A public celebration of the life of former Gophers men's hockey coach Doug Woog will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at South St. Paul High School.
Woog, a standout player for both South St. Paul and the Gophers, died Dec. 14 at 75 after battling Parkinson's disease and other ailments.
The celebration will feature an informal program and sharing of stories and "Woogisms" at 1 p.m.
A U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee in 2002, Woog coached Minnesota from 1985-99, leading the Gophers to six NCAA Frozen Four berths and four WCHA regular-season championships.
A 1962 graduate of South St. Paul, Woog earned all-state hockey honors three times and helped the Packers reach four state tournaments.
He would return to his hometown to coach the Packers, guiding the team to four more state tournament berths in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
After resigning as Gophers coach following the 1998-99 season, Woog went on to a memorable broadcasting career as TV color analyst for the team.
His personality came through in those "Woogisms," and he became a popular figure on Gophers broadcasts with play-by-play announcer Frank Mazzocco, who will serve as emcee for Sunday's celebration.
