Blizzard announce Daikawa as new Head Coach

By Riley Courtwright, Brookings Blizzard

The Brookings Blizzard of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are proud to announce that Dan Daikawa has been named the team’s new head coach.

Daikawa joins the Blizzard after one season as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Wilderness of the NAHL. Prior to coaching the Wilderness, he was the head coach and general manager of the Jamestown Ironmen of the NAHL for two seasons.

In 2012-13 he lead the Ironmen to a 37-19-4 regular season record, won the North Division Playoffs, and took his team to the Robertson Cup. This past season the Wilderness finished second in the West Division in their first season in the NAHL.

As a player, Daikawa played junior hockey in the United States Hockey League before joining the Miami University Red Hawks program from 1991 to 1994. His 11-year professional career started shortly after, playing in Japan in the JIHL and in the AHL. He was a four-time member of the Japanese National Team and competed in the 1998 Winter Olympic Games for Japan.

His coaching career started at Miami University where he was the head coach of the school’s club team that made four consecutive American Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament appearances.

The Blizzard will introduce Daikawa as head coach at a press conference on Tuesday, April 29th at 11:00 AM at the Larson Ice Center in Brookings, SD. The announcement is open to the public.