The University of Nebraska-Omaha named Dean Blais its hockey coach on Friday. He’s a WCHA guy. He played for the Gophers and coached North Dakota for 10 years, winning NCAA titles in 1997 and 2000.

A lot of bloggers are speculating his hiring means UNO is looking at jumping from the CCHA to the WCHA. Blais deflected questions on the issue, saying it is an administrative decision. It is, I suppose, but those administrators will ask his opinion.

Mike Hastings, the Gophers assistant, was interviewed for the UNO job, according to a story in the Omaha World Herald. But the source of that tidbit is not disclosed.

Blais is a good pick for a school wanting its hockey program to become relevant. He is still has the coaching knack. Blais took the Fargo Force, a first-year expansion team, to the finals of the Clark Cup, the USHL equivalent of the Stanley Cup.

Blais was named the USHL’s coach and general manager of the year.

UNO seems to be the clear first, second and third choice of the WCHA as a 12th member to join with Bemidji State.

But the WCHA reportedly has told the University of Alaska-Fairbanks to stand by, as another possibility, if UNO falls through somehow.

The Nanooks of Alaska-Fairbanks also have some interest in the WCHA. They too are in the CCHA.

The WCHA, according to what the Alaska-Anchorage AD recently said, wants an expansion vote in August.

FACELIFT AT TECH

John MacInnes Student Ice Arena is being remodeled. Work started in late May and is scheduled to be done by September.

Ten new suites, for groups of eight to 14, are being added above the concourse. Three new skyboxes for larger groups, too, are under construction.

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