Northern Michigan University athletic director Rick Comrie, left, shakes hands with new head hockey coach Dave Shiack during his introductory press conference Friday morning in the Wildcat Room at Marquette's Berry Events Center. Comrie was NMU's first head hockey coach, serving in that position from 1976 to 2002, a period that included Shiack's time playing for Northern. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)
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MARQUETTE — Dave Shayak is back in his hometown, but he's a little unsure about how to view his status as a Yooper.
“I guess you could say I'm half Yooper, but from what I've heard there's no such thing really, so I'd say I'm full Yooper.” “I'm excited to be a part of this team,” Northern Michigan University's new hockey coach said during his introductory press conference Friday morning at the Berry Events Center.
Schaik recounted being hired by a local landowner his first summer as an NMU student in the late 1980s. Schaik finished his Wildcat playing career in the spring of 1991 on Northern's national championship team.
New Northern Michigan University hockey coach Dave Schaiauk gestures as he talks about his vision for the Wildcats' program and his past at Marquette during a press conference Friday morning in the Wildcat Room at Marquette's Berry Events Center. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)
But when he first started working in the Marquette area, he said the man handed him a sledgehammer and told him to get to work.
“What should I do about this?” He recalls being told that the house he was in had to be demolished within eight hours.
“That was the start of my working life. I was in Ishpeming demolishing houses with a sledgehammer.” He said.
As the 57-year-old Schaick works to bring order back to the Wildcats' hockey program, he won't have much time to wreck houses or enjoy the beautiful Upper Peninsula summers.
It's just part of the landscape of NCAA college sports these days, and Wildcats athletic director Rick Comrie, the first coach of the NMU hockey program and who also coached Shiak at Northern, wouldn't call this a rush job or an urgent endeavor, but agreed that time was of the essence in recruiting Shiak.
New Northern Michigan University hockey coach Dave Schaiauk gestures as he talks about his vision for the Wildcats' program and his past at Marquette during a press conference Friday morning in the Wildcat Room at Marquette's Berry Events Center. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)
Of the 26 players who could potentially return this fall, 14 had entered the NCAA's transfer portal during the usual permitted period when athletes in nearly all Division I, II and III sports can indicate their intention to transfer but are not required to do so.
The period during which nearly all players could declare ended on May 14, but the declaration period reopened for another 30 days for Wildcats players and freshmen after Northern head man Grant Potulny announced his resignation on June 11. Four more of last year's players and two freshmen declared within a day or two of the announcement.
Comrie agreed. “Time is of the essence.” That's largely what led to the hiring of a new coach.
As of now, only eight players from last year's squad are guaranteed to return, but the team will be bolstered by five players who have declared through NMU's transfer portal from other programs and six to eight players from Potulny's original 11 who are still committed to Marquette University.
But the full 28-player roster that Chayak and Comrie mentioned remains in limbo, something Chayak will have to address with roughly three months remaining before the season begins Oct. 11 at Colorado.
“Recruiting today is an 11-month process, but now we just need to fill our roster with good, culture-minded kids who want to be here.” Shayak said.
Comrie and Shiak feel fortunate to have found each other now, with Shiak having interviewed for the position several times in the past.
“Things happen for a reason” “I've always been a big part of the team,” Shiack said, reflecting on a winding coaching path that saw him return to his alma mater twice after his collegiate playing career, the second time as an assistant coach and associate head coach under Comrie and his successor, Walt Kyle, for 10 years, ending in 2005.
He was interviewing for the head coaching job when Kyle took over in 2002, but Kyle had been a longtime coach at NMU and had returned to his alma mater from an assistant coaching position in the NHL.
Three years later, Schaiaq spent eight seasons with Alaska Anchorage. “It's one of the toughest jobs in hockey.” — and the winningest coach in Seawolves history.
“Anchorage has made me a better coach and a better person.” He said.
He also interviewed at NMU in 2017 when Potulny was offered the job there but wasn't hired, so he served as the associate head coach at Western Michigan University for three more years before moving on to St. Cloud State University, where he served four years in the same role with the Huskies until this week.
“I learned a lot from that situation (in Alaska).” In response to a follow-up question, Shayak said: “But the college hockey landscape has really changed.”
This is primarily in reference to the transfer portal, which makes all players potential free agents at the end of each season.
Chaiak said it's too early to select the coaching staff as it's only been a few days, but “We've had a lot of people calling us. This position has attracted a lot of attention.”
Returning to NMU was always on his mind, but he did his homework to make sure the university was committed to the program, and last summer he went on a hockey alumni tour and toured the Berry school's renovated facilities.
“It's a matter of keeping up with the Joneses.” Shayak said: “We got to see the locker room, weight room, lounge, shooting room and see how big the rink is.”
The final item was that Northern University reduced the overall size of their ice rink last summer to a normal collegiate size.
About 50 to 75 people attended Friday's press conference, mostly area residents, along with about 12 to 15 members of the media. They applauded profusely and asked the new coach a few questions.
Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, extension 552. His e-mail address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.
