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Little is know about new Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol, but prevailing wisdom says he’s kind of an intense lunatic. Some facts:

He once flipped off a referee and was suspended for it

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CollegeHockeyNews.com:

North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol has been suspended two games by the school for his actions during Saturday’s game against Minnesota.

Hakstol was caught on video cameras making an obscene gesture — flipping his middle finger — at referee Don Adam. Hakstol had released a statement Sunday apologizing for his actions.

 

 

Staring into his eyes is like staring directly into the sun… a weird-talking, Canadian sun

DakotaStudent.com:

It got easier, though there was seldom a time during three seasons as the men’s hockey beat writer that I managed to avoid the intimidation before I prepared to ask Dave Hakstol a question and face his constant eye contact.

 

 

And sometimes, you don’t even have to look at him to get burnt

GrandForksHerald.com:

Coach Dave Hakstol, at the end of his postgame TV interview, looked directly at the camera with his piercing stare that has become so famous during the last 10 years.

“That stare,” one former player said, “will penetrate the back of your helmet.”

 

He doesn’t always tell you the truth, but when he does, he’ll let you know it

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He knows how to use his timeouts

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He’s rarely happy

SB Nation:

Nebraska Omaha sophomore forward Austin Ortega made some comments about their upcoming series against North Dakota last weekend. Those comments made their way back to Dave Hakstol, and like everything else in life, they didn’t make Hakstol happy.

 

 

You’ll shake hands like men, dammit!

StarTribune.com:

Coach Dave Hakstol announced the disciplinary action because of what Blood did in the handshake line after Saturday’s game. Blood appeared to throw a punch or a forearm shiver at Gophers freshman Kyle Rau following UND’s 6-2 loss rather than shaking his hand. Soon Blood was engaged in a wrestling match with Gopher Seth Ambroz, who came to Rau’s defense.

“Regardless of any provocation, Ben’s actions in the post-game handshake were not acceptable,” Hakstol said in a UND news release. “The handshake line is a traditional, gentlemanly part of our game where, at the end of a hard-fought battle, opponents show good sportsmanship and shake hands like men.”

 

I SAID “SHAKE HANDS LIKE MEN,” DAMMIT!

https://youtu.be/mf5zCj7z8Y0

 

 

He’s as cool as a midwestern evening

GrandForksHerald.com:

Berry will tell you about the overnight drive back from a series in Denver. Berry was out recruiting the day before the series and Hakstol volunteered to drive back. About three hours into the trip, in the middle of nowhere Nebraska, the roads turned bad. Hakstol hit an ice patch and started sliding off the road.

Hakstol calmly patted a sleeping Berry on the shoulder and said, “Bubs, you might want to wake up for this.”

The Buick LeSabre went through the median ditch, across the opposite lane of traffic, through the other ditch, through a farmer’s fence and into the farmer’s field. Hakstol made sure to keep the tires moving so the car wouldn’t get stuck in the field.

Being a farm kid, Hakstol spotted the farm’s lights in the distance, drove through the field and got to pavement there. When they stopped to check out the car, there was debris sticking out all over. They kept driving and made it home.

 

His Ice Bucket Challenge was historic

https://youtu.be/ileLUD3nwW4

 

He cares

GrandForksHerald.com:

Hakstol took a terminally ill patient on a charter flight with the team to go to a road trip once. He has done the same with a special needs student, who was a big fan of the team.

There was the time that two of his players went to Colorado to be with their mother, who was in her final days. After she passed away, the players walked out of the hospital room and the first person standing there was Hakstol.

 

 

But always, always stay away from his Chiclets

https://youtu.be/dS-WtxjIQjE&start=118

This guy is so small town that the definitive story on him was written by the Grand Forks Herald. Go read it.