HAMRE, KENT JOIN GOPHERS STAFF
Sept. 25, 2017
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) – Gopher Hockey head coach Don Lucia has announced two additions to the Maroon & Gold coaching staff with John Hamre joining the program as director of hockey operations and Andy Kent coming aboard as the team’s volunteer goalie coach.
Hamre replaces Ben Gordon, who stepped down as director of hockey operations to join the Chicago Steel as associate head coach in the USHL. Kent replaces Justin Johnson, who stepped down to focus on other professional opportunties.
Director of Hockey Operations: John Hamre
A three-time graduate of the University of Minnesota, John Hamre brings more than 25 years of hockey experience to the Gophers coaching staff.
Hamre most recently served as the director of hockey operations at Wisconsin during the 2015-16 season. His extensive hockey background also includes tenures in the ECHL, the NAHL, the EHL and the AJHL as well as nine seasons as the boys varsity hockey coach at The Blake School from 2002-11.
He has also worked at the international level – serving as video assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Team during the 1994 Winter Olympic Games and later acting as a training camp assistant coach for the South African National Team in 2016.
His first coaching position came at the University of Minnesota as a graduate assistant coach during the 1991-92 season followed by two seasons as the Gophers’ video coordinator and administrative assistant (1992-94).
Hamre earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Minnesota in 1991 before adding an MBA with a finance emphasis in 1993 and a Ph.D in philosophy in 2007.
Volunteer Goaltending Coach: Andy Kent
Andy Kent has spent the last six seasons as the volunteer goaltending coach with the Gopher women’s program and will continue to work with both teams.
A native of Lakeville, Minn., Kent has been on staff for six-straight NCAA Frozen Four appearances with the Minnesota women’s program including four national titles (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016). He guided All-American Noora Raty and Amanda Leveille to numerous honors and records during his tenure while the Gophers staff earned American Hockey Coaches Association Division I Women’s Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2013 and 2014.
Kent also served as the goaltending coach for Finland’s Women’s National Team at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
Along with his role with the Gophers, Kent has served as the Director of Goalie Development for MEGA Goaltending since 2010. He began coaching with MEGA in 2010, and during his tenure he has also served as the boys' goalie coach at Roseville High School and consulted with various teams, associations, and camps ranging from the youth levels up to professionals.
Kent brings a wealth of coaching experience to his position at the University of Minnesota, using his extensive experience both as a player and as an instructor to develop some of the most effective techniques for developing both young and experienced goaltenders.
Augsburg, Kent’s alma mater, has also benefited from his goaltending instruction as Kent served as the goaltending coach for the Augsburg men’s hockey team from 2013 to 2017. Under his watch, Augsburg goalies have received numerous awards, including All-American and all-conference accolades. The team won back-to-back MIAC league championships in 2016 and 2017.
Kent was a four-year letter winner at Augsburg, playing from 2005-09. During his four seasons with the Auggies, he played in 71 games and accumulated a 3.68 goals against average. He is listed among Augsburg's all-time top 10 in career saves (1,407), career save percentage (.879) and career saves per game (29.31). Kent was an All-MIAC honoree in 2007 and was named All-MIAC honorable mention in 2009. He was an assistant captain for the Auggies as a senior in 2008-09.
Kent graduated from Augsburg in May 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in management information systems.
The Gophers host Alberta in exhibition action on Sunday, Oct. 1. Single-game tickets, season tickets and flexible Pick-Your-Packs are currently available at MyGopherSports.com, by calling 1-800-U-Gopher or by stopping by the ticket office at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
-Pride On Ice-
http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/092517aad.html
Sept. 25, 2017
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) – Gopher Hockey head coach Don Lucia has announced two additions to the Maroon & Gold coaching staff with John Hamre joining the program as director of hockey operations and Andy Kent coming aboard as the team’s volunteer goalie coach.
Hamre replaces Ben Gordon, who stepped down as director of hockey operations to join the Chicago Steel as associate head coach in the USHL. Kent replaces Justin Johnson, who stepped down to focus on other professional opportunties.
Director of Hockey Operations: John Hamre
A three-time graduate of the University of Minnesota, John Hamre brings more than 25 years of hockey experience to the Gophers coaching staff.
Hamre most recently served as the director of hockey operations at Wisconsin during the 2015-16 season. His extensive hockey background also includes tenures in the ECHL, the NAHL, the EHL and the AJHL as well as nine seasons as the boys varsity hockey coach at The Blake School from 2002-11.
He has also worked at the international level – serving as video assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Team during the 1994 Winter Olympic Games and later acting as a training camp assistant coach for the South African National Team in 2016.
His first coaching position came at the University of Minnesota as a graduate assistant coach during the 1991-92 season followed by two seasons as the Gophers’ video coordinator and administrative assistant (1992-94).
Hamre earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Minnesota in 1991 before adding an MBA with a finance emphasis in 1993 and a Ph.D in philosophy in 2007.
Volunteer Goaltending Coach: Andy Kent
Andy Kent has spent the last six seasons as the volunteer goaltending coach with the Gopher women’s program and will continue to work with both teams.
A native of Lakeville, Minn., Kent has been on staff for six-straight NCAA Frozen Four appearances with the Minnesota women’s program including four national titles (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016). He guided All-American Noora Raty and Amanda Leveille to numerous honors and records during his tenure while the Gophers staff earned American Hockey Coaches Association Division I Women’s Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2013 and 2014.
Kent also served as the goaltending coach for Finland’s Women’s National Team at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
Along with his role with the Gophers, Kent has served as the Director of Goalie Development for MEGA Goaltending since 2010. He began coaching with MEGA in 2010, and during his tenure he has also served as the boys' goalie coach at Roseville High School and consulted with various teams, associations, and camps ranging from the youth levels up to professionals.
Kent brings a wealth of coaching experience to his position at the University of Minnesota, using his extensive experience both as a player and as an instructor to develop some of the most effective techniques for developing both young and experienced goaltenders.
Augsburg, Kent’s alma mater, has also benefited from his goaltending instruction as Kent served as the goaltending coach for the Augsburg men’s hockey team from 2013 to 2017. Under his watch, Augsburg goalies have received numerous awards, including All-American and all-conference accolades. The team won back-to-back MIAC league championships in 2016 and 2017.
Kent was a four-year letter winner at Augsburg, playing from 2005-09. During his four seasons with the Auggies, he played in 71 games and accumulated a 3.68 goals against average. He is listed among Augsburg's all-time top 10 in career saves (1,407), career save percentage (.879) and career saves per game (29.31). Kent was an All-MIAC honoree in 2007 and was named All-MIAC honorable mention in 2009. He was an assistant captain for the Auggies as a senior in 2008-09.
Kent graduated from Augsburg in May 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in management information systems.
The Gophers host Alberta in exhibition action on Sunday, Oct. 1. Single-game tickets, season tickets and flexible Pick-Your-Packs are currently available at MyGopherSports.com, by calling 1-800-U-Gopher or by stopping by the ticket office at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
-Pride On Ice-
http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/092517aad.html
