. In 2010, he led the U.S. to just the second gold medal in its history with an upset win over tournament host and favorite, Canada. The Americans were 5-1-1-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) in the tournament, earning the gold with a 6-5 overtime win over the Canadians in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The U.S. National Junior Team will take part in the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship Dec. 26, 2011 - Jan. 5, 2012 in Calgary and Edmonton, Alta. The U.S. will be aiming for its third consecutive medal, having won the gold medal in 2010 and the bronze medal at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y.
Blais has a long history with the national team. He was also the head coach of the U.S. junior team in 1994 and served as an assistant coach in 1988 and 1989. He also played for the 1973 U.S. Men's National Team and served as an assistant coach for both the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team and the 2000 U.S. Men's National Team.
Blais has led the Mavericks to a record of 21-15-2 this season and a third-place finish in the WCHA during their first season in the league. The Mavs have put up back-to-back 20-win seasons during his tenure at UNO. He was named the WCHA's Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career at the conclusion of the regular season. He won three times as the head coach of North Dakota.
Blais and the Mavericks now are awaiting the announcement of seedings for the 2011 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey championship which will be made live on ESPN 2 on Sunday, March 20 at 10:30 a.m. CT. Sixteen teams will be selected for the tournament.
