MTU’s Muckalt to USHL

Michigan Tech assistant hockey coach Bill Muckalt is leaving the Huskies to become head coach and general manager of the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League. Here is the Tri-City Storm press release:

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm announced this morning that Bill Muckalt has been named the seventh head coach and general manager in franchise history, agreeing to a multi-year contract.

Muckalt, a forward in the NHL for five seasons from 1998-2003, comes to Kearney from Michigan Technological University, where he served as an assistant coach for the Huskies for the last four seasons.

A native of Surrey, B.C., Muckalt helped Michigan Tech to a 29-10-2 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament during the 2014-15 season. The record was a 15-win increase from the previous campaign and was the first 20-win season for MTU since the 1982-83 year.

“Bill comes highly recommended and has done a great job at Michigan Tech,” said Storm owner Kirk Brooks. “We are excited to have a coach of his caliber in Kearney, and we expect him to build off the recent success we’ve had with a highly talented roster.”

“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to go to work for Kirk Brooks and continue to grow the culture and build a championship team with Tri-City,” said Muckalt. “I’m looking forward to working with our players to help them improve in the developmental path to college hockey and hopefully one day the National Hockey League. More importantly, I can’t wait to be part of the community and I look forward to getting to Kearney and meeting the fans.”

With Michigan Tech, Muckalt coached many college players that went on to professional careers such as Tanner Kero, the 2014-15 WCHA Player of the Year who signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. Others from MTU to sign pro contracts include Blake Peitila with the New Jersey Devils and former Storm goaltender Phoenix Copley with the Washington Capitals.

Last season, Michigan Tech had a No. 1 national ranking for the first time since 1976. The team also had the largest goal differential in Division I hockey while finishing second in the country in goals against average (1.80) and fifth in the nation in goals per game (3.51). MTU’s 29 wins was tied for the most in college hockey, and was the third best record in school history.

Before Michigan Tech, Muckalt was the first head coach of the New Mexico Mustangs in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) during 2010-11 and spent a year as the head coach of the Valencia Flyers of the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) in the 2009-10 season.

The 40-year-old starred at the University of Michigan for four years from 1994-98, winning two National Championships in 1996 and 1998. He scored 105 goals and 226 total points during his four-year college career and was named a first team All-American and a Hobey Baker finalist as a senior in 1998.

A draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks in the 1994 NHL Draft, Muckalt made the jump to the Canucks roster right out of college and scored 36 points on 16 goals and 20 assists in 73 games during his rookie season.

Over the next few years, Muckalt went on to play for the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Minnesota Wild. His NHL career included 256 games and 97 points.

The coach replaces Jim Hulton, who led the Storm to a 54-43-8 record over the past two seasons.