Gulutzan goes from College of Education to Stanley Cup expectations

Thirty years after graduating from USask’s College of Education (Class of 1996), the former Huskie hockey captain is now in his 15th season of coaching in the National Hockey League – and his fifth as a head coach – having guided the Dallas Stars to one of the best records in the NHL this season. Looking back on his time as a Huskie hockey star and his graduation from USask, Gulutzan could have never imagined he would be where he is today.

“I don’t think any of us wanted to be coaches when we were playing, but no, it was never a thought that I would be coaching in the NHL,” said Gulutzan. “Even when I started coaching, I never thought I would be coaching in the NHL one day.”

Gulutzan’s graduation from USask kicked off a remarkable 30-year career in professional hockey, including 10 years as a player in the minor professional ranks in Europe and North America before beginning two decades as a coach. In fact, after suiting up for two seasons with the Huskies, Gulutzan was already playing professionally overseas while he was finishing his education degree by taking summer classes during the off-season. For Gulutzan, earning his degree was just as important as beginning his professional hockey career.

“I was three years into my degree when I went over to Sweden to play hockey after my two years as a Huskie, and while I was in Sweden I did my student teaching abroad in a Swedish school,” said Gulutzan, who started his education degree at USask while playing his last year of junior hockey with the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades. “I got my student practicum out of the way in Sweden and every summer when I came back from playing, I just kept whittling away at my degree until I was done.”

While he was chasing his hockey dream, his parents provided a dose of reality to complete his degree.

“My dad was a school teacher and my mom wouldn’t have let me stop going to school either, so I needed to get that degree in my hand and it worked out really well,” he said. “I played two seasons in Sweden and one in Finland and every summer I took a course that I needed to finish my degree and it worked out perfect.”

While teaching kids in school is worlds away from coaching professional players, Gulutzan has found his USask education has helped in unexpected ways.

“I think where it helped me more was off the ice,” he said. “When you are doing lesson plans as a teacher, and when you are doing your practice plans in hockey, there is some overlap there. You learn how to prepare to present to people, and in some ways, that’s what coaching is, too.”

Gulutzan is one of five former Huskie hockey players who have gone on to serve as head coaches in the NHL, along with Dave King, Willie Desjardins, Mike Babcock, and Todd McClellan, who is currently head coach of the Detroit Red Wings.

“All of us Saskatchewan guys, we all know each other a little bit and we’ve gotten together at a few Saskatchewan hockey events, so U of S is always something I am very proud of,” said Gulutzan, who was raised in Hudson Bay, Sask. “I always used to come back and take my kids through campus. I am very proud to have grown up in Saskatchewan and to have gone to the University of Saskatchewan.”

Gulutzan’s coaching career in the NHL began back in 2011 when he was hired the first time as head coach in Dallas, followed by three seasons as an assistant with the Vancouver Canucks, two seasons as head coach of the Calgary Flames, and the last seven seasons as an assistant with the Edmonton Oilers before being hired a second time as head coach in Dallas on July 1, 2025.

Gulutzan ran one of the NHL’s best power-play systems with the Oilers, going to back-to-back Stanley Cup finals that ended in heartbreaking losses to the Florida Panthers in 2024 and 2025.

“Looking back, being in Edmonton was one of the greatest things for me,” he said. “Working with that group of players and legendary young superstars will certainly be one of the most special things in my life. And going to the Stanley Cup final twice, as hard as it was when you look back, we had our chances. But it was tough. When you lose Game 7, especially 2-1 (in 2024), and you see those young men, they put their heart and soul and dreams in it, their blood, sweat and tears, it certainly is a tough moment. But when you look back, it is still pretty special. When you go through that emotional stuff with someone, it creates lifelong bonds, so that’s what I am probably most appreciative of.”

Gulutzan has also maintained lifelong bonds with some of his former Huskie hockey teammates, memories rekindled at the annual Huskies summer golf tournament in Saskatoon.

“I came back to the golf tournament there a couple of years ago, for the first time in 20 years,” said Gulutzan. “The all-time (Huskies) leading scorer, Brian Purdy, we are very close friends and played together at the University of Saskatchewan. We still get together and golf. Joe Hocher, a prominent lawyer, played there, and Marty Loftsgard, an engineer, I played with there. Those are the three guys that I still stay in most contact with.”

While he has spent the past 15 seasons coaching in the NHL, Gulutzan’s collection of go-to hockey hats and apparel still features USask colours and Huskie headgear.

“I still have my old Huskie hat from 20 years back, and I still wear it,” said the 54-year-old Gulutzan, whose son Landen was recruited to play for the University of Regina Cougars hockey team this season. “(Former Huskie) Danny Leier gave me a great hoodie last year, but my daughters stole it from me, they liked it so much. So I still have my U of S stuff that I wear.”

While the Huskies have advanced to the upcoming national championship again this season, Gulutzan’s Stars are also poised to be a championship contender this year. Gulutzan has guided the Stars to an impressive 10-game winning streak and now have the league’s second-best record at 38-14-9. Gulutzan says his veteran-laden lineup has the right mix to take another run at the Stanley Cup this spring.

“We have an unbelievable group,” said Gulutzan. “I came from Edmonton where we beat Dallas in the final four two years in a row and now coming into this group you can see why they have had so much success. This team is team loaded with character and guys that just want to win, that is the only thing on their bucket list, that is their internal ‘why.’ They just want to win. And it’s certainly an honour to coach a group of athletes like that who have one goal in mind and it makes coaching very enjoyable.”

USask’s defending national champion women’s basketball team tips off this year’s U SPORTS championship tournament tonight by battling the UBC Thunderbirds in the quarter-finals in Laval, Que. Huskies head coach Lisa Thomaidis has been named national coach of the year, while Canada West player of the year Gage Grassick of the Huskies was named an All-Canadian on Wednesday night. The Huskies, who were ranked No.1 most of the season and are seeded fifth at nationals, have only lost one game all year … The Huskies men’s hockey team heads to Calgary to battle the Mount Royal Cougars in the best-of-three Canada West conference championship, beginning Friday night. Both teams have already clinched spots in the University Cup national championship from March 19-22 in Halifax … USask’s men’s and women’s track and field teams are off to the national championship in Winnipeg this weekend. The Huskies women’s team is coming off its eighth straight Canada West championship team title.