University of Minnesota Athletics
Remembering Glen Sonmor
12/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) - Former Gopher Hockey head coach and broadcaster Glen Sonmor, who led the University of Minnesota to an NCAA runner-up finish in 1971 and later served as head coach of the Minnesota North Stars, has passed away at the age of 86.
Sonmor went 77-80-6 with the Gophers from 1966-1971 and helped the program win the 1970 MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular-season champions and the 1971 Broadmoor Trophy as WCHA playoff champions. He was also honored as the WCHA Coach of the Year following the 1969-70 season.
"We lost one of our biggest supporters today in Coach Glen Sonmor," Minnesota head coach Don Lucia said. "We'll miss his stories and his dedication to hockey in the state of Minnesota. Our thoughts are with Coach Sonmor and his loved ones."
A native of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Sonmor's playing career brought him to Minnesota with the Minneapolis Millers, and eventually he played over 250 games in the AHL with the Cleveland Barons and the St. Louis Flyers. His playing career, which included 28 games and two goals with the New York Rangers in the NHL, was ended by an eye injury in 1955.
Sonmor returned to Minnesota following his playing career and coached the Gopher freshman under his former teammate Joh Mariucci. He also completed his coursework at the University of Minnesota and graduated with a degree in physical education in 1956. After several other coaching stints including one year as head coach at Ohio State, Sonmor succeeded Mariucci as head coach at the University of Minnesota in 1966. Along with his teams' success on the ice, Sonmor also gave Minnesota alum and coaching legend Herb Brooks his first coaching role as an assistant during the 1970-71 season.
After stepping down as Gophers coach midway through the 1971-72 season, Sonmor coached the Minnesota Fighting Saints in the World Hockey Association in 1972-73 and 1976-77 before taking over as head coach of the North Stars in 1979. With Sonmor behind the bench, the North Stars reached the playoffs in four of his six seasons with the organization including the North Stars' first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1981.
Later in his career, Sonmor returned to Gopher Hockey and spent 15 years as the team's color analyst for radio broadcasts until his retirement in 2011. He also served as the director of player development for the Minnesota Moose in the International Hockey League and as an amateur scout for the Minnesota Wild.
Sonmor was honored with the Lester Patrick Trophy in 2006 for outstanding service to hockey in the United States, and he was inducted into the `M' Club Hall of Fame in 2007.
-Pride On Ice-