Had to post this, if only for the headline! -Pam Headline: Gophers give Moose a `Snuggy' Publish Date: 07/11/1994 Mark Miller Staff Reporter For Dave Snuggerud, it was elementary: Home is where the heart is. The former Gopher, Olympian and NHL puckster was the first player signed by the Minnesota Moose, the new franchise of the International Hockey League. For Snuggerud, 28, being home and staying home played a major part in his agreement with the Moose. He has spent much of the last three years of his pro hockey career changing teams, a victim of the trading game that goes on in the NHL. He was dealt twice and played for three teams in the last two years. Frank Serratore, head coach and director of hockey operations for the Moose, considers landing Snuggerud a sweet deal. ``Signing Dave is a giant step in the right direction for our franchise,'' Serratore said. ``He is an all-purpose forward in his prime who brings character, leadership and NHL experience to our team. The fact that he is a local product is icing on the cake.'' Gopher hockey coach Doug Woog, who coached Snuggerud twice, from 1985 to 1987 and then again in the 1988-89 season, said his former captain provides a good foundation. ``He's good to build around, very stable and a big asset. It's a win-win situation,'' Woog said. At the end of the 1992-93 season, Snuggerud found himself at the crossroads of his career. His decision to sign with the Moose was made from more than a hockey standpoint. ``I looked at all my options and I chose the Minnesota Moose,'' he said. ``I took into consideration not only the team, but also what I want to do after my hockey career.'' Those post-hockey considerations point toward education, not only his own but that of others. Snuggerud went back to the University and finished his degree work in elementary education. Woog said he knew the Hopkins native wanted to get into teaching and coaching eventually. Snuggerud played for the University during the 1985-87 seasons, then he took a year off to play on the U.S. Olympic team. After the experience in Calgary, he returned to the Gophers for the 1988-89 season as a co-captain along with Todd Richards. In 126 games as a Gopher, Snuggerud scored 73 goals and 76 assists. During the 1988-89 season he tied for the team lead in scoring with 49 points. During his last season with Minnesota, he was a second-team NCAA All-America selection and a second-team WCHA All-Star. The Gophers won the conference title that year and made a run at the national championship, but they lost a 4-3 heartbreaker to Harvard in two overtimes. When Snuggerud left the University, the team's record book showed his work. Back in 1985 he got the fastest pure hat trick in Gopher history by scoring three times against U.S. International in just 3:48. The Buffalo Sabres drafted him as their first pick in 1987. For the 1989-90 season, his first after leaving the Gophers, the Sabres gave him the team's Rookie of the Year award. After playing almost three seasons with Buffalo, the Sabres traded Snuggerud to an expansion team, the San Jose Sharks. Snuggerud played 36 games with the Sharks then got traded again to the Philadelphia Flyers. At that point, it was goodbye NHL and hello University -- again. Instead of playing last season, he finished his degree. And it's an educated guess that playing in front of his hometown fans was more important than the glory of the NHL or a fatter check elsewhere. Snuggerud turned down a more lucrative offer from another IHL team, the Detroit Vipers. A factor more important than money might have been his future coach's table manners. ``When we were having lunch, Frank Serratore said we were playing for families. That impressed me,'' he said. Pam Sweeney Go Gophers!!! [log in to unmask] 1993 & 1994 WCHA Playoff Champions!!! 1994 NC$$ PHinal PHour!!! Ski-U-Mah!!!