The Alaska Nanooks head into the 2018-19 campaign with their third coach in as many seasons. Former Nanooks goaltender and Fairbanks native Erik Largen is set to take over for Lance West, the interim coach of 2017-18.

West strung some success together at different parts of the year. After a rough start, the Nanooks won three of four in December, including another sweep of WCHA foe Alaska Anchorage, claiming the rivalry’s Governor’s Cup. The team picked up where they left off, claiming another two of three to kick off the winter semester. 

But the season began to slip away with three straight losses and a 2-10-1 record down the final stretch. Upon season’s end, it was revealed West was in fact an interim and was replaced by Largen’s established pedigree.

As a goaltending coach, Largen’s insight helped backstop the NAHL’s Fairbanks Ice Dogs to a championship in 2011 following a loss in the final the year before.

From 2011-16, Largen continued to be successful with various teams in various roles in the USHL and NCAA before joining his alma mater, Alaska, in 2016 as an assistant.

“Coach Erik Largen is the future of intercollegiate hockey at UAF,” vice chancellor Keith Champagne told UAF.com. “He can bring the UAF and Fairbanks communities together, be honest about the challenges we face, and move our program forward in a positive and successful manner. Erik is a coach we can all believe in—he is a winner.”

As a successful goaltending coach, Largen’s experience could be key to a turnaround in the crease for Nanooks netminders Anton Martinsson and Niko DellaMaggiore. The pair of pending juniors each finished last season with sub-.900 save percentages.

Martinsson went 10-17-3 with a .890 SV% and 3.11 GAA, while DellaMaggiore finished the season with a 1-4 record, .899 SV%, and 2.88 GAA. Incoming freshman Gustavs Grigals will be an X-factor. The Latvian native posted a .925 SV% and 1.95 GAA in 26 games for the NAHL’s Shreveport Mudbugs last season.

Largen will also need to remold his young defense after losing senior defensemen Zach Frye and Justin Woods, who finished first and third in team scoring last season. He’ll need his blue line to buy in and tighten up its own zone to help alleviate the stress on his three netminders.

On the other side of the ice, a trio of middle-classmen will look to take a step forward offensively. The bulk of the offense will likely fall on sophomore Steven Jandric and juniors Colton Leiter and Kylar Hope. 

They will be key for the Nanooks’ ability to build on their 11-22-3 record of 2017-18. Jandric scored 23 points (4 G, 19 A) as the team’s second-leading scorer last season. Leiter built on his freshman season of 11 points (7 G, 4 A) with nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points last year. Hope had an even stronger second year. He tallied just two assists through 30 games as a freshman before scoring eight goals and 19 points in 35 games as the Nanooks’ fifth-leading scorer and third highest-scorer among returning players, behind only Jandric and Leiter.

That’s not to downplay the incoming class of nine other freshman after Grigals. Colin Doyle, who eclipsed his numbers in each of his three seasons with the OJHL’s Wellington Dukes, leads the class. He recorded 78 points (25 G 53 A) over 73 total games as team captain in 2017-18, leading his team to the league title.

FUTURE NOOKS || Rounding out the 10 incoming freshmen for 2018-19 is Colin & Gustavs, welcome! #NanookNation pic.twitter.com/Lfo8W7fmbq

— Alaska Hockey (@NanooksHockey) June 20, 2018

It’s been since 2014-15 since the Nanooks had a winning record, which came three seasons after NCAA violations forced the team to relinquish all games from 2007-2012, which intersected the program’s sole NCAA Tournament bid in 2010.

There’s still much work ahead for Alaska, but the appointment of Largen is a solid first step, and establishing some winning consistency will help put the program in the eyes of high-end recruits in the coming years, regardless of location.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @Jacob_Messing.