George Gwozdecky

George Gwozdecky
Current position
TitleHead Coach
TeamValor Christian High School
Biographical details
Born (1953-07-17) July 17, 1953 (age 71)
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Playing career
1974–1978Wisconsin
Position(s)Left wing
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1981–1984Wisconsin-River Falls
1984–1989Michigan State (assistant)
1989–1994Miami
1994–2013Denver
2013–2015Tampa Bay Lightning (assistant)
2015–presentValor Christian High School
Head coaching record
Overall592-390-85
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1977 NCAA National Champion
1982 WSUAC regular season champion
1983 WSUAC regular season champion
1983 NAIA National Champion
1984 WSUAC regular season champion
1986 NCAA national champion (assistant)
1993 CCHA regular season champion
1999 WCHA tournament champion
2002 WCHA regular season champion
2002 WCHA tournament champion
2004 NCAA national champion
2005 WCHA regular season champion
2005 WCHA tournament champion
2005 NCAA national champion
2008 WCHA tournament champion
2010 WCHA regular season champion
Awards
1992 CCHA Coach of the Year
1993 CCHA Coach of the Year
1993 Spencer Penrose Award
1995 WCHA Coach of the Year
2002 WCHA Coach of the Year
2004 Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame
2005 WCHA Coach of the Year
2005 Spencer Penrose Award
2010 WCHA Coach of the Year

George Gwozdecky (born July 17, 1953)[1] is a Canadian ice hockey coach. He resigned as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL) in June 2015. In August 2015, he accepted a job as the head hockey coach at Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, CO.[2]

He was the head coach for the University of Denver Pioneers hockey team for 19 seasons, from 1994 until 2013. The Pioneers won 2 national championships (2004/2005) under his guidance, and won at least 20 games in each of the last 12 seasons in which he coached them.[3]

He is a member of the prestigious Miami University "Cradle of Coaches",[4] and is the only person to win the NCAA national championship as a player (with Wisconsin in 1977), assistant coach (at Michigan State in 1986), and head coach with Denver (2004 and 2005).[3]

Gwozdecky is a native of Thunder Bay, Ontario.[5]

Gwozdecky and his wife Bonnie have one daughter, Adrienne.

  1. ^ "Men's Ice Hockey Coaches Career" (Search for Gwozdecky under Player/Coach Search). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
  2. ^ "George Gwozdecky named head hockey coach at Valor Christian High School". Denver Post. 2015-08-07. Retrieved 2015-08-07.
  3. ^ a b "Bio: George Gwozdecky". University of Denver. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
  4. ^ "George Gwozdecky To Join Miami's Cradle of Coaches Association". CBS College Sports Network. 2006-10-02. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
  5. ^ Hunt, Michael (1993-03-26). "Gwozdecky influenced by 'Badger Bob'". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Retrieved 2010-07-09.