Huskies Hockey Gets A Fresh Start With Nick Oliver

New St. Cloud State men's hockey coach Nick Oliver is busy working the transfer portal as he looks to construct his roster.  Oliver was hired Monday to become the 4th head coach in school history (since the Division I era began).  Oliver joined me on WJON to discuss his history as a player and coach and what led him back to St. Cloud.

Playing Career

Oliver began is playing career with the Fargo Force from 2008-2011 before joining St. Cloud State in 2012.  He played at SCSU from 2012-2015.  He was a captain his final year with the Huskies.  Oliver took his first coaching job with the Sioux Falls Stampede in 2016 and stayed there until 2018 when he left to become an assistant coach at St. Cloud State under head coach Brett Larson.  Oliver left SCSU to become the head coach of the Fargo Force in 2022-2023.  After just one season there he got back into college coaching as an assistant coach at Wisconsin, where he's been until this week.

Coaching

Coaching runs in his blood.  His father was a football and hockey coach in Crookston, Minnesota and he recalls riding the bus with the team and his dad while he was young.  Oliver expressed interest in coaching when his playing career was done while playing for Bob Motzko at SCSU.  Oliver says Motzko and his staff were instrumental in helping him land his first coaching job in Sioux Falls.  He also credits Brett Larson for bringing him back to St. Cloud as an assistant coach in 2018.

Building the Roster

Oliver is in the process of building the roster for his first season at SCSU.  He says it isn't uncommon to see player movement when a new coach is named.  Oliver told the players that have stayed with the program that he appreciates their patience and for staying.  He says he's very excited about the players they have back and believes the players that are coming back are staying for the right reasons.

Busy Stretch

The next few weeks will be busy weeks for Oliver and his staff.  He says they will spend the coming weeks looking for the right type of players that will fit the program.  Oliver says they won't be in a rush to fill those spots but will rather be thorough and diligent to find players that will fit their locker room.  He describes the right player as someone with talent, skills, and quality character.  Oliver says SCSU hockey has a great history of players that can play fast and do well with puck possession.

Transfer Portal

Oliver says the transfer portal is a big part of college sports and is a big part of what they are dealing with right now.  He anticipates recruiting Minnesota players first and foremost but will extend into Western Canada and Europe to find players that can contribute to the program.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Nick Oliver, click below.