Oct. 1—GRAND FORKS — UND hockey is entering a new era under head coach Dane Jackson.
What will the program be like? The Herald asked Jackson’s former UND players and teammates.
“(They’re going to be) a bunch of dogs who are going to go to war every night they throw on the sweater. Jax cares for his guys more than anyone and they’ll go through a wall for him. That team is going to be dialed and playing with some real jam. I can’t wait to follow them this year and wish them nothing but the best.”
“I think Dane’s teams will be very hard-working and competitive, while being very disciplined at the same time. Those are the characteristics that Dane brings as a person every day, so his teams will be nothing less than that.”
“They’re going to be hard-nosed, gritty. They’re going to be super detailed. That’s just kind of how Dane is as a person. He’s a team-first mentality guy. I’m not saying we weren’t before, but it’s going to be, ‘Have your brother’s back before your own.’ I think he’s going to do a good job and make sure the team shows up and works hard every night.”
“They’re going to be well conditioned, high intensity and they’re going to have fun playing the game.”
“They’re going to be detailed, relentless and connected.”
“They’ll play with part of his personality, which is ‘Let’s go, let’s get after it. We’re not going to sit back. We’re going to play with energy, passion and relentless pursuit of the puck.’ He knows the Xs and Os and structure. He’s been doing it for a long time. He knows none of it matters if they’re not getting after it. It will be a high-energy group that plays with emotion and passion. They’re going to love to wear the green and white as much as Dane did. He’s loved that school for as long as I can remember.”
“Jax is always going to get the most out of his players. He’s very competitive. He demands a lot. He teaches the guys to play the right way, which I respect a lot. The one thing I learned at North Dakota was that it doesn’t matter if you’re a first-round pick, a second-round pick or a walk-on, you have to work hard. He demands that out of all of his players. I think he’s going to get that out of all of his guys.”
“I think he’s a perfect example of what a North Dakota hockey player is, the way he shows up and works. He’s going to make sure everyone’s firing on all cylinders. I think they’re going to be a relentless team and outwork a lot of teams. In those games where they’re not feeling it, I think they’re going to be able to get by on pure grit and work ethic.”
“I think you’ll see a level of intensity and grit that you maybe haven’t seen in a while. There’s a genuine outpouring of passion he brings to the rink every single day. When you think about UND hockey and what it means, I think Dane represents everything that program is about — having a heart, playing with guts, playing tough. He’s had a huge influence on so many players over the years. Dane made it fun to come to the rink and work. You’ll see that level of accountability and everyone will work, but it’s a fun atmosphere to be in. It’s super competitive. My four years at UND, I looked forward to coming to the rink every single day. He was a big part, for someone like myself, having even more passion for the game. I think you’re going to see guys eager to get to the rink, eager to win and eager to move on to the next level. I think it’s going to be really exciting.”
“First and foremost, they’re going to be competitive. I haven’t sat and talked to him about it, but as a longtime friend and teammate, I think relentlessness, work ethic and competitiveness will be at the top of his list. That’s how Dane lives his life every day. Those are some core principles of who Dane is. He’s all about work and dedication to buying in as a team. Dane was always such a team-first guy. I can see him rallying the troops and the boys in that light. All of us couldn’t be more proud for Dane to get this opportunity and for him to have success. Even now, I follow the games every weekend. I’ll be cheering extra hard knowing he’s leading the charge for the fans at UND.”
“I’d expect his teams to be an extension of his own personality — hard-nosed, passionate and relentless. I’d expect physical, disciplined teams that finish checks and outwork their opponents — the type of team that falls back on their grit during the challenges of a season.”
“I know Dane as a player was very competitive. He played with an edge. He was a very honest player, which made him a valuable asset for any team. If his players and team play like he played, they’re going to be very competitive.”
“I think it’s a team that’s going to be really detailed in all the little things. I think it’s a team that’s going to be playing old-school Fighting Sioux hockey in a modern era. I go back to the word truculence that Brian Burke used a few years ago. I think Jax embodies that with his mentality. The game has changed quite a bit, but he’ll adapt it to a way that fits the modern game. As an alum and a fan, we always have high hopes. I know they have high hopes. I have no doubt with him, Smabes (associate coach Matt Smaby) and Simmer (assistant coach Dillon Simpson), they’ll have the boys dialed. I’m optimistic for the season and I’m sure they are as well.”
