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!!!