Lucia named CCHA commissioner

Don Lucia was 59 years old when he stepped down as Minnesota's men's hockey coach, a young age for someone whose been successful in that profession.

After a year as an athletics administrator at the U and another year away from the game, the 61-year-old Lucia is back in the college hockey business. On Wednesday he was hired as the first commissioner of the new CCHA.

Lucia, who was introduced in a Zoom press conference broadcast live on YouTube, said taking the job was "a way to give back to the game" that's been so good to him over his career.

Lucia was the Gophers' coach for 19 years, winning national championships in 2002 and 2003. Prior to that he coached at Colorado College and Alaska Fairbanks. He played college hockey at Notre Dame.

Now, his task is to make a new conference successful. The CCHA, which will begin play in the 2021-22 season, will have seven teams, at least at this point — Minnesota State, Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State. 

Lucia was asked about an eighth team — St. Thomas could be a possibility if the NCAA grants the Division III school a waiver to move up to DI — and said that the group is fine currently at seven. Only if a program is a good fit competitively and geographically would another school be considered.

“You need a leader," Minnesota State coach Mike Hastings told The Rink Live. "You need somebody that understands the multitude of levels that you have to have a handle on in a one-sport conference. I think we’re moving in a really good direction with Don.”

Hastings was an assistant coach under Lucia at Minnesota for one year. Northern Michigan coach Grant Potulny was also a Lucia assistant and former player.

Lucia officially begins his duties on July 1. He said his tasks in the year prior to play include compiling a conference staff, coming up with a scheduling model, figuring out referees and the CCHA brand.

Lucia, who splits time between Minnesota and Alaska, hinted that the CCHA might not have a home office — something we've learned during this time of COVID that many can do without — and that he plans on attending games every weekend during the season.

CCHA commish coming

The CCHA and its seven members who will begin play in the new conference in 2021 announced on Tuesday that its first commissioner will be named on Wednesday afternoon.

The unveiling will take place at 2 p.m. and can be seen on YouTube.

Last month, Todd Milewski of the Wisconsin State Journal and USCHO reported that the finalists for the job are former Minnesota coach Don Lucia, Minnesota State athletic director Kevin Buisman and Minnesota associate AD Tom McGinnis.

Reading the tea leaves, it seems like Lucia is the favorite, and luring a smart hockey man out of retirement to lead the conference seems like a good get. Buisman is an interesting candidate, too, being part of the old and new WCHA from an ADs perspective and knowing pretty directly what's worked and what's hasn't post-realignment. McGinnis has been the administrator for hockey, among other sports, at the U, where he's been since 2011.

In somewhat-related news, the CCHA Twitter page was taken out of dry dock and relaunched.

The new CCHA will consist of seven teams (at least at this time): Minnesota State, Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State.

Another grad in goal

For the third time in four years, Minnesota State will have a graduate transfer at the goaltending position.

New England Hockey Journal recently reported that Boston College's Ryan Edquist, a Lakeville, Minn., native, will be joining the Mavericks next season. Edquist played just 21 games for the Eagles — one last year and three the season prior — backing up NHL prospects.

He'll likely be in a backup role again at MSU, playing behind Richter Award finalist Dryden McKay, who will be a junior. But the Mavericks have been on the lookout for a goaltender to bolster the group since Jaxson Stauber opted to leave the school and return to junior hockey last November of his freshman season. Stauber, who played just one game for Minnesota State, will be attending Providence.

Two seasons ago, the Mavericks brought in Mathias Israelsson as a grad transfer from Northern Michigan. He competed for the No. 1 job, which McKay eventually won. A year earlier, Connor LaCouvee joined MSU as a Boston University graduate and had an outstanding season, leading the team back to the NCAA tournament.

Edquist backstopped an outstanding Lakeville North team in 2014-15 that included MSU defenseman Jack McNeely as well as St. Cloud State's Poehling brothers that went 31-0 and won the Class AA state championship. He played one season for the USHL's Madison Capitols before going to BC.

After Stauber's departure, Jacob Berger was McKay's primary backup last season. He played in two games, starting one. The Mavericks also brought in Evan Foss, a straight-out-of-high-school MSU student on a tryout and ending up rostering him for the remainder of the season.