Huskies coach feels at home in Lethbridge
When the puck dropped to the begin the 2019 University Cup national championship tournament this week in Lethbridge, Dave Adolph found himself back where he started as a head coach in Canadian university men’s hockey.
Lethbridge remains a special place for Adolph, who has a number of ties to the southern Alberta city where his University of Saskatchewan Huskies will play in a University Cup national semifinal for the fourth straight year.
Saskatchewan will meet archrival Alberta on Saturday (1 p.m. CT, SportsNet360), with the winner advancing to play for gold on Sunday. The loser will play in the bronze-medal game.
Adolph’s two children, Madison and Max, were both born in Lethbridge, where his sister, Allyson, still resides.
“She’s an OB-GYN doctor here in Lethbridge, so I still have lots of ties here, no question,” says Adolph, whose son Max is actually staying with his aunt Allyson and watching this week’s hockey tournament.
There also are a handful of current Huskies players who have ties to Lethbridge.
Michael Soffilas, Jaimen Yakubowski and Carter Folk all played junior hockey for the Western Hockey League’s Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Yakubowski, who was taken by Lethbridge in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft, spent three seasons with the Hurricanes before being dealt to Seattle. He played together on the Hurricanes with current Pronghorns’ players Sam McKechnie and Russell Maxwell.
Yakubowski and Folk were also teammates on the ‘Canes.
“Carter went and spent (Wednesday afternoon) with his (Hurricanes) billets,” says Adolph. “He’s still close with his billets here in Lethbridge. They’re near and dear friends.”
Sofillas spent three years with the Hurricanes, his WHL career slowed down by concussion issues.
Adolph, who played for the U of S as a defenceman, spent three seasons (1990-93) as head coach at the University of Lethbridge before returning to lead the Huskies in 1993.
After taking over a floundering program in Lethbridge, Adolph compiled a 50-61-9 record during his three years with the Pronghorns.
When Adolph left to take the U of S job, that opened the door for Mike Babcock, who was looking for a coaching job after being fired by the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors.
“I’ve been a Huskie all my life and I had an opportunity to go home, and that’s what I did,” says Adolph, who now holds the U Sports record for most wins, all-time, as a hockey coach.
Babcock went on to guide the Pronghorns to their one and only Canadian university title the next year.
“All I can tell you is they had a tremendous (run) and my wife (Bev) and I went to watch the Canada West final that year against Calgary,” said Adolph. “I had no (regrets). It was fantastic. I was just so thrilled for them.