Laurion resigns as coach of Alaska-Fairbanks hockey

Without announcing the reasons that motivated his decision, Alaska-Fairbanks hockey coach Dave Laurion announced his resignation yesterday, effective when his contract with the university expires at the end of May.

In his six seasons, Laurion guided the Nanooks into the CCHA as a fledgling member in 1995, reaching the peak of his success is 1996, when Alaska-Fairbanks qualified for the conference playoffs.

"For Alaska-Fairbanks to field a competitive hockey program is an extremely challenging job," Laurion said in a released statement. "I believe it is in the best interest of the program for a new coach to take the reins."

The challenging job that Laurion spoke of includes a rigorous travel schedule, due to the fact that the rest of the CCHA is located in the Great Lakes area. Most teams dread the one trip they must make to Fairbanks each year - the Nanooks face such a schedule every other weekend.

Kelly McKinnell/Daily Alaska-Fairbanks forward Sjon Wynia, here being pushed by Michigan's Sean Peach, will have a new coach next season, as Dave Laurion resigned as coach of the Nanooks.

Joining the CCHA essentially kept Alaska-Fairbanks hockey alive. The Nanooks' nearest opponent, Alaska-Anchorage, is still more than a 300 miles away. And while the travel schedule is a gauntlet, the Nanooks have virtually no choice if they want to keep their hockey program in existence.

Recruiting in Alaska is also a hardship, due to the travel involved and the small-scale nature of the program at its current state.

Laurion's frustration was compounded by the Nanooks' struggles this season. Senior goaltender Ian Perkins has hit a rocky road, and Alaska-Fairbanks hasn't had the firepower to support him.

As a result, the Nanooks have gone 5-15 in the CCHA and currently reside in ninth place - one spot away from the cutoff for the conference playoffs.

"The nature of big-time college coaching usually involves a few changes until the perfect match is found," Alaska-Fairbanks Athletic Director Randy Pitney said in a statement. "Dave has put his heart and soul into the advancement of Alaska-Fairbanks hockey and I know that it has been hard on him that we weren't more successful."

Pitney said there are no plans to hire a new coach right away.

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