The late Doug Woog has been named the posthumous recipient of the 2019-20 State of Hockey Legacy Award, presented by the Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Hockey and Fox Sports North.
Woog, the former Gophers hockey coach who passed away on Dec. 14 from complications of Parkinson's Disease, played in four state tournaments with South St. Paul High School before moving on to University of Minnesota, where he served as captain and earned All-America honors.
He because his coaching career in 1971 with the Minnesota Junior Stars, and later coached at South St. Paul for six seasons before being named the Gophers' head coach in 1985.
During his 14 seasons with the Gophers, Woog won 66 percent of his games, led the team to 12 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and six Final Fours, culminating in a runner-up finish to Harvard in 1989. Following his retirement in 1999, Woog was inducted in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002. Wakota Arena in South St. Paul was renamed Doug Woog Arena in his honor in 2015.
"Doug is a true Minnesota hockey treasure and we are proud to recognize him for nearly 50 years of dedication and service in the State of Hockey, " Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold said in a press release.
The State of Hockey Legacy Award, started in 2010, recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary and long-term contributions in Minnesota. Previous recipients are Lou Cotroneo, Neal Broten, Glen Sonmor, Lou Nanne, Bob O'Connor, Walter Bush Jr., Bob Naegele Jr. and Larry Hendrickson.
The Woog family will receive the award during the second intermission of Saturday's Wild game versus the Dallas Stars at Xcel Energy Center.
