Gus Hendrickson, who coached Grand Rapids to the 1975 Minnesota state high school hockey title, died Thursday. He was 83.
Former Grand Rapids, Minnesota Duluth hockey coach Gus Hendrickson dies at 83
Gus Hendrickson went to the Bulldogs after coaching Grand Rapids to the 1975 state title.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 28, 2024 at 3:32AM
The 1974-75 Grand Rapids team went 23-4 and beat Minneapolis Southwest 6-1 in the title game. Rapids featured 11 future Division I players, including former Gophers coach Don Lucia and 1980 Miracle on Ice member Bill Baker. John Rothstein, Dan Lempe and Peter DeCenzo were also on the team.
Hendrickson, who skated for Eveleth when it was a prep dynasty under legendary coach Cliff Thompson, played college hockey at Michigan State.
He was hired as coach at Minnesota Duluth in 1975 after Grand Rapids won the state title. He led the Bulldogs until 1982, compiling a record of 110-146-11 before he was replaced by his longtime assistant Mike Sertich.
Funeral services for Hendrickson, who had been an officer in the U.S. Army following college, will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, with visitation starting at 10.
Fruechte named UND offensive coodinator
Former Gophers and Vikings receiver Isaac Fruechte has been named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Dakota.
Fruechte, a Caledonia, Minn., native, spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Winona State.
Fruechte, who lettered for the Gophers from 2012-14, spent two seasons with the Vikings and one with the Detroit Lions.
The Gophers had lost their previous three games and their past seven meetings with the Hoosiers. Guard Amaya Battle helped change all that by scoring a game-high 16 points to surpass 1,000 in her career.
