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In 1993 former Huskie defenceman Dave Adolph was named head coach. He would go on to a stellar coaching career which saw him become not only the winningest coach in Huskie Hockey history, but also the bench boss with the most wins in Canadian university men’s hockey history.
Born in Saskatoon in 1959, “Shultzy” was the son of former University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ forward (1949-50) Jack Adolph. Dave grew up in Swift Current but attended Evan Hardy Collegiate in the Bridge City for two years while he played defence for the Saskatoon Olympics. He also suited up for one additional season in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League with the Swift Current Broncos.
His formal education included a B.A. and B.Ed. from University of Saskatchewan and a Hockey Canada-designated Masters in Coaching from University of Calgary. As a Huskie player, Dave Adolph patrolled the blue line for 117 games (1977-78, 1979-83), the last four seasons under the direction of coach Dave King culminating in a University Cup championship in 1983.
As a teacher at Aden Bowman Collegiate, he began his coaching career with the Bears’ track and field squad and the junior football team. His formal hockey experience behind the bench began as assistant to Huskie head coach Brent McEwen from 1984-89. The former “D” man’s first head coaching position was with University of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s hockey programme from 1989-93.
From there he went on to be head coach at his alma mater for a record twenty-seven seasons, establishing Green and White records in regular season games coached (756), wins (456), consecutive years in the playoffs (25), and guiding his team to a berth at University Cup national championships sixteen times. Dave Adolph retired after the COVID-19 “non-season” in May 2021.
At the national level, the peerless bench boss holds records for most regular season U Sports games coached (868) and wins (488). Dave Adolph also earned kudos as the top university men’s coach in Canada winning the Father George Kehoe Memorial Award in 2017. During his tenure he was named head coach of the bronze medal-winning Team Canada at the Universiade at Granada, Spain in 2015 and in Italy in 2003. He took silver as head man with a Team Canada university contingent at the Nagano Cup in Japan in 1996. Canada West has also saluted his accomplishments with four Coach of the Year accolades in 1998, 2000, 2017, and 2019. University of Saskatchewan has paid tribute to him with the Colb McEwon Trophy in 2012 and 2017 as best among all Huskie Athletics coaches for those years.
“Shultzy” recruited and guided numerous all-star players during his years as head coach, but as important, he enabled student-athletes to receive a quality education while being part of teams that year-after-year were competitive within Canada West. When his success with his players has been noted, in typical Dave Adolph fashion he has said: “ I was just doing my job.” And what a job he has done. Indeed, Dave Adolph has done so much more than build on the rich tradition that is Huskie Hockey, he has enriched that tradition and set a new standard of excellence.
DAVE ADOLPH, HEAD COACH, UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE (1989-93)
Year: Games: Wins: Losses: Ties:
1989-90 28 1 25 2
1990-91 28 10 18 0
1991-92 28 12 13 3
1992-93 28 9 16 3
Lethbridge Totals (1989-1993):
112 32 72 8
DAVE ADOLPH, HEAD COACH, UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN (1993-2020)
Year: Games: Wins: Losses: Ties:
1993-94 28 7 19 2
1994-95 28 7 20 1
1995-96 28 11 14 3 Canada West Playoffs
1996-97 28 16 9 3 CW Playoffs
1997-98 28^ 19 4 5 CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
1998-99 28^ 18 9 1 CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
1999-2000 28^ 22 3 3 CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2000-01 28 14 10 4 CW Playoffs
2001-02 28 17 8 3 CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2002-03 28 16 10 2 CW Playoffs
2003-04 28 15 9 4 CW Playoffs
2004-05 28 19 6 3 CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2005-06 28 17 7 4 CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2006-07 28^ 16 12 * CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2007-08 28 17 11* CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2008-09 28 17 11* CW Playoffs
2009-10 28 16 12* CW Playoffs
2010-11 28 17 11* CW Playoffs
2011-12 28^ 19 9* CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2012-13 28 19 9* CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2013-14 28 17 11* CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2014-15 28 10 18* CW Playoffs
2015-16 28^ 22 6* CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2016-17 28 21 7* CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2017-18 28 20 8* CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2018-19 28 25 3* CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2019-20 28^ 22 6* CW Playoffs + U Cup Participant
2020-21 COVID-19 Pandemic, Practices but No Games Played
Huskie Totals (1993-2020):
756 456 262* Ties: 38 CW Playoffs: 25 U Cup Participant: 16
U Sports Lifetime Total (1989-2020)
868 488 334* Ties: 46 CW Playoffs: 25 U Cup Participant: 16
^ = Canada West Champions
* = Beginning in 2006-07, Losses include Overtime Losses and Shoot-out Losses
Research sources: Canada West Yearly Statistics, Steve Knowles, Nicole Betker, Cam Doherty, and Huskie to 2021
Written by Michael P. J. Kennedy, Ph.D.