Scott Sandelin, who has coached Minnesota Duluth to three NCAA men's hockey championships, including back-to-back titles the past two seasons, will interview for the Anaheim Ducks head-coaching position, Canadian website TSN.ca reported Saturday night.
Sandelin, 54, has coached the Bulldogs since 2000, guiding them five NCAA Frozen Four appearances. Minnesota Duluth won its first national title in 2011 with an overtime victory over Michigan at Xcel Energy Center, then beat Notre Dame for the title in 2018 in St. Paul and Massachusetts this year in Buffalo, N.Y. The Bulldogs were NCAA runners-up to Denver in 2017.
After the season, Sandelin said he expected to remain with UMD but didn't completely close the door to the NHL.
"I'm not looking for any opportunity,'' he said in his postseason news conference in April. "If somebody calls me, I'll listen. Right now, my plan is to be back at Duluth and be at Duluth for a long time, hopefully.''
TSN reported that Sandelin will interview with the Ducks this week. Other candidates, the website said, include Dallas Stars assistants Todd Nelson and Rick Bowness, New York Islanders associate coach Lane Lambert and Dallas Eakins, coach of the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks' AHL affiliate.
Sandelin, who played at North Dakota and for seven seasons in the NHL, has a 369-311-87 record in 19 years at Minnesota Duluth. In April, he was named the coach of the U.S. team for the World Junior Championship for this winter's tournament in the Czech Republic. He also coached the U.S. junior national team in 2005.
