Photo courtesy Denver Athletics
CCM and the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) announced today that University of Denver head coach Jim Montgomery has won the Spencer Penrose Award which is given to the Division I Men’s Coach of the Year. Montgomery was a finalist last year before losing out to Quinnipiac head coach, Rand Pecknold.
After leading Denver to its first-ever Penrose Cup as NCHC regular season champions and to the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, Montgomery was also named the College Hockey News Coach of the Year last week.
Stated the press release:
For his efforts in leading the University of Denver Pioneers to the NCHC regular season title and the #1 overall seed in this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championships, Jim Montgomery has been chosen winner of the 2017 Spencer Penrose Award as Division I Men’s Ice Hockey CCM/AHCA Coach of the Year.
Montgomery will receive his award later this month on April 26 at the annual AHCA convention in Naples, Florida.
Denver will face off against Notre Dame this Thursday evening at 7:30 pm MT on ESPN2 in the Frozen Four. If you haven’t signed up for a watch party in Chicago, Denver, or wherever you might be, be sure to click here and make it happen.
Fantastic news and well deserved.He was the obvious choice this year for the award. Good get by Peg, too.
Well-deserved! The old coaching axiom of “Never Follow a Legend” is being challenged by Jim Montgomery. Monty was accepted very tepidly by the DU community when he replaced the legendary George Gwozdecky, who had 20 years to build his legacy at DU.
Respectfully building further on what Gwoz built here, Monty has become his own winner, building a better team each year he’s been here. He is experienced, innovative, detail-oriented and driven. He’s also open and supportive – a player’s coach who understand’s today’s young people, and he’s changed the culture of DU Hockey to more of a “we” culture.
Very proud of what he is building here.
Fantastic news and well deserved.He was the obvious choice this year for the award. Good get by Peg, too.
Well-deserved! The old coaching axiom of “Never Follow a Legend” is being challenged by Jim Montgomery. Monty was accepted very tepidly by the DU community when he replaced the legendary George Gwozdecky, who had 20 years to build his legacy at DU.
Respectfully building further on what Gwoz built here, Monty has become his own winner, building a better team each year he’s been here. He is experienced, innovative, detail-oriented and driven. He’s also open and supportive – a player’s coach who understand’s today’s young people, and he’s changed the culture of DU Hockey to more of a “we” culture.
Very proud of what he is building here.