The American Hockey Coaches has announced its major award winners for 2003. The following individals will be honored at a dinner on Saturday, April 26, in Naples, FL.

JOHN MARIUCCI AWARD: Tom Saterdalen, Bloomington Jefferson High School

He is the long time head high school coach at Bloomington Jefferson High School in Minnesota. This is his last year of teaching, 2002, and coaching at Bloomington Jefferson before retiring. Tom is a very worthy of this award. Says Augsburg college head coach Mike Schwartz: “Tom has 30 years of high school hockey coaching experience including four years at Superior High School in Wisconsin and 26 years at Bloomington Jefferson. He won two Wisconsin State hockey titles and five Minnesota State Hockey Titles. He has also won 12 Lake Conference hockey championships. Moreover, Tom coaches the boy’s tennis team at Jefferson where he has won two state titles and 7 conference championships. He is an outstanding teacher and coach who has sent over 100 players to Division I college Hockey.”

JIM FULLERTON AWARD: Steve Reed, Northwood School

Jim Fullerton was a former Northwood coach and would love to have seen Steve win his award. “Reno” has been at the Northwood School for well over 25 years and in that time he has helped numerous young men (and in the past few years many women) get into colleges where they can play hockey. From his nominators: “Lenny Ceglarski, Jerry York, Snooks Kelly, Charlie Holt, Jeff Sauer, Sid Watson, and many others have all called Reno a friend and respect the work he does with future college players. He has helped put players in our Olympic Program and the NHL as well as Div. 1, 2, and 3 programs. Very few men have done as much as Steve to help teach, motivate, and guide the young men and women that make up our game. Steve has done yeomen work for a very long time for the betterment of many young student/athletes over time. Guys like Mike Richter, Tony Granato, Chris Nilan, and tons of other good players and coaches in the game at all levels can attest to his dedication and love for the college game.”

JOHN “SNOOKS” KELLEY FOUNDERS AWARD: Jeff Sauer, Colorado College and the University of Wisconsin

Jeff Sauer won 655 games (4th all-time) in 31 seasons as head coach at Colorado College (1971-1982) and the University of Wisconsin (1982-2002), before retiring from coaching after the 2001-2002 season. He remains active as an assistant in the Wisconsin Department of Athletics. He is the winningest coach in WCHA history and is the first coach in league annals to coach 30 seasons. Sauer has recorded four 30-win seasons (1982-83, 1987-88, 1989-90, 1999-2000), the most of any UW coach. One of the most-respected coaches in the game, he continues to be a consummate diplomat for the game of hockey. Sauer remains involved at all levels of hockey, from instructing kids at summer camps to speaking at high school assemblies to coaching international-level athletes in world tournaments. Sauer was honored in 2002 by USA Hockey, when he received the JOFA/USA Hockey Distinguished Achievement Award given to a U. S. citizen who has made hockey his or her profession and has made outstanding contributions, on or off the ice, to the sport in America.

TERRY FLANAGAN AWARD: Stu Irving, Merrimack College

This award recognizes the career body of work of a college assistant coach. Stu Irving is in his 19th season as an assistant at Merrimack College. A member of the U.S. Olympic Team that captured a silver medal at the 1972 Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan, the Beverly, Massachusetts native played 11 years of professional hockey following his Olympic experience. Says nominator Damian DiGiulian of Vermont: “Having known Stu for the past six years of my coaching career, I am convinced that he is a worthy recipient. Listening to his story about his playing days and seeing his selflessness in helping younger assistant coaches learn the ropes of the business, he would be a tremendous addition to the list of past winners. Stu was a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team and the way he got there is an incredible story. Having been sent to Vietnam, Stu shot 100 pucks a day (sent to him by his father) in the heat of the jungle to keep him sane and to keep his skills sharp as well. While not knowing all of the details of his story I can assure you that it is a unique and tremendous one. As a coach, Stu has been a tremendous ambassador for the sport of hockey. His recruiting work speaks for itself and his dedication to helping young men both as players and people is second to none.”

JOHN MACINNES AWARD: Ron Mason, Lake Superior State University, Bowling Green State University, and Michigan State University

Ron Mason, Lake Superior State University, Bowling Green State University, and Michigan State University — After a 36-year career during which he established himself as the winningest coach in college hockey history, Ron Mason continues to be a leader as Michigan State’s Director of Athletics. Beyond his 924 victories, his career highlights include an NCAA Championship at Michigan State in 1986 and an NAIA Championship with Lake Superior State in 1972. He led MSU to 17 CCHA regular-season and playoff titles and guided 23 teams to the NCAA Tournament, an all-time record. In addition, he coached 34 All-Americans and 46 former Spartans who played in the National Hockey League. In 2001, the CCHA honored Mason by renaming the CCHA playoff trophy - The Mason Cup - in his honor due to his development of the league and his success behind the bench.

Mason coached MSU’s only two Hobey Baker Award winners - Kip Miller in 1990 and Ryan Miller in 2001. He also coached the first college player - Joe Murphy - to be taken first overall in the NHL Draft in 1986 by the Detroit Red Wings.

He is active in a number of local organizations and charities. He is very involved with Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, where he recently completed a four-year term on the Sparrow Foundation Board and has set up the Ron Mason Fund for Pediatric Rehabilitation, which has raised over $300,000. He also served as the honorary chairperson for the Children’s Miracle Network which has raised more than $10 million over 13 years, and has worked with the Coaches For Kids campaign, which has raised $1.9 million in the last three years for a pediatrics emergency room at Sparrow Hospital. Mason received his bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence in 1964, where he lettered in hockey for three years.

JOE BURKE AWARD: Jane Ring, St. Paul, MN

This award goes to a supporter of girls’ and women’s ice hockey. A friend of Girls and Women’s hockey for over 40 years, Jane Ring has sponsored two Senior teams for many years and continues to play hockey into her 70’s. She sponsors a scholarship (based on Community Development and GPA) to a graduating girls’ hockey player in Minnesota to help them attend college. She also has contributed to the Augsburg collegiate program and is currently assisting the Macalester program.