Rube Bjorkman
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| Born | February 27, 1929 | ||||||
Medal record
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Rubin Eugene Bjorkman (born February 27, 1929) is a former head coach of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey men's team. A graduate of Roseau, Minnesota High School where he led his team to a State Championship in 1946, Bjorkman was a member of the US Olympic teams in 1948 and 1952 (silver medalists).[1] He was a three-year letter winner at the University of Minnesota. Known as the "Masked Marvel" due to the flight goggles he wore to protect his glasses, Bjorkman was considered one of the finest hockey players of his era.
Bjorkman's High School coaching career began at Greenway High School in Coleraine, Minnesota. His 1962 team competed in the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament, making him one of the few who have participated in the tournament as both a player and coach.
His first college coaching season (1963–1964), at RPI, culminated with his team finishing third in the NCAA Championships. Following that season he was hired as the Head Hockey Coach at the University of New Hampshire where he would spend four years prior to accepting the position at the University of North Dakota.
In 1982 Bjorkman was honored by the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association when he was named the recipient of the Cliff Thompson Award, given for long term, outstanding contributions to the sport of hockey in Minnesota. In 1997 The American Hockey Coaches Association recognized Bjorkman with the John "Snooks" Kelly Founders Award. Named after the famed Boston College coach, this award honors those people in the coaching profession who have contributed to the overall growth and development of the sport of ice hockey in the United States.
Coaching career
- 1963-1964 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Head Coach
- 1964-1968 University of New Hampshire - Head Coach
- 1968-1978 University of North Dakota - Head Coach
- 1980-1983 Warroad, Minnesota High School - Head Coach
Head coaching record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
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| Rensselaer (ECAC Hockey) (1963–1964) | |||||||||
| 1963–1964 | Rensselaer | 18-8-0 | 0-0 | NCAA Third Place | |||||
| Rensselaer: | 18-8-0 | ||||||||
| New Hampshire (Hockey East) (1964–1968) | |||||||||
| 1964–1965 | New Hampshire | 6-14-0 | 0-0 | ||||||
| 1965–1966 | New Hampshire | 11-12-0 | 0-0 | ||||||
| 1966–1967 | New Hampshire | 18-7-0 | 0-0 | ||||||
| 1967–1968 | New Hampshire | 22-7-0 | 0-0 | ||||||
| New Hampshire: | 57-40-0 | ||||||||
| North Dakota (WCHA) (1968–1978) | |||||||||
| 1968–1969 | North Dakota | 18-10-1 | 0-0 | ||||||
| 1969–1970 | North Dakota | 14-5-1 | 0-0 | ||||||
| 1970–1971 | North Dakota | 14-17-2 | 0-0 | ||||||
| 1971–1972 | North Dakota | 21-14-1 | 0-0 | ||||||
| 1972–1973 | North Dakota | 17-17-2 | 0-0 | ||||||
| 1973–1974 | North Dakota | 10-23-1 | 0-0 | ||||||
| 1974–1975 | North Dakota | 6-28-2 | 0-0 | ||||||
| 1975–1976 | North Dakota | 15-21-0 | 0-0 | ||||||
| 1976–1977 | North Dakota | 19-19-0 | 0-0 | ||||||
| 1977–1978 | North Dakota | 15-22-1 | 0-0 | ||||||
| North Dakota: | 149-186-11 | ||||||||
| Total: | 224-234-11 | ||||||||
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National champion
Postseason invitational champion
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References
External links
| Awards and achievements | ||
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| Preceded by Ned Harkness |
Rensselaer Head Coach 1963-1964 |
Succeeded by Garry Kearns |
| Preceded by A. Barr Snively |
University of New Hampshire Head Coach 1964–1968 |
Succeeded by Charlie Holt |
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