Jaromir Blagr: The Hockey Blog

Ex-UAA coach Shyiak lands job at Western Michigan

Former UAA coach Dave Shyiak, who in 2013 was fired after eight losing seasons, today was named associate head coach at Western Michigan University.

Shyiak, 47, joins the staff of head coach Andy Murray, a former NHL bench boss. Murray's quote on the WMU website about Shyiak's "pit bull mentality'' seemed a little tone deaf, considering Shyiak once swung his stick and struck a Seawolves player in practice.

Shyiak spent the last season as a scout for the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs.

He's spent a lot of his career in Michigan. Shyiak played four seasons at Northern Michigan, where he helped the Wildcats win the 1991 national championship, and was also on the coaching staff at NMU for a decade.

Doyle Woody

Doyle Woody covered hockey and other sports for the Anchorage Daily News for 34 years.

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