It’s the end of an era at the U of S in general…and for the Huskies hockey program specifically!
Dave Adolph (pictured) is retiring as head coach of the Dogs, as of May 1, 2021, after 28 seasons at the helm of his alma mater. The 61-year-old Swift Current product leaves as the winningest coach…not only in U of S men’s hockey history, but as the winningest coach in Canadian University men’s hockey history. He registered 456 of 488 total regular-season victories with the Huskies between 1993 and last spring…the other 32 wins with the U of Lethbridge between 1989 and 93. Adolph was a defenceman for the Dogs, playing 117 games in the early 80s and was a member of the only U of S national championship team in 1983. Try as he might, Adolph couldn’t quite coach the Huskies to a second title, finishing as runner-up twice and third place four other times. He led the Dogs to the University Cup 16 times…including eight of the last nine years. In addition, Adolph guided the U of S to the Canada West Conference playoffs in each of the last 25 years…winning seven conference titles. He was named the Canada West coach-of-the-year four times and U Sports coach-of-the-year once in 2017. But, as of May 1, Dave Adolph will no longer be the head coach of the U of S men’s hockey team after announcing his retirement Monday. Following is the news release from Huskie Athletics…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2020
Coaching legend Adolph retires from Huskie men’s hockey
Huskie Athletics
SASKATOON – Huskie Athletics announced today that legendary men’s hockey head coach Dave Adolph is retiring from Huskie hockey, effective May 1, 2021.
“After a lot of self-discussion, I’ve decided that now is the right time to step back as the men’s hockey coach,” said Adolph. “Over the last 28 years, the team has accomplished more than I could have imagined, and my family and I are all proud to be members of the Huskie men’s hockey program.”
Following nearly three decades spent behind the Huskies bench, Adolph will step down as the winningest coach in Canadian university men’s hockey history with 488 career regular season wins. 456 of those victories came at the helm of his alma mater here in Saskatoon.
“When I first started, I thought I would only be at it for three or four years… five at the most. At that point, I thought if I had some success, I would look at a chance to go to a professional league maybe, or pursue other opportunities to expand my experiences,” said Adolph. “We started by missing the playoffs the first two years but then we qualified the next 25 seasons in a row, and during that time I just never had the desire to leave. I am ready now for the next opportunity and have just recently really opened my mind to the possibilities.”
A product of Swift Current, Adolph suited up 117 times for the Huskies as a defenceman and finished off his university playing career with a national championship by helping his team win the University Cup in 1983. From there Adolph started his head coaching career with the Lethbridge Pronghorns, where from 1989-90 to 1992-93 he racked up the first 32 wins of his historic mark.
Jumping at the chance to return to Saskatoon, Adolph took over the program for the 1993-94 season and the numbers that he has compiled in the ensuing years are nothing short of staggering.
After two seasons spent rebuilding the program upon his arrival, Adolph has qualified for the Canada West playoffs for the past 25 seasons in a row. The Huskies have reached the University Cup 16 times in his tenure, including eight of the past nine seasons from 2011-12 to 2019-20.
Adolph and the Huskies have won seven Canada West titles and also have two national silver and four national bronze medal finishes. Internationally Adolph has been at the helm of Team Canada three times, winning bronze at the FISU Games at Granada, Spain in 2015 and in Tarvisio, Italy in 2003. He also took silver as head man with a Team Canada university contingent at the Nagano Cup in Japan in 1996.
He has coached 90 athletes to Canada West All-Star status and 30 U SPORTS All-Canadians. Under his tutelage Huskie men’s hockey athletes have also claimed 60 conference and 18 national awards. When it comes to his own individual awards, Adolph was named Canada West Coach of the Year four times as well as U SPORTS Coach of the Year in 2017.
“The level of sustained success that Coach Adolph has achieved with the Huskies is unrivalled in the world of Canadian university hockey and is indicative of the excellence that he has brought to his team day in and day out,” said Dave Hardy, Chief Athletics Officer of Huskie Athletics. “His commitment to helping these young men grow on and off the ice is an example to all who aspire to coach and we thank him for his many years of dedication.”
Of course, it hasn’t just been on the ice where Adolph’s players have thrived. Coaching many eventual Huskies from their early days with Huskie prospects – a youth hockey system that runs teams from age 7-14 – the student-athletes of men’s hockey have gone on to become leaders within their communities across not only Saskatchewan but the nation.
“The contributions that Dave Adolph has made to Huskie Athletics cannot be overstated,” said Chad London, Dean of Kinesiology and Vice-Chair of the Huskie Athletics Board of Trustees. “On behalf of the University of Saskatchewan I would like to thank and congratulate Dave for all that he has achieved.”
With Adolph’s longstanding leadership of the program for many years, he will be a supporter of Huskie hockey well into the future.
Canada West Championships – 2019-20, 2015-16, 2011-12, 2006-07, 1999-2000, 1998-99, 1997-98
Canada West Coach of the Year – 2018-19, 2016-17, 1999-2000, 1997-98
