Larry Hendrickson, a longtime hockey coach and trainer in Minnesota, passed away Friday because of heart failure. He was 75.
Hendrickson coached strong boys programs at Richfield and Apple Valley, including co-coaching Apple Valley's 1996 Class AA state championship team that featured a five-overtime victory over Duluth East in the semifinals. Richfield lost the 1976 title game to Grand Rapids.
He was the father of former Wild player and current assistant coach Darby Hendrickson.
Hendrickson was conditioning coach for the 1980 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team and held similar roles with the Gophers (1985) and North Stars (1986-88). He also had stints at Shattuck-St. Mary's, Buffalo High School and with USA Hockey.
The founder of the Hendrickson Foundation to assist children with disabilities playing hockey, he was inducted into the Minnesota High School Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame in 2010.
The Wild issued a statement reading, in part, "He was a tireless supporter of the great sport of hockey and will be greatly missed by everyone in the hockey community."
Funeral arrangement were pending.
