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O F F T HE D R AW COLLEGE T he name Dick Emahiser may not roll off the tongue like some other legendary hockey coaches, but the impact this lifelong Minnesota coach had on the game is felt both in his home state and around the country. The Twin Cities native passed away on Feb. 19 at the age of 70. Emahiser was a dedicated teacher for 34 years at Eden Prairie High School, where he taught physical education and outdoor education, but it was at the rink where his impact was truly felt. For more than 50 years, Emmy, as he was called, made his mark on the game, developing players and coaches alike. Locals credit him with turning Eden Prairie into a hockey town as he helped countless kids discover the passion and skills needed to succeed on the ice. In addition, he mentored a generation of coaches through his work with Minnesota Hockey and USA Hockey coaching education programs. He was a regular at coaching clinics and workshops, helping to raise the instruction level in youth hockey. For his efforts Emahiser received the Walter Yaciuk Award in 2002 for his commitment and contributions to coaching education and development. "He just cared about kids... that's probably what made him so special," recalled USA Hockey national coach-in-chief Mike MacMillan. "You can talk about all the other stuff he did with player development, USA Hockey stuff, but at the end of the day that's how I'm always going to remember him." Emahiser's Commitment To Kids The Hallmark Of Great Career k Even before the puck drops on its inaugural season, the Seattle Kraken are already impacting the hockey communities in the Pacific Northwest. The NHL's newest expansion franchise will have a footprint that covers an area from its home state of Washington to Oregon, Montana, Idaho and all the way north to Alaska. So when the call came out that the University of Alaska Anchorage hockey program was in danger of falling victim to budget cuts, local supporters stepped up to create Save Seawolf Hockey, with a goal of raising $3 million to keep the program alive. The Kraken are doing their part by pledging more than $150,000 from team and individual investors as a challenge gift. "We are so proud that Alaska is part of our extended broadcast territory. We want to be part of the community in Anchorage and throughout the state," said Tod Leiweke, Kraken CEO. "This [challenge gift] won't be the only thing we do but it might be the most important. We're asking our fans and others in the hockey and Pacific Northwest business community to step up and join us in this effort." To date, the organization has raised more than $1.8 million and recently received an extension until Aug. 30 from the school's board of regents to raise the rest of the funds needed to return to the ice. Let's Get Kraken: UAA Fundraising Receives A Boost 10 // APRIL 2021 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOS BY USA Hockey Magazine Archives; Getty Images; University of Alaska Anchorage COACHING 5 Games in 11 Days k Number of times the Tkachuk brothers met when Brady's Ottawa Senators took on Matthew's Calgary Flames during one stretch of the 2020-21 NHL season. Dick Emahiser