John Hill Out at Minnesota

That sound you hear is the other 11 WCHA teams in mourning, as Don Lucia announced that assistant John Hill won’t be returning to the Gophers’ staff in 2011-12. The Gophers have struggled lately, and just missed their 3rd NCAA tournament in a row. Hill has been blamed for basically everything that Don Lucia hasn’t been blamed for, including the fact that Minnesota has no real defensive coaches on the staff. The Gophers have been 5th, 7th, T-3rd and T-6th in the WCHA in defense the past four seasons.

His rumored replacement is former Gopher defenseman and assistant, and current Omaha assistant Mike Guentzel.