Who: DU Hockey coach George Gwozdecky
Gwozdecky is the only person to win NCAA ice hockey championships as a player (Wisconsin, 1977), assistant coach (Michigan State, 1986) and head coach (Denver, 2004 and 2005). After sweeping Colorado College in a two-game series last weekend, his two-time defending national champions are ranked No. 11 in the nation. DU won its previous five NCAA titles in the 1960s. – Mike Chambers
You used to be a competitive water-skier. How does a kid from Thunder Bay, Ontario, get into water-skiing?
During my boyhood years, water-skiing became my summer sport not for recreational purposes but for hockey-training purposes. At the time there was very little known about strength training and offseason conditioning for hockey. My father was a doctor, and he felt that competitive water-skiing would be a great way to help develop the specific core muscles that are used for hockey.
Your daugher plays hockey. What kind of hockey parents are you and your wife?
Adrienne is currently playing for the Colorado Girls Selects Association Under-12 Team. Her mother and I are very happy that she enjoys the game, because she is learning important life skills such as commitment, teamwork and discipline, all while developing new friends. Due to my travel schedule I am not in Denver to watch her as much as I would like.
So much has been built at DU in the past 10 years. What advantages does your program have in recruiting?
We are very fortunate to have a beautiful facility like Magness Arena that assists us in attracting some of the best student-athletes in North America to play hockey at DU. When you look at the many wonderful new hockey arenas around the WCHA (Western Collegiate Hockey Association), the Magness Arena has really helped us level the ultra-competitive playing field in our conference.
Any plans to coach in the NHL?
I am a career coach, and I have a great passion for coaching college hockey. I consider myself very fortunate to be coaching at the University of Denver. I am proud to play a role in building on the awesome tradition of DU Pioneer hockey.
What do you like most about living in Colorado?
There is no finer quality of life for a family than living in Colorado. The daily sunshine and beautiful blue sky as a backdrop for the Rocky Mountains make every day a great day to be living in Colorado!
