The National Hockey League’s Minnesota Wild announced that Rob Daum will coach the team’s American Hockey League developmental team, the Houston Aeros.
Daum replaces Todd McLellan, who left the Aeros after four seasons to become assistant coach for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. Daum will work with long-time Aeros assistant general manager/assistant coach Matt Shaw.
Daum, 47, just completed his 10th season behind the bench at the University of Alberta, where the Churchbridge, Sask., native has led the Golden Bears to an impressive 345-79-32 overall record (.792 percentage) and a 218-37-25 conference mark (.823). Since 2000-01, Alberta’s conference record is a whopping 120-9-11 (.896 percentage).
Alberta qualified for the playoffs in each of Daum’s 10 seasons, and it qualified for the CIS National Championship every year since 1996-97. Daum coached the Golden Bears to three national titles, including back-to-back wins in 1999 and 2000, and a championship in 2005. The Bears won six Canada West titles under Daum.
“We were very lucky to entice Rob to leave the University of Alberta,” Aeros general manager/Wild assistant general manager Tom Lynn said. “He has been a John Wooden of Canadian college hockey. His combined experience in developing young players and producing winning teams stood out clearly in our search for the best person to coach the Aeros.”
“The opportunity to coach at the pro level is always enticing,” Daum said. “It’s something I’ve looked forward to the last number of years. It was a matter of getting the right opportunity. The Minnesota organization is one that has always intrigued me. I was really interested and I was fortunate to get the position.”
Daum was named CIS Coach of the Year in 2000-01 and 2003-04, and Canada West Coach of the Year five times. He has coached 58 Canada West All-Stars, including 25 First-Team All-Stars, and he’s coached five Canada West MVP’s in 10 seasons. The most recent one was former Aero Ryan Wade.
Daum also served as both an assistant coach and a head coach in the WHL, with stops at Lethbridge, Swift Current and Prince Albert.
He guided Team Canada, including several of his own Golden Bears players, to a bronze medal at the January 2003 World University Games in Tarvisio, Italy.
