SCSU Women’s Hockey Has International Connections

The St. Cloud State women's hockey team is ranked #15 in the nation in the latest USCHO.com Division I poll.  The 11-10 Huskies are coached by first year head coach Brian Idalski.  Idalski joined me on WJON.  He has an interesting resume that includes coaching 10 Olympians, 26 national team members from eight countries.  Idalski served as the head coach for the Chinese National women's hockey team in 2022 in Beijing.  Prior to that he  spent three seasons as the head coach of the Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays in the Zhenskaya Hockey League.  His team became the first non-Russian team to win the league’s championship.

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In his first year at St. Cloud State he is seeing immediate results which includes an upset win over top ranked Minnesota on November 7th.  Idalski praises the team for embracing the changes and fully committing to the new system as reasons for the immediate success.  He credits 5th year senior Jenniina Nylund from Pietarsaari, Finland and senior Klára Hymlárová from Opava, Czech Republic for having career seasons.  Nylund leads the team with 24 points which includes 11 goals and 13 assists and Hymlárová leads the team with 12 goals and 5 assists.

The Huskies have a break in their schedule for the next couple of weeks for the holidays and will return to the ice when they play in the East/West Showcase January 6th and 7th in Minneapolis.  Idalski explains he'll be using this time for retiring as he continues to build the program.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Brian Idalski it is available below.