The University of Minnesota-Duluth have no plans to change coaches any time soon. Scott Sandelin has signed an extension with the school through the 2029-30 season. Sandelin’s contract was originally set to expire after the 2026-27 season.
The former NHL pro has presided over the Bulldogs bench since the 2000-01 season. He has led the club to highs and lows in 26 seasons since, including national championships in 2011, 2018, and 2019.
Sandelin has coached four Hobey Baker Award winners in his quarter-century on the Bulldogs’ bench. That includes Detroit Red Wings prospect and 2026 winner Max Plante, who sealed college hockey’s MVP title after forming an explosive duo with brother Zam Plante. Plante breaks the mold of Sandelin’s past Hobey Baker-winners.
Scott Perunovich (2020), Jack Connolly (2012), and Junior Lessard (2004) all won in their senior seasons and moved to the pros immediately after. Plante became the first sophomore to win since Cole Caufield in 2021 – and he will become the first Hobey-winner to return to school since North Dakota’s Ryan Duncan in 2007.
Plante’s return will equip Sandelin with college hockey’s sharpest duo for a second season. The brothers will be joined by their youngest sibling – recent Red Wings draft pick Victor Plante – after he completed two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program.
The Bulldogs will also add Seattle Kraken center prospect Barrett Hall and Utah Mammoth goalie prospect Carl Axelsson for the 2026-27 season. They are two members of a small-but-mighty recruiting class set to bolster a roster with multiple returnees.
The split between lofty experience and fresh-faced NHL prospects could help Minnesota-Duluth find another gear in the 2026-27 season. They will face serious competition from Sandelin’s alma mater, the University of North Dakota, and 2026 national champions, the University of Denver – but could best both with experience and hard work. Ensuring that will be the task ahead of Sandelin as he enters his 27th season overseeing the Minnesota-Duluth bench.
Photo courtesy of Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images.