A story about former Colorado College bench boss Scott Owens, who announced his retirement from coaching hockey

Scott Owens is a very good coach and an even better person. There are numerous examples. You may have some of your own.
Here is one of mine that I wish to share upon news of his retirement from coaching.
I was laid off by the Gazette on Dec. 1 , 2011, the day before the DU at CC game. I was sitting down to write the preview when I got the call to come in immediately and bring my work laptop.
I joined the unemployed ranks of so many sportswriters before me and since. I knew the possibility but kept working, hoping and half expecting that it wouldn’t happen to me.
Now, I was stunned, scared and did not know what to do. It makes me queasy thinking about it now.
Everything is pretty much a blur until about 3 1/2 hours later. In the interim, then-Gazette sports editor Jim O’Connell had called former CC sports information director Dave Moross to inform him someone else would be covering Friday night’s home game.
Moross passed the news on to Owens after that night’s practice.
Owens called me to see how I was doing. Most coaches wouldn’t. He had no reason to treat me any differently. We got along, but we weren’t friends.
He asked how I was and gave me some words of encouragement. I babbled a response. I thanked him for calling. Hopefully, I cannot remember the call clearly.
But I do remember the gratitude I felt.
That gesture showed me a lot about why so many think the world of Owens. That gesture meant a lot to me then. It still does.
Best wishes to Scott Owens in his retirement.

Monday reading: Preissing, radio show, weekend reviews, Hobey

Former Tiger Tom Preissing, who played for EHCB  last season, signed with Biel and went through a tryout with the German league team last weekend. I will update his status when I stumble across it. Thanks to Tim Matthewson for finding this article and to Google translate.

The monthly Scott Owens radio show is at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at McCabe’s Tavern, downtown Colorado Springs.

Here are three observations on this weekend in the WCHA, including a note on CC.

Hockey East’s standings are tightening up. The CCHA goaltending was quite good while the Hobey Baker race is underway.

Owens, Sejna selected for USHL team Hall of Fame

Colorado College coach Scott Owens, pictured, and former Tiger Peter Sejna will be inducted into the Des Moines Buccaneers’ Hall of Fame next March.

Owens was the Bucs’ head coach from 1995-1999 and guided the team to 146 regular season wins, two Anderson Cups, a Clark Cup and a Gold Cup.

After winning the Gold Cup in 1999, he accepted the position of head coach at Colorado College.

From 1998-2000, Sejna was a scoring machine for the Bucs.  He collected 96 goals and 87 assists in 133 games.  He was named the USHL Forward of the Year in 2000.

More Thursday reading: 2014 regionals, Badger Bob, diving, AFA

Wisconsin coach Bob Johnson poses with trophies won  during the 1976-77 season. COURTESY WISCONSIN ATHLETICS

The sites for the 2014 NCAA regionals were announced Thursday morning.

Here is the weekly USCHO column featuring “Badger Bob” Johnson and all the connections between CC and Wisconsin.

The new head of Hockey East officials has noticed a lot of players are taking dives. He plans to fix that.

Air Force may be turning the corner now that it can string together points in league play while Army’s offense looks much improved.

Dartmouth is enjoying a strong start in ECAC play.

NCAA president unwisely chose not to include the Division III championship game during the 2014 Philadelphia Frozen Four

Tuesday reading: Colorado College, North Dakota, poll, Wisconsin, Clarkson, AHA, Notre Dame, Northeastern, Penn State, Merrimack

Penn State’s Taylor Gross, a Pine Creek HS graduate, and Syracuse’s Kallie Goodnough fight for the puck during a 6-0 loss to the Orange Sunday at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion. The Nittany Lions are 1-3 this season. Abby Drey — Centre Daily Times Photo

Here is a fan’s take on CC and Wisconsin.

North Dakota junior goalie Clarke Saunders is profiled.

UND is No. 2 behind Minnesota in the USA Today/USA Hockey poll.

Here is my 3 Things blog about last weekend in the WCHA for USCHO.

Clarkson can take heart in its good showing on the road in Colorado Springs according to this ECAC weekend review.

Atlantic Hockey enjoyed a strong opening weekend.

Notre Dame’s goalie had a .962 saves percentage this past weekend, among other CCHA notes.

Here is more reaction to Northeastern’s big opening week.

Penn State got its first Division I men’s win on Saturday.

A former Merrimack coach succumbed to throat cancer recently.

Tuesday reading: Guentzel, Civitarese, Labosky, CC radio show, MSU Mankato, Western Michigan preview, national TV schedule

Former Tiger Gabe Guentzel will be playing for the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL after the Anaheim organization switched affiliates. He signed an AHL contract on Sept. 21.

David Civitarese will get some extra coaching with Capitals coach Adam Oates working for AHL Hershey during the NHL lockout.

CC commit Daniel Labosky (2013 or 2014) is tied for fifth in points (15) in 11 games in the Upper Midwest Elite League.

The monthly Coach Scott Owens Show will be broadcast live from McCabe’s Tavern, 520 S. Tejon St., from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays on Oct. 9, Nov. 15, Dec. 4, Jan. 15, Feb. 5 and March 12. Schedule is subject to change, of course.

Western Michigan has the Mason Cup on display in Andy Murray’s office and the Broncos are not about to let it leave.

Minnesota State Mankato single-game tickets went on sale on Monday.

Here is the national and regional TV schedule. The first game broadcast will be the Manitoba at North Dakota exhibition (really) on Saturday night.

Wednesday reading: Prospects game, WMU, SCSU, Tech, Miami

The days when the NHL ignored American players are over judging from the 100 scouts in Buffalo this week for Saturday’s All-American Prospects Game on Saturday.

Western Michigan players received their CCHA tournament championship rings.

St. Cloud State added two defenseman recruits as did Michigan Tech and Miami.

From Colorado Springs Corp. …

It’s a tradition at the annual Sports Corp College Ice Hockey Face Off Luncheon that the two coaches, Frank Serratore of Air Force and Scott Owens of Colorado College, alternate going first and second with their presentations about the upcoming season.

Serratore will lead off this year at the Thursday, Oct. 4 Noon luncheon at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort, and though he may not reveal everything about his 2012-2013 Falcons, he has a team returning that should be another power to be reckoned with nationally.

Serratore enters his 16th season at Air Force with a 255-250-51 record at the Academy. He has an overall mark of 304-342-60 in 19 seasons as a college head coach.

Not only has Serratore turned the Falcon program around, he has turned it into a legitimate national contender with five conference championships and five NCAA appearances in the last six years.

National Collegiate Hockey Conference Commissioner Jim Scherr will open the program with a look at the new league that opens play in the 2013-2014 season. Scherr and his staff being assembled are in place in their new headquarters offices adjacent to the Sports Corp at the Copper Building on the grounds of El Pomar’s Penrose House.

Both squads open at home right after the lunch with exhibition games against the University of British Columbia. The Tigers face UBC at the Colorado Springs World Arena on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 6:07 p.m. and the Falcons host the Thunderbirds on Monday, Oct. 8 at the Cadet Ice Arena.

The two local foes get to know each other early this year, with Air Force hosting the Tigers on Friday night, October 19 at the Cadet Ice Arena. The teams play only once this season.

Both coaches have a lot to talk about related to tough schedules and their top returning players, mixed in with a few outstanding freshmen who will play.

The Tigers finished 18-16-2 last season (5^th in the WCHA), while the Falcons went 21-11-7, won their conference title, then lost to eventual NCAA Champion Boston College, 2-0, in the regional.

It’s the final season for the Tigers in the WCHA, with CC entering the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) in the 2013-2014 season with Nebraska-Omaha, Denver, Miami (O), North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State and Western Michigan.

TICKETS: $25.00 for Sports Corp Members and AFA or CC Booster Club Members with ID. $35.00 for all others.

TABLES (10 Seats): $250.00 for Sports Corp Members or AFA/CC Boosters; $350.00 for all others.

RESERVATIONS: Contact Cara Jorgensen at the Sports Corp (719) 634-7333, ext. 1007, or by e-mail: cara@thesportscorp.org

Annual face off luncheon seats filling up fast

From the Colorado Springs Sports Corp. …

Head coaches Scott Owens of Colorado College and Frank Serratore of Air Force will highlight the annual Colorado Springs Sports Corp’s College Hockey Face Off Luncheon on Thursday, October 4, at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort at Noon.

A total of 310 tickets have been reserved as of today, but there is still room.

Both squads open at home right after the lunch with exhibition games against the University of British Columbia. The Tigers face UBC at the Colorado Springs World Arena on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 6:07 p.m. and the Falcons host the Thunderbirds on Monday, Oct. 8 at the Cadet Ice Arena.

The two local foes get to know each other early this year, with Air Force hosting the Tigers on Friday night, October 19 at the Cadet Ice Arena. The teams play only once this season.

Both coaches have a lot to talk about related to tough schedules and their top returning players, mixed in with a few outstanding freshmen who will play.

The Tigers finished 18-16-2 last season (5^th in the WCHA), while the Falcons went 21-11-7, won their conference title, then lost to eventual NCAA Champion Boston College, 2-0, in the regional.

It’s the final season for the Tigers in the WCHA, with CC entering the new National College Hockey Conference (NCHC) in the 2013-2014 season with Nebraska-Omaha, Denver, Miami (O), North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State and Western Michigan.

TICKETS: $25.00 for Sports Corp Members and AFA or CC Booster Club Members with ID. $35.00 for all others.

TABLES (10 Seats): $250.00 for Sports Corp Members or AFA/CC Boosters; $350.00 for all others.

RESERVATIONS: Contact Cara Jorgensen at the Sports Corp (719) 634-7333, ext. 1007, or by e-mail: cara@thesportscorp.org

Tigers announce tough 2012-13 hockey schedule

Colorado College announced its 2012-13 hockey schedule this morning and it features the usual challenging nonconference and Western Collegiate Hockey Association opponents that have made the 12 straight winning seasons under 14-year head coach Scott Owens (299-185-43, .608) so impressive.

The schedule includes 16 games against seven different teams – including four Western Collegiate Hockey Association rivals – that reached the NCAA playoffs with nine of the games at the Colorado Springs World Arena, where Owens is 196-85-12 (.688).

CC travels to Air Force on Oct. 19 and does home-and-away dates against rival Denver Nov. 16-17 and Feb. 8-9. Under Owens, CC is 30-20-7 against DU including 15-8-3 at Magness Arena to claim the Gold Pan Trophy eight times in 13 seasons.

The 14 home league games also include two against NCAA Tournament entrants Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth and North Dakota. CC also travels to Grand Forks to conclude a challenging road stretch lasting from Dec. 8 through Jan. 18, not including winter break.

Notable nonconference home dates include a single game against Hockey East’s UMass-Lowell, which is coached by former CC assistant Norm Bazin, on Oct. 20 along with contests against Hockey East’s New Hampshire and ECAC member Yale on Thanksgiving weekend. The Tigers open play against ECAC’s Clarkson Oct. 12-13.

The Tigers look ready to play now, judging from this tweet from goalie Joe Howe:

“@CCTigers: 2012-13 hockey schedule announced http://fb.me/1SnqOikO7” how many days until October? #itchingtogetbackatitalready

Season-ticket prices start at $149 and include all 20 regular-season home games plus any home playoff dates. Fans ordering prior to May 14 can receive a special discount of up to $20 on each season ticket. Season-ticket holders receive many special benefits, including a choice of the best seat locations. Interest-free payment options – including a five-month plan – are available. Renewal notices will be mailed in April.

Tiger hockey’s average home attendance of 6,754 in 2011-12 was its highest in five years.

Owens happy for Jaden and Schwartz family

Few were surprised that former Tigers sophomore left wing Jaden Schwartz left college early to go pro, especially when offered an NHL contract and a spot on the big club roster the rest of this season.

Plenty may be a little disappointed, a little selfishly perhaps, that Schwartz chose not to play another season in Colorado Springs. Many of those same fans are happy for Schwartz.

Count Tigers coach Scott Owens among them.

“We knew there was a good chance he was leaving,” Owens said Tuesday morning, the day after Schwartz flew to Chicago to meet his new teammates. “We knew coming in he was not going to be a four-year player. He had an opportunity to leave last summer. Whenever you have an elite player, you selfishly hope for another year.”

That said, Owens was pleased to have the 14^th overall draft pick (2010) for the NHL-leading St. Louis Blues for two years and happy that he made the jump directly to the NHL. It reflects well on the Tigers program.

When Schwartz makes his debut, perhaps as early as Tuesday at the Blackhawks, he will be the 14^th former Tiger to play in the NHL this season

“We are excited for him and his whole family,” Owens said.  “He’s realizing a dream.”