University of Denver coach Jim Montgomery was hired by the Dallas Stars last week, making him the fourth person to make the jump directly from a college head coaching job to an NHL head coaching job, following Ned Harkness, Bob Johnson, and Dave Hakstol. At this rate, he certainly won’t be the last one.
The Stars bringing Montgomery in––after he was the runner-up for the Florida Panthers’ job last year––is a testament to the job he has done with the Pioneers. In five seasons at the helm, Montgomery’s Denver teams won three NCHC tournaments, never missed the NCAA tournament and only lost once in the first round, and won the national title in 2017.