Rube Bjorkman

Rube Bjorkman

Personal information
Born	(1929-02-27) February 27, 1929
Medal record Men’s Ice Hockey 1952 Oslo Team

Rubin Eugene Bjorkman (born February 27, 1929) is a former head coach of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey men's team. A graduate of Roseau, Minnesota High School where he led his team to a State Championship in 1946, Bjorkman was a member of the US Olympic teams in 1948 and 1952 (silver medalists). He was a three-year letter winner at the University of Minnesota. Known as the "Masked Marvel" due to the flight goggles he wore to protect his glasses, Bjorkman was considered one of the finest hockey players of his era.

Bjorkman's High School coaching career began at Greenway High School in Coleraine, Minnesota. His 1962 team competed in the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament, making him one of the few who have participated in the tournament as both a player and coach.

His first college coaching season (1963–1964), at RPI, culminated with his team finishing third in the NCAA Championships. Following that season he was hired as the Head Hockey Coach at the University of New Hampshire where he would spend four years prior to accepting the position at the University of North Dakota.

In 1982 Bjorkman was honored by the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association when he was named the recipient of the Cliff Thompson Award, given for long term, outstanding contributions to the sport of hockey in Minnesota. In 1997 The American Hockey Coaches Association recognized Bjorkman with the John "Snooks" Kelly Founders Award. Named after the famed Boston College coach, this award honors those people in the coaching profession who have contributed to the overall growth and development of the sport of ice hockey in the United States.

Playing career

• 1963-1964 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Head Coach
• 1964-1968 University of New Hampshire - Head Coach
• 1968-1978 University of North Dakota - Head Coach
• 1980-1983 Warroad, Minnesota High School - Head Coach

Head coaching record

Statistics overview

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Rensselaer (ECAC Hockey) (1963–1964)
1963–1964	Rensselaer	18-8-0	0-0		NCAA Third Place
Rensselaer:		18-8-0
New Hampshire (Hockey East) (1964–1968)
1964–1965	New Hampshire	6-14-0	0-0
1965–1966	New Hampshire	11-12-0	0-0
1966–1967	New Hampshire	18-7-0	0-0
1967–1968	New Hampshire	22-7-0	0-0
New Hampshire:		57-40-0
North Dakota (WCHA) (1968–1978)
1968–1969	North Dakota	18-10-1	0-0
1969–1970	North Dakota	14-5-1	0-0
1970–1971	North Dakota	14-17-2	0-0
1971–1972	North Dakota	21-14-1	0-0
1972–1973	North Dakota	17-17-2	0-0
1973–1974	North Dakota	10-23-1	0-0
1974–1975	North Dakota	6-28-2	0-0
1975–1976	North Dakota	15-21-0	0-0
1976–1977	North Dakota	19-19-0	0-0
1977–1978	North Dakota	15-22-1	0-0
North Dakota:		149-186-11
Total:		224-234-11
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

External links

• Rube Bjorkman career statistics at EliteProspects.com