Sun Devil Hockey has named Dave Hakstol its head coach, bringing one of college hockey's most accomplished coaches back to the NCAA ranks. Hakstol comes to ASU following an extensive tenure behind the bench in the National Hockey League, Sun Devil Athletics Director Graham Rossini announced Thursday morning.
“We welcome Dave Hakstol and his family to Arizona State University. His success building championship-caliber programs, developing players for the highest level of the sport, and leading organizations in the NHL speaks to his knowledge of the game and his ability to develop talent,” said Rossini.
“We appreciate Dave’s belief in ASU and look forward to supporting him as we continue to build Sun Devil Hockey into one of the nation’s premier programs.”
Hakstol, 58, brings more than three decades of coaching experience across the collegiate, professional, and junior hockey levels, including 11 seasons as head coach at the University of North Dakota and seven seasons as head coach of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken.
During his 11-year tenure at North Dakota, Hakstol guided the program to 289 victories, seven NCAA Frozen Four appearances and 11 consecutive NCAA Tournament berths — one in every season he was at the helm.
“This is a special opportunity, and I couldn’t be more excited to return to college hockey and bring a winning culture to Arizona State Sun Devil Hockey. Our goal is to grow a championship-caliber program, and we will,” said Hakstol.
Most recently an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche, Hakstol returns to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), where he previously led North Dakota to the 2014-15 regular-season championship and earned NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year honors in his final year as head coach at North Dakota.
Collegiate coaching success
Hakstol established himself as one of the nation's most successful collegiate coaches during his 11 seasons at North Dakota from 2004-15, compiling a 289-143-43 record and a .654 winning percentage in 475 games.
Under his leadership, North Dakota reached the NCAA Tournament in each of his 11 seasons, advancing to the Frozen Four seven times, the most of any program nationally during that span. His teams made four consecutive Frozen Four appearances from 2005 to 2008, including a trip to the national championship game in his first season as head coach in 2004-05.
Hakstol also guided North Dakota to seven conference championships, capturing three regular-season titles and four WCHA tournament championships. He won regular-season titles in 2008-09 and 2010-11 as a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), followed by the 2014-15 NCHC championship. North Dakota also claimed four WCHA tournament titles in 2005-06, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.
His success earned him eight finalist selections for the Spencer Penrose Award, presented annually to the nation's top collegiate coach. He was named WCHA Coach of the Year in 2008-09 and NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year in 2014-15.
Beyond his teams' success on the ice, Hakstol established a reputation for developing student-athletes for professional hockey. During his tenure, North Dakota produced 42 NHL Draft selections, including eight first-round picks, and 20 of his former players had reached the NHL by the time he departed in 2015.
Among the notable NHL players Hakstol coached at North Dakota were three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews, 2018 Stanley Cup champion T.J. Oshie, Team USA Olympic Gold Medalist Brock Nelson, longtime NHL forwards Travis Zajac and Drew Stafford, first-round NHL Draft selection Nick Schmaltz and two-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Greene.
Hakstol also coached Ryan Duncan, who captured the 2007 Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player. During the 2014-15 season, 46 of Hakstol's former North Dakota student-athletes competed professionally, further demonstrating the program's ability to develop talent for the next level.
His teams also achieved success in the classroom, with 117 student-athletes earning Academic All-Conference honors during his 11 seasons as head coach.
NHL experience
Following his success at North Dakota, Hakstol transitioned to the NHL in May 2015, when he was named head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, becoming the first coach in more than three decades to move directly from an NCAA head-coaching position to an NHL head-coaching role.
Hakstol led Philadelphia from 2015-18, guiding the Flyers to Stanley Cup Playoff appearances in two of his three full seasons behind the bench. He compiled a 134-101-42 record during his tenure, including a postseason appearance in his inaugural NHL campaign.
After departing Philadelphia, Hakstol joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant coach in 2019, spending two seasons with the organization and working primarily with the team's defensemen.
In June 2021, Hakstol was selected as the first head coach in Seattle Kraken franchise history, tasked with leading the NHL expansion club into its inaugural season.
During the 2022-23 campaign, Hakstol guided Seattle to a 46-28-8 record and 100 points, securing the franchise's first Stanley Cup Playoff berth in just its second season. The Kraken went on to defeat the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in seven games in the opening round, earning their first postseason series victory.
His leadership during Seattle's breakthrough season earned him a finalist nomination for the 2023 Jack Adams Award, presented annually to the NHL's top head coach.
Over his seven seasons as an NHL head coach with Philadelphia and Seattle, Hakstol compiled a 241-213-69 regular-season record and earned three Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.
Hakstol later joined the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant coach in 2025, serving on Jared Bednar's staff before his return to collegiate hockey at ASU.
Additional coaching experience
Before taking over at North Dakota, Hakstol spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the program from 2000-04, helping the team win WCHA regular-season championships in 2000-01 and 2003-04.
Before returning to his alma mater, Hakstol served as head coach and general manager of the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) from 1996 to 2000. He earned USHL Coach of the Year honors following the 1997-98 season.
Hakstol has also gained international coaching experience with Team Canada, earning silver medals at the 2017 and 2019 IIHF World Championships as a member of the coaching staff.
Playing career
A native of Warburg, Alberta, Canada, Hakstol played three seasons as a defenseman at North Dakota from 1989-92, serving as team captain during his final two collegiate campaigns.
After college, Hakstol spent parts of five seasons playing professionally in the International Hockey League (IHL) with Indianapolis and Minnesota before transitioning to coaching.