Mike Guentzel
Mike Guentzel is an American ice hockey coach and former defenceman. He currently works as a pro scout for the Utah Mammoth.
Career
Guentzel played four years at Minnesota [Golden Gophers men's ice hockey|Minnesota] before embarking on a short professional career. After hanging up his skates in 1986 he turned to coaching and joined the staff of the St. Paul Vulcans of the USHL. After a year as an assistant he was named head coach, serving in that capacity for four campaigns before accepting the same position with the Omaha Lancers. In 1994 he returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach, serving under first Doug Woog and then Don Lucia after the former retired in 1999. Twice Guentzel served as head coach for Minnesota when Woog was suspended, first for the WCHA [Men's Ice Hockey">Western Collegiate Hockey Association">WCHA [Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|1996] WCHA List of WCHA Men's [Ice Hockey Tournament champions|Title Game] and a second time the following October. Guentzel helped the Golden Gophers win back-to-back national titles in 2002 [NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|2002] and 2003 NCAA [Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|2003] and stayed with the team until resigning to pursue other opportunities in 2008.Guentzel's first stop was at Colorado College as an assistant for the 2008–09 [NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|2008–09 season]. The following year, after coaching his son Gabe, he returned to the USHL to lead the Des Moines Buccaneers but after a poor year he was back in the college ranks, this time with Nebraska–Omaha. Guentzel was again on the move after a year with the Mavericks and he returned to the Golden Gophers in the summer of 2011. Guentzel has remained with the Gophers since and was promoted to associate head coach in 2015.