Harold Paulsen

Harold W. "Babe" Paulsen (born March 3, 1919 in Virginia, Minnesota, died May 11, 2010 in Mankato, Minnesota) was a former collegiate ice hockey player and head coach.

Paulsen played hockey at the University of Minnesota from 1938–41 and was an All-American in 1940 at left wing alongside teammate John Mariucci. He was team captain as a senior in 1940-41 finishing his career as Gopher hockey's all-time leading scorer, a record that would hold for the next 25 years. He was selected for the 1940 U.S. Olympic Hockey team, but due to WWII those games were cancelled.

With boyish looks, and a small stature, Paulsen earned the nickname "Babe" during his playing days in high school and college.

Following college, Paulsen signed a professional contract with the Chicago Black Hawks, but never made it to Chicago. He coached the Roseau High School Rams varsity hockey team before joining the Navy during World War II. Paulsen returned to Minnesota after the war and completed a master's degree in education. He coached the varsity ice hockey program at Thief River Falls High School.

Paulsen was hired as the first varsity ice hockey coach at Michigan State University on August 1, 1948. Before recruiting or coaching, Paulsen oversaw the renovation of Demonstration Hall into an indoor rink with artificial ice-making capabilities. Paulsen struggled through his first two years at Michigan State with a 6-25 record. MSU athletic director Ralph H. Young felt the hockey program's progress was inadequate and Paulsen resigned after the 1951 season.

Following his coaching career, Paulsen earned a doctorate in physical education from the University of Michigan. He continued teaching health education courses at Michigan State. In 1956 he left Michigan State to become athletic director at Slippery Rock State Teachers College in Pennsylvania, now Slippery Rock University. Paulsen moved on to teach physical education at Mankato State College, now Minnesota State University, Mankato, until his retirement in 1988.

In 2001, Paulsen was among 50 former Gopher hockey players honored by the University of Minnesota as "Legends on Ice."

Paulsen's last name is commonly misspelled Paulson in many hockey publications.

Head coaching record

Season	Team	Overall
Michigan State University (Independent) (1949-50–1950-51)
1949-50	Michigan State	0-14-0
1950-51	Michigan State	6-11-0
Total:		6-25-0
National champion Postseason invitational champion Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament champion

External links

All-Americans Share a Bond

Preceded by	Michigan State Head Ice Hockey Coach 1948–1951	Succeeded by Amo Bessone

Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey

Playing venues	Demonstration Hall (1949–1974) Munn Ice Arena (1974–present)

Head coaches	John Kobs (1924–1930) Harold Paulsen (1949–1951) Amo Bessone (1951–1979) Ron Mason (1979–2002) Rick Comley (2002–2011) Tom Anastos (2011–present)

Conference affiliations	WCHA (1951–1958, 1959–1981) CCHA (1981–2013) Big Ten (2013–Present)

Rivalries	Michigan

Culture & lore	Great Lakes Invitational Cold War The Big Chill at the Big House

All-time leaders	Tom Ross (324 Points) Tom Ross (138 Goals) Chad Alban (88 Wins)

National championships	1966 1986 2007

Frozen Four appearances	1959 1966 1967 1984 1986 1987 1989 1992 1999 2001 2007

NCAA Tournament appearances	1959 1966 1967 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2004 2006 2007 2008 2012

Conference Tournament champions	CCHA: 1982 1983 1984 1985 1987 1989 1990 1998 2000 2001 2006

Hobey Baker winners	Kip Miller (1990) Ryan Miller (2001)

Michigan State University East Lansing, MI

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