With A New Head Coach Decided, What Should Arizona State Hockey Expect?

After plenty of twists and turns through the saga that has been Arizona State hockey over the past few months, the University has taken its first big step in moving forward, hiring a new head coach.

Dave Hakstol has been tabbed as just the second head coach in Sun Devil hockey history, according to College Hockey News. With a background in both the collegiate and professional coaching ranks, he brings a wealth of experience to a program that needs guidance. But what can Sun Devil fans expect on and off the ice?

Winning Culture

Hakstol first broke onto the scene with his alma mater, the University of North Dakota. Beginning as an assistant in 2000, he took over the head job in 2004, inheriting one of the most prestigious hockey programs in the country, and immediately taking them to the National Championship game, where they fell to Denver.

In his 11 seasons in Grand Forks, Hakstol made the NCAA tournament every year, including seven Frozen Fours. In comparison, in Arizona State's 11 seasons in Division 1, they have made the NCAA tournament just once, falling in the first round.

While obviously not an apples-to-apples comparison, it does show the level of experience that Hakstol brings to the table in college hockey. He holds a career 289-143-43 record in college hockey, including a 31-15-2 record in the NCHC, of which Arizona State is now a member.

Major NHL Milestones

After succeeding at the level he did in Grand Forks, ND, the big leagues started calling. Hakstol took the head coaching job with the Philadelphia Flyers ahead of the 2015-16 season, departing his alma mater a season before they won the National Championship with his successor and former assistant, Brad Berry.

In his first season on "Broad Street," he led the Flyers to 96 points, their highest since 2011-12, and into the playoffs before falling to the Washington Capitals. He bested that total in 2017-18, with 98 points, but again could not advance past the first round, this time at the hands of their cross-state rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins. After a 12-15-4 start to the next season, Hakstol was fired.

After a few seasons as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he took on a new role, one not unfamiliar to what he has in Tempe upcoming: starting fresh.

The Seattle Kraken became the 32nd team in the NHL in 2021, and tabbed Hakstol as the man to lead them through the growth. In just their second season as a franchise, he won 46 games, accumulating 100 points, and was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for Coach of the Year in the NHL. He also won his first playoff series, knocking out the Colorado Avalanche, who finished second in the Western Conference. In terms of building something up, and fast, it's maybe the best possible comparison to what he has in front of him with the Sun Devils.

Former Player Mentality

Hakstol, like many other high-level coaches, played at the level as well. As two-year captain at the University of North Dakota, Hakstol was a leader for the program he would eventually take over. He also played five seasons in the IHL before joining the coaching ranks.

Overall Expectations

With the hiring of Hakstol, Arizona State is signaling a commitment to having high-level hockey return to the desert. Making the NCAA tournament should become the baseline, not the goal, for the program. Even more so, he could help make Tempe a destination in the college hockey space. As for this season, with so much up in the air, on and off the ice, bringing in a new veteran presence like Hakstol could steady a team that's gotten off to an up-and-down start to the season, and a program that's in need of stability in any way possible.

The Sun Devils next game is on the road against UMass-Lowell, and reports are that Hakstol could take over as soon as this Friday's contest. It remains to be seen what changes he'll make and how quickly he'll make them, but his arrival in Tempe has high expectations going forward.