Rube Bjorkman

Rube Bjorkman (born February 27, 1929) is a former head coach of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey men's team. A graduate of Roseau, Minnesota High School where he led his team to a State Championship in 1946, Bjorkman was a member of the US Olympic teams in 1948 and 1952 (silver medalists). He was a three-year letter winner at the University of Minnesota. Known as the "Masked Marvel" due to the flight goggles he were to protect his glasses, Bjorkman was considered one of the finest hockey players of his era.

Bjorkman's High School coaching career began at Greenway High School in Coleraine, Minnesota. His 1962 team competed in the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament, making him one of the few who have participated in the tournament as both a player and coach.

His first college coaching season (1963-1964), at RPI, culminated with his team finishing third in the NCAA Championships. Following that season he was hired as the Head Hockey Coach at the University of New Hampshire where he would spend four years prior to accepting the position at the University of North Dakota.

In 1982 Bjorkman was honored by the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association when he was named the recipient of the Cliff Thompson Award, given for long term, outstanding contributions to the sport of hockey in Minnesota. In 1997 The American Hockey Coaches Association recognized Bjorkman with the John "Snooks" Kelly Founders Award. Named after the famed Boston College coach, this award honors those people in the coaching profession who have contributed to the overall growth and development of the sport of ice hockey in the United States.

Career

*1963-1964 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Head Coach
*1964-1968 University of New Hampshire - Head Coach
*1968-1978 University of North Dakota - Head Coach
*1980-1983 Warroad, Minnesota High School - Head Coach

Head Coaching Record

CBB Yearly Record Start
type=coach
conference=
postseason=
poll=noCBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Rensselaer
startyear=1963
conference=ECAC Hockey
endyear=1964CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1963–1964
name = Rensselaer
overall = 18-8-0
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason = NCAA Third Place
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Rensselaer
overall = 18-8-0
confrecord = CBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=New Hampshire
startyear=1964
conference=Hockey East
endyear=1968CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1964–1965
name = New Hampshire
overall = 6-14-0
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1965–1966
name = New Hampshire
overall = 11-12-0
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1966–1967
name = New Hampshire
overall = 18-7-0
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1967–1968
name = New Hampshire
overall = 22-7-0
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = New Hampshire
overall = 57-40-0
confrecord = CBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=North Dakota
startyear=1968
conference=WCHA
endyear=1978CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1968–1969
name = North Dakota
overall = 18-10-1
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1969–1970
name = North Dakota
overall = 14-5-1
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1970–1971
name = North Dakota
overall = 14-17-2
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1971–1972
name = North Dakota
overall = 21-14-1
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1972–1973
name = North Dakota
overall = 17-17-2
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1973–1974
name = North Dakota
overall = 10-23-1
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1974–1975
name = North Dakota
overall = 6-28-2
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1975–1976
name = North Dakota
overall = 15-21-0
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1976–1977
name = North Dakota
overall = 19-19-0
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 1977–1978
name = North Dakota
overall = 15-22-1
conference = 0-0
confstanding =
postseason =
ranking = no
ranking2 = noCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = North Dakota
overall = 149-186-11
confrecord = CBB Yearly Record End
overall=224-234-11
poll=no