Huskie team members stand on ice surface. Players: R. Propp; George Genereux; Kevin Murphy; Tom Martin; Berry Tibbitt; Pete McMurtry, Jack Armitage; Don McCollough (coach); Ian Ross; Dale Hardy; Stu Griffith; Doug McKay; Bill Hay; Brian McDonald; Ted Oliver; Keith Smith; Keith McConnell (manager); Dan Haggerty (equipment manager).

Gerry Couture, right winger and captain, in uniform.

Bio/Historical Note: Gerald Joseph Wilfred Arthur (Doc) Couture was born 6 August 1925 in Saskatoon and attended St. Joseph's School. While there he experienced his first hockey success, playing on the Church League winners in 1936 and 1937. He played junior hockey for the Saskatoon Quakers in 1941-1942 and 1942-1943 and then joined the University of Saskatchewan Huskies where he starred for two seasons. Couture was an outstanding tennis player, joining John Leicester in doubles and often winning Saskatchewan championships. They played in two Canadian championships and once beat the Mexican Davis Cup doubles team. Couture also played some senior hockey at this time, including while serving with the Navy in Saskatoon. Couture started his National Hockey League career as a right-winger with the Detroit Red Wings in the 1945 Stanley Cup playoffs. He had an outstanding season in 1949-50 when he scored 29 goals - his best season in the NHL, and played on the Detroit team, which won the Stanley Cup. He scored four goals and one assist in the playoffs and his line scored the winner in the seventh game of the final against New York. Couture was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Bert Hirschfield in 1951. He played 10 games with the Habs in their 1951-52 campaign, posting one assist and amassing four penalty minutes before a laceration he suffered to his ankle brought his season to an early end. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1952 in return for financial compensation. Couture played two seasons with Chicago before announcing his retirement. Couture scored 86 goals and recorded 70 assists in his 385-game career. He played 45 playoff games with 9 goals and 7 assists. Couture joined the Calgary Stampeders of the Western Hockey League for three seasons, scoring 32 goals and winning all-star one year and scoring 33 goals another season. He later played for Saskatoon-St. Paul Regals and finished his career with the Saskatoon Quakers who went to the western final in 1959-60. He was the team coach and won the Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League most valuable player award. Couture died 13 July 1994, a month after learning he had been accepted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame.

Members of the Huskies lift their coach, Dave King, above their shoulders after defeating the Concordia Stingers 6-2 to win the Canadian Intercollegiate Hockey Championship in Moncton, N.B.

Bio/Historical Note: W. David King, a native of North Battleford, Saskatchewan, graduated from Walter Murray Collegiate in Saskatoon. King enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan in 1968 and graduated with a BAPE in 1971 and a BEd in 1972. King played on the Huskies hockey team for four years and was assistant coach with the team in 1972-73. From 1973-1979 he taught high school and coached in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and the Western Major Junior Hockey League. King was named head coach of the Huskies in 1979. He built a tradition of "Dog Hockey" that became a hallmark of the program. Under his guidance, the Huskies won the Canada West Championship three times - 1981, 1982 and 1983. The Huskies finished second at the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union championship in both 1981 and 1982 and in 1983 won the CIAU title in Moncton. King was selected as the Canada West Coach of the Year three times, the CIAU coach of the Year in 1980 and was awarded the Colb McEown Trophy as coach of the Year at the U of S three times. While at the University of Saskatchewan, he coached the Canadian national junior team to a world championship in 1982 and a bronze in 1983. King went on to become coach of Canada's national hockey team for three Olympics - 1984 (Sarajevo-fourth), 1988 (Calgary-fourth) and 1992 (Albertville-bronze). He also coached the Canadian national team at five International Hockey Federation world championships. In 1987 King coached Canada to the gold medal in the Isvestia Cup tournament in Moscow, becoming the first Canadian team to defeat the Russian national team in Russia since the 1972 Summit Series. King was head coach of the NHL's Calgary Flames from 1992-93 to 1994-95 and the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2000-01 to 2002-03 and an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens from 1997-99. He has coached in the Russian Super League and the Swedish Elite League. King was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1992. He was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1997, the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2006.

Dave Adolph, Huskie men's hockey coach, in dressing room with players.

Bio/Historical Note: Dave Adolph, a native of Swift Current, played 117 games on defence for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies hockey team and won a national championship as co-captain in 1983. Adolph’s tenure as a head coach in university athletics began in 1989 at the helm of the Lethbridge Pronghorns, winning 32 games. Adolph took over coaching his alma mater in 1983. He amassed a 488-334-46 Canada West record between the two teams. In the 2014-2015 season Adolph broke the U SPORTS wins record once held by University of Alberta coach Clare Drake. A four-time Canada West Coach of the Year (1998, 2000, 2017, 2019), Adolph led Canada to bronze medals at the FISU Universiade in 2003 (Naples, Italy) and again in 2015 (Granada, Spain). He was also behind the bench for the Nagano Cup in Japan in 1996, leading Canada to a silver medal finish. In 2004, he was named an assistant coach with Hockey Canada for the Lotto Cup in Slovakia, finishing third. As head coach of the Huskies, Adolph has guided his team to 25 consecutive post-season appearances, seven Canada West Championship titles and 16 appearances at the University Cup. Adolph retired from coaching in December 2020. Former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock replaced Adolph.

Bio/Historical Note: Image appeared in 27 Feb. 1998 issue of OCN.

Individual photographs of Huskies players skating grouped. Names: [Stewart] McKercher, B. Gardiner, D. Morrow, O. Hanson (capt), Holoboff, R. Yauk, J. Kilburn, D. Hardy, M. Parsons, D. Shaw, Merle Byrnes, L. Clark, W. Culham, N. Horner, D. Johnson, M. Regush.

Huskies in action against an unidentified team; player at centre has a maple leaf on sleeve.

Students scrimmaging on the outdoor rink on campus, just east of the Engineering Building.

Bio/Historical Note: The replacement rink, Rutherford Arena, built in 1929, is due for demolition in 2022.

Agriculture hockey team in uniform on ice.

Interior and exterior images of Rutherford Rink, "The University Rink."

Bio/Historical Note: Built on a site previously used for an open outdoor rink, construction of “The Rink”, later known informally as the “Dog House”, was due to student initiative. A campaign to have a closed rink facility began in 1920; by 1928, the Students Representative Council appointed a committee to look into the feasibility of the student body assuming responsibility for construction. The Board of Governors loaned SRC the funds; which the student council hoped to pay back by instituting a $3 student fee. Although opened for use in December 1929 the rink, “already the most popular place on campus,” had its official opening on 23 January 1930, with an inter-varsity hockey game against the University of Manitoba (Saskatchewan won, 5-1). 650 attended the opening; and between 18,000-20,000 people used the rink during its first year of operation. The original design included “waiting rooms” on the west and east side, primarily for use by men and women respectively. The rink was used for general skating, “scrub,” faculty, senior men’s and girls’ varsity team hockey practices, the “fancy skating club,” children’s skating, and band practice, and winter carnival activities. Speed skates were allowed, but the rink was “not responsible for injury resulting therefrom.” During general skating, “playing tag,” “cutting in,” “cracking the whip,” and “reckless disregard and abandon in speed skating” were not tolerated. The building was renamed in honour of William J. Rutherford, the University’s first Dean of Agriculture, after his sudden and unexpected death on 1 June 1930. Minor renovations occurred over the next 88 years. Merlis Belsher Place, a multi-use ice facility, opened in 2018, mercifully replacing the ancient Rutherford Rink. The new arena is located on the south side of College Drive near the Field House.