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Alaska Nanooks 2017-2018 Season

mmf said:
We’re a little behind the eight ball for time. It seems the most likely course of action (because of time and budget) would be to name Lance West as interim head coach. The problem with that (for Lance) is if we do eventually select a new head coach from outside then his days are probably numbered.
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I wouldn't be surprised if that is announced shortly. Would make the most sense, at least for this season.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2017-2018 Season

mmf said:
We’re a little behind the eight ball for time. It seems the most likely course of action (because of time and budget) would be to name Lance West as interim head coach. The problem with that (for Lance) is if we do eventually select a new head coach from outside then his days are probably numbered.
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Wonder if any players would transfer?
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2017-2018 Season

Squarebanks said:
I would think if it's Lance tapped as interim that transfers would be minimal but who knows. Next six weeks are going to be interesting.
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I hope this isn't a sign that he feels the hockey programs are in danger. Someone I know spoke with Dallas just a couple months ago and Dallas told them he wasn't concerned at all about hockey going away. It's just very odd that he is leaving so soon before the start of the season. As a UAA fan, I am hoping your next coach isn't as good as Dallas was.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2017-2018 Season

It is now official. About as official can get.

Dallas Ferguson has resigned as head coach of the Alaska Nanook hockey team. The 44 year old will take similar duties with the Calgary Hitmen who are members of the Western Hockey League, one of three major junior leagues in Canada. Ferguson confirmed the announcement Monday night in an email to the UAF Face Off Club board members.

The Hitmen blog and Nanook hockey blogs broke the news on Sunday and Monday respectively. College Hockey News ran with the story too. A quick blurb on TV sports and not a word in the newspaper. And no official announcement from the athletic department until after today's press conference in the Alberta province.

Ferguson was a student/athlete for four seasons at UAF, a defenseman and team captain and ranks 25th in all time scoring with 104 points. He served as an assistant coach for four years and this season would have been his tenth as head coach. Highlights during his tenure as the head bench boss include a fourth place finish in the CCHA standings, a coach of the year honor and he also led the icers to the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history in 2009-10. Under Ferguson, Alaska has won seven straight Alaska Airlines Governors Cups against archrivals UAA.

Good luck to Dallas Ferguson, new head coach of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen.

note* three Alaska Airlines were vacated via NCAA violations FYI...
 
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Suze said:
I hope this isn't a sign that he feels the hockey programs are in danger. Someone I know spoke with Dallas just a couple months ago and Dallas told them he wasn't concerned at all about hockey going away. It's just very odd that he is leaving so soon before the start of the season. As a UAA fan, I am hoping your next coach isn't as good as Dallas was.
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You've got to take the job when it's available.
 
Suze said:
I hope this isn't a sign that he feels the hockey programs are in danger. Someone I know spoke with Dallas just a couple months ago and Dallas told them he wasn't concerned at all about hockey going away. It's just very odd that he is leaving so soon before the start of the season. As a UAA fan, I am hoping your next coach isn't as good as Dallas was.
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I don't believe he felt they were in danger any more. I'd heard he had opportunities to leave a year ago and decided not to because of the optics.

I know he has aspirations beyond NCAA, and moving to Calgary gets him more in the thick of things in the hockey world. Plus he's an Alberta boy anyway. It stinks for us but it was bound to happen eventually.

I have nothing but good things to say about the man, and am grateful for all he did for our program both on and off the ice. He will be in the Nanook Hall of Fame before long, and he will be missed in the Alaska hockey world.
 
Squarebanks said:
I don't believe he felt they were in danger any more. I'd heard he had opportunities to leave a year ago and decided not to because of the optics.

I know he has aspirations beyond NCAA, and moving to Calgary gets him more in the thick of things in the hockey world. Plus he's an Alberta boy anyway. It stinks for us but it was bound to happen eventually.

I have nothing but good things to say about the man, and am grateful for all he did for our program both on and off the ice. He will be in the Nanook Hall of Fame before long, and he will be missed in the Alaska hockey world.
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Class act all the way. One of the best guys in the game.
 
Alaska Hockey said:
Where are they going to walk-on this late in the game? .....show me 1 player with a backup plan other than Mom’s basement.
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Anyone that would transfer, could do so and get the year they'd have to sit out of the way this year. If they were to wait for the end of the fall semester, they'd effectively burn two years of eligibility to play one. There is also the question of verbal recruiting commitments de-committing.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2017-2018 Season

davyd83 said:
Anyone that would transfer, could do so and get the year they'd have to sit out of the way this year. If they were to wait for the end of the fall semester, they'd effectively burn two years of eligibility to play one. There is also the question of verbal recruiting commitments de-committing.
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Mom better be a Player Agent like LaVar Ball to deal with the paperwork, NCAA, coaches, and AD"s
 
Suze said:
I hope this isn't a sign that he feels the hockey programs are in danger. Someone I know spoke with Dallas just a couple months ago and Dallas told them he wasn't concerned at all about hockey going away. It's just very odd that he is leaving so soon before the start of the season. As a UAA fan, I am hoping your next coach isn't as good as Dallas was.
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Thomas was very confident in a KTBY interview that UAA hockey isn't going anywhere. Plus our state budget was "fixed" again this fiscal year.
 
Re: Alaska Nanooks 2017-2018 Season

Hockey isn't going anywhere at either school. It's plausible that UAA drops a couple of sports, but I highly doubt hockey would be one of them. UAF hockey certainly isn't going anywhere.

That said, Dallas leaves at an interesting juncture. The team is slated to return in 16 days from today to begin strength and conditioning training. According to the Nanooks' press release, Ferg will still be with the team through August 17th. That's fortunate to help the team transition to whomever is going to be assuming head coaching duties. One could assume Lance West, maybe he's a good fit, I really don't know. I feel the team is on the brink competitively of being a top of the league team (and that's not just me saying that) pending the outlook of the goaltending situation with Jenks leaving and Davis graduating and rookie scoring.
 
AKSWF said:
Thomas was very confident in a KTBY interview that UAA hockey isn't going anywhere. Plus our state budget was "fixed" again this fiscal year.
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"Fixed" is a relative term, of course. I believe UAA hockey was in much greater danger of elimination than UAF hockey ever was, and I'm glad it has pulled trough.
 
UAFHockeyFan314 said:
Hockey isn't going anywhere at either school. It's plausible that UAA drops a couple of sports, but I highly doubt hockey would be one of them. UAF hockey certainly isn't going anywhere.

That said, Dallas leaves at an interesting juncture. The team is slated to return in 16 days from today to begin strength and conditioning training. According to the Nanooks' press release, Ferg will still be with the team through August 17th. That's fortunate to help the team transition to whomever is going to be assuming head coaching duties. One could assume Lance West, maybe he's a good fit, I really don't know. I feel the team is on the brink competitively of being a top of the league team (and that's not just me saying that) pending the outlook of the goaltending situation with Jenks leaving and Davis graduating and rookie scoring.
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The timing is bad, but it sounds like this all happened within the last two weeks, not something that had been in the works for months. Sometimes you have to strike when the iron is hot. The fact that he gave six weeks notice to help with a transition speaks volumes, IMO. He could have just as easily been gone on Monday, and most other coaches would have done just that.

The UAF press release says Gray has already met with both assistants. I'd be a bit surprised if we get through this week with no announcement about an interim (agree with you and others that Lance is the most obvious choice).
 
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