DRYDEN – The Dryden Ice Dogs and longtime head coach Kurt Walsten have parted ways.
The team, eliminated from the first round of the Superior International Junior Hockey League playoffs in five games by the Red Lake Miners, announced Walsten’s departure in a post Wednesday to the team’s official Facebook page.
Walsten began coaching the Ice Dogs in 2014-15, taking the team to the Bill Salonen Cup final that year, taking the team to the Dudley Hewitt Cup.
The Ice Dogs won back-to-back SIJHL championships in 2017 and 2018, and made it to the Dudley Hewitt Cup championship, falling 7-4 to the Wellington Dukes.
Walsten is a two-time Superior International Junior Hockey League coach of the year, took his team to four straight finals and finished his Ice Dogs career with 399 regular season wins.
The team gave no reason for the departure, but wished Walsten well and said a transition plan is in place, with more details to come.
