Bottom line: Dave Shyiak remains head coach of the UAA hockey team and his boss, who likes Shyiak's work, doesn't see that changing.

But for the second time in the last three years, appearances are deceiving, and more than a little confusing, when it comes to the leader of the Seawolves.

That's because UAA on Friday posted a job opening on its Web site for a head hockey coach. UAA athletic director Steve Cobb said the ad appeared because the U.S. Department of Labor requires the school, Shyiak's sponsor, to conduct a national search as part of a quest by Shyiak, a Canadian citizen, to obtain a "green card" to live as a permanent resident in the United States.

Shyiak first sought a green card in 2006, but he and UAA pulled his application back then for reasons they wouldn't reveal.

"We are very happy with Coach Shyiak's performance as our hockey coach, we are excited for the season and we don't foresee any changes,'' Cobb said.

Cobb said an ad for Shyiak's position will also appear in Sunday's Daily News.

Shyiak, 42, who is entering his fifth season as UAA's bench boss, said he is seeking permanent residency so he can coach here over the long term. He currently holds a nonresident visa as an H-1B temporary worker, the same status he had while an assistant coach and associate head coach at his alma mater, Northern Michigan University, from 1995 to 2005.

Shyiak said his understanding is that his H-1B, a specialty worker's permit, is valid through the term of his current contract. The four-year extension Shyiak signed last season runs through the 2012-13 season.

Permanent resident status would allow Shyiak to work in the U.S. longer than that.

"This is a whole legal process for me and my family to ensure long-time security to live in the U.S.,'' Shyiak said. "It's most important to me and my family.

"We want to reside here. We like it here.''

Shyiak and his wife, Lucia, have three young children.

As part of Shyiak's application process, his employer must conduct a national search to see if a qualified U.S. citizen applies for the job. Several candidates applied when Shyiak submitted a similar application in 2006. That application, Cobb said, was subsequently pulled by UAA and Shyiak jointly.

If a U.S. citizen applies for Shyiak's job this time, Cobb said, the school will have to determine its next step.

"We review them and see if they do or do not meet criteria,'' Cobb said. "We make a decision how to move forward.''

Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.

ADVERTISEMENT