Hastings to coach U.S. juniors
by USA Hockey|30 MAY 2018
Last time Mike Hastings was behind the bench in the U.S. national team program was as an assistant coach at the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship on home ice in Grand Forks.
photo: IIHF Archive
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Mike Hastings, currently with the Minnesota State University Mankato men’s team, will serve as Team USA head coach at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Mike Hastings will replace David Quinn (new with the New York Rangers) as head coach of the 2019 U.S. National Junior Team, it was announced by USA Hockey. The U.S. National Junior Team will take part in the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship 26 Dec. 2018 – 5 Jan. 2019, in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Quinn, the former Boston University head coach, stepped down from the position after accepting the head coaching job of the NHL's New York Rangers. Hastings was originally named to the U.S. staff as an assistant on April 20 along with David Lassonde (Dartmouth College) and Steve Miller (Ohio State University). Scott Sandelin (University of Minnesota Duluth), head coach of the University of Minnesota Duluth men's ice hockey team, has been named assistant coach in Hastings' place.

"Mike was the obvious choice in taking over as head coach of our national junior team,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey and general manager of the 2019 U.S. National Junior Team. "While we wish David Quinn all the best in his return to the NHL, it speaks volumes to our American depth in the coaching ranks that not only can someone of Mike's stature fill this position, but we can add an individual with Scott's resume, as well."

Hastings will be behind a U.S. bench for the fifth time and his first as head coach of a U.S. team in an IIHF event.

"It's always an honor to represent your country and I'm thrilled to be asked to do so as head coach of this year's U.S. National Junior Team," said Hastings. "Our first few weeks as a staff have already been terrific thanks in large part to David's leadership and we couldn't be happier to have Scott join in the evaluation process. The talent depth is better than it's ever been and we fully believe we can build a roster more than capable of claiming a fourth-straight medal in this tournament."

An assistant coach on the 2005 U.S. National Junior Team, Hastings filled the same role on the 2003 U.S. National Junior Team and twice served as head coach for the U.S. Junior Select Team, helping the team win the 2000 Viking Cup.

In six seasons with Minnesota State, Hastings has led the Mavericks to more wins than any other team in the nation behind a 151-72-19 record, while also guiding the Mavericks a trio of WCHA regular-season championships, two WCHA post-season tournament titles and four NCAA tournament appearances. He earned the Spencer Penrose Award as the top coach in college hockey in 2015 and is a two-time WCHA Coach of the Year.

Hastings arrived at Minnesota State following a three-year stint (2009-12) as the associate head coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He also served as an assistant coach with the men's hockey program at the University of Minnesota (2008-09) for one season after a 14-year run (1994-2008) as head coach and general manager of the United States Hockey League's Omaha Lancers.

During his time in Omaha, the Lancers never had a losing season as he helped the team capture six league championships, including three Anderson Cups (2001-02, 2004-05 (shared), 2007-08) as the league's regular-season champion and a trio of Clark Cup titles (1998, 2001, 2008) as the USHL's playoff champion. Hastings, who left the USHL as the league’s all-time winningest coach with a 529-210-56 (W-L-T) record, was named USHL Coach of the Year twice (1997, 2002) and league General Manager of the Year on five occasions (1997, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008).

Sandelin joins Lassonde, Miller as Team USA assistant coaches

USA Hockey also announced that Scott Sandelin, head coach of the University of Minnesota Duluth men's ice hockey team, will serve as an assistant coach for Team USA.

This is the third time Sandelin will represent a U.S. National Junior Team. In 2005, he served as head coach for the U.S. entry that finished fourth at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and Thief River Falls, Minn., before being tabbed an assistant coach for the 2012 U.S. National Junior Team at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta.

The 2018-19 season will mark Sandelin's program-record 19th campaign behind the Bulldog bench. This past season, Sandelin led Minnesota Duluth to its second NCAA National Championship in program history after guiding UMD to its first-ever title in 2011. The 2004 Spencer Penrose Award recipient, Sandelin has helped the Bulldogs claim two conference tournament titles (2009 WCHA, 2017 NCHC) while his 17-6 (W-L) record and .739 win percentage in NCAA Tournament play is the best of any active bench boss. Prior to joining Minnesota Duluth, Sandelin spent six seasons with the University of North Dakota where he helped UND claim two NCAA titles (1997, 2000), three WCHA regular-season championships (1996-99) and two WCHA playoff crowns (1997, 2000).