Former University of Minnesota men’s hockey head coach and broadcaster Glen Sonmor died on Monday at the age of 86.
Sonmor, a Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan native, coached the Gophers from 1966 to 1971 and finished with an overall record of 77-80-6. Under his direction, Minnesota finished as national runners-up in 1971 and WCHA regular season champions in 1970.
He was named the WCHA coach of the year after the 1969-70 season.
Sonmor gave legendary Minnesota and U.S. Olympic team head coach Herb Brooks his first coaching role with the Gophers.
“We lost one of our biggest supporters today in Coach Glen Sonmor,” Minnesota head coach Don Lucia said in a statement. “We’ll miss his stories and his dedication to hockey in the state of Minnesota. Our thoughts are with Coach Sonmor and his loved ones.”
Sonmor stepped down as head coach midway through the 1971-72 season but later returned to the program and served as the team’s color analyst on the radio for 15 years before retiring in 2011.
In between his stops at the University, Sonmor served as the head coach of the Minnesota North Stars for six seasons, leading the team to its first-ever Stanley Cup final appearance in 1981.
Sonmor was inducted into the University’s “M” Club Hall of Fame in 2007.
He is survived by his wife, Jean, and daughter, Kathy.
