They are awarded for all the blood, sweat and tears required to be the last team standing come the end of the season. They serve as a time capsule for a special time in the program’s history and visual proof of season-long goals achieved.

Minot State men’s hockey head coach Wyatt Waselenchuk can’t help but catch a glimpse of those three championship banners every time he enters the rink, whether it’s on game day or to lead practice. The fifth-year head coach is in rare air as the only member of the Beaver program to be part of all three titles, and all three were in different roles with the team.

Waselenchuk earned his first championship ring and the Beavers won their first title in program history when he was the starting goaltender during the 2012-13 season. Minot State finished 31-4-2 that season, defeating Lindenwood in the championship game at Nationals. Title No. 2 came with Waselenchuk behind the bench as an assistant coach during the 2018-19 campaign, where the Beavers defeated Iowa State in the final to cap off a 34-6-2 year. Waselenchuk delivered Minot State its most recent title in 2022-23, knocking off Adrian College to complete a 35-3-0 season as the head coach.

“It’s very special,” Waselenchuk said. “Every day that I’m there you can’t help but notice those and it just brings back very special memories. Three different times in my life. Three different roles within the team and I just get to see those every day and they bring me great pride.”

Mike Kraft/MDN Minot State men’s hockey coach Wyatt Waselenchuk directs his team during a practice at Maysa leading into its season opener at Jamestown on Friday, Oct. 10.

Waselenchuk’s journey to winning three championships has been filled with plenty of memorable moments as well as tough decisions and agonizing days. But being able to represent Minot State in a positive light for the better part of the past 15 years is a decision he would make every time.

Championship No. 1: Embracing the pressure of goaltending

If given the option to have rubber pucks shot at you as fast as 100 miles per hour for 60 minutes every game or be the one to shoot said rubber pucks at someone else at that speed for that amount of time, just about everyone would choose the latter.

Waselenchuk chose the former.

His love for the position started young, but at first had nothing to do with stopping shots from the opposition. Instead, Waselenchuk was enamored by the goaltending equipment, and – more specifically – the goalie masks. He would sit around the kitchen table in his home in Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada, painting and drawing goalie masks.

Waselenchuk grew up in a time where NHL goaltenders were marquee names and had some flair to their game that caught the attention of fans of all ages, like Martin Brodeau, Patrick Roy and Eddie Belfour. His favorite goaltender to watch was Jonathan Quick, who spent the majority of his playing career with the Los Angeles Kings, which was also Waselenchuk’s favorite team growing up.

While the equipment drew his interest to the position, his lack of fear for the big moment is what ultimately led him down the path of goaltending.

“I love the individualistic aspect of it within a team sport,” Waselenchuk said. “And I love the pressure. I loved that all eyes were on me when I was young.”

Before enrolling at Minot State, Waselenchuk played junior hockey for four junior hockey programs across four leagues between 2006 and 2010. He played for the Vancouver NE Chiefs U18 AAA, Port Moody Black Panthers, Langley Chiefs and Nipawin Hawks. He appeared in a grand total of 117 games before arriving at Minot State.

Waselchuk’s impact on the Beavers was immediate, appearing in 23 games as a freshman and sporting a 2.40 goals against average. His best season came during his junior season, guiding the Beavers to their first championship with a 1.94 goals against average and a .930 save percentage. His accolades that season earned him ACHA Player of the Year honors and he was named first-team All-American. He was named second-team All-American his senior season.

Waselenchuk remains as the only men’s hockey player in program history to be named ACHA Player of the Year.

While he hasn’t suited up for the Beavers in over a decade, his name still lives on in the program’s record book. He owns the top three marks for most saves in a single game. He made 90 saves on back-to-back nights against the University of Oklahoma on Jan. 14-15, 2011.

Waselenchuk holds the record for career save percentage (.943), career saves (3,160) and is second in career wins (60) and career shutouts (15). The records and championships only further adds to his credibility when it comes to getting buy-in from his players.

“You have to be able to practice what you preach,” Waselenchuk said. “As a hockey coach, as an educator, as anybody, I’m a believer in that. If you’re someone that’s lazy and isn’t putting the time and effort in and isn’t putting the most into yourself, how are you ever going to ask your players, or your students or anybody to follow suit and listen to what you’re preaching and the same goes for hockey. I’ve played at this level and have been very fortunate to have won at this level as a player and as an assistant and as a head coach now.”

Waselenchuk’s playing career with the Beavers came to an end in Newark, Del., on March 9, 2014, following a loss to Arizona State in the quarterfinal round at Nationals. It left the netminder with a simple, yet complicated, question that he didn’t at the time have an answer to: now what?

Championship No. 2: From playing the game to teaching the game

Like so many recent graduates, Waselenchuk wasn’t sure what direction to go in after earning his Bachelor’s Degree in corporate fitness with a minor in coaching. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the sport that had given him so many wonderful memories and opportunities. But the quarterfinal round loss to Arizona State would be the final competitive game Waselenchuk put on the goalie equipment.

His days of playing hockey were over, but his career in the sport was just beginning. Waselenchuk returned home that summer to launch his new business venture. He helped create Goalie Coaches, an organization that runs goaltender camps across the country to help develop goalies as well as train goalie coaches. The mission of the organization is to get goalies access to coaches to help them further develop their skills and pursue a career in the sport at the position.

Waselenchuk has been running Goalie Coaches since 2014 along with Austin Caktas. Other staff members include former goaltenders Jamie Phillips, Jeff Glass, Connor LaCouvee, Jake Kielly, Cam Johnson, Shea Tiley and Adam Scheel – a former University of North Dakota goaltender and the program’s all-time leader in goals against average. Maysa Arena will be hosting a 5-day camp from July 27-31 as one of six locations this summer.

Waselenchuk continued running his business full-time until a new venture presented itself in 2016 that he hadn’t considered: coaching. Waselenchuk was approached about joining the Minot Minotauros’ coaching staff as an assistant under former head coach Marty Murray. He accepted the position and before long, not only was he an assistant coach for the Tauros, but he also accepted the position of head goalie coach for the Minot Hockey Boosters youth hockey association. And in 2017, he added a third coaching position, returning to Minot State to serve as an assistant coach for the Beavers.

“I didn’t really have an idea of what I was going to do,” Waselenchuk said. “I was not necessarily ready to finish playing when I graduated, but life comes at you and you finish with a degree and you’re weighing different options for yourself. I went back home and started running my business running hockey goaltender schools and a year and a half later I had a conversation with the former coach (at MSU) and with the Tauros and with the Minot Hockey boosters and they all brought me on in a part-time basis and made up a full-time role during the hockey season and allowed me to grow my camps in the summer. I didn’t really have any plans right off the bat of coaching aspiration wise. I was training athletes in the gym and on the ice and never thought about being behind the bench. I was enjoying the development side of it, but I’m certainly glad I took that leap and once again brought me here today.”

Waselenchuk spent five years with the Tauros as an assistant coach, reaching the postseason each season. Minot advanced to its only Robertson Cup championship game in 2017-18, falling to Shreveport 2-1. Waselenchuk was 152-106-26 with the Tauros. The 2019-20 campaign was cut short by 10 games and there was no postseason due to COVID-19.

Waselenchuk is still on the Tauros’ staff as their goaltender coach.

Despite coming up one goal short of capturing a championship with the Minotauros in 2017-18, Waselenchuk didn’t have to wait long after that for ring No. 2. The following season, the Beavers were back atop the ACHA mountain, defeating Iowa State, 3-1, in the 2019 National Championship for the program’s second title. Minot State finished the season 34-6-2.

The 2019-20 season was lost to COVID-19, but in the three other seasons where Waselenchuk was an assistant, the Beavers were 100-13-4 and were 9-2 at Nationals. Minot State returned to the championship game in his final season as an assistant, but fell 3-1 to Adrian to deny the program a third title for the time being.

Coming from a goaltending background gives Waselenchuk a different perspective when it comes to coaching, he believes.

“You see everything from the net out,” Waselenchuk said. “That’s where I’ve been as a coach and how I built my foundation was from the net out, making sure you’re responsible in your defensive zone and those little details. At the same time, I’ve had to really learn a lot and I’ve had some great people around me that have influenced my coaching and have helped me a ton, because as a goaltender you’re kind of on your own island there. You don’t necessarily get in on the action on the other end. There’s been a lot of learning. Being a goaltender has brought a unique approach to coaching from my perspective and how we build our team out.”

Waselenchuk never saw himself coaching in any capacity when he was still a player. Even after serving as an assistant for both the Beavers and the Tauros, Waselenchuk didn’t know where it would lead. He certainly didn’t imagine himself leading a program, but that’s exactly what would end up happening.

Championship No. 3: A dam good leader of the Beavers

Waselenchuk was tasked with a difficult decision during the offseason heading into the 2021-22 season. There was an opening for the head coaching position with the Beavers and he had been approached by the athletic department about his level of interest in applying for the job. While many would jump at the idea of taking over the university’s most successful athletic program over the past 15 years, Waselenchuk had his reservations. Ultimately, Waselenchuk elected to pursue the opening.

“I did a lot of thinking,” Waselenchuk said. “I had a few other different ventures I’m involved with in terms of coaching and I wasn’t too sure that was something I wanted to pursue, but I had a couple meetings with our athletic director at the time and they urged me to apply, so we went through that process and had an interview or two.”

That pressure that drew him to the goaltending position when he was a kid was now back in coaching form, leading a program with the highest of expectations each and every season, where anything short of a championship is viewed as a disappointment.

To focus on his new position, Waselenchuk resigned from his assistant coaching duties with the Tauros, though his time with the local NAHL club did prove to be beneficial when it came to recruiting.

Minot State junior forward Colby Joseph first met Waselenchuk during his time playing for the Minotaturos. Joseph joined the Tauros during Waselenchuk’s first season at the helm of the Beaver program, as the new head coach was still working as the team’s goaltender coach.

Following his final season of eligibility with the Tauros, Joseph was looking to further his hockey playing career and reached out to Waselenchuk about the possibility of joining him at Minot State. What stood out the most to Joseph during the recruitment process was how clear it was that Waselenchuk wanted what was best for Joseph, even if that meant him playing elsewhere.

“He wanted to make sure I did what was best for me and explore my options,” Joseph said. “Not once did he ever push me or hound me to come here and that’s what stood out to me. I knew what Minot State was and their rich history. Him just coming across the way he did, I just thought he was an awesome coach and an awesome guy and he was very good with what I wanted to achieve at a college level and we just looked eye-to-eye and decided it was the best spot. Besides him being the Minot State coach, if he was calling from another team, I would have had the exact same mindset and the exact same impression on him.”

As a coach, Waselenchuk’s primary focus isn’t on the Xs and Ox or the wins and losses. For him, it’s about being a true player’s coach that is approachable and willing to lend an ear to anyone who is seeking an on-ice or off-ice related conversation. It’s also about building a team full of quality character individuals more so than just hoarding talent. Waselenchuk believes that having those types of players in the locker room is the core to building a successful program.

“Xs and Os and systems don’t mean a thing,” Waselenchuk said. “That’s the one thing I know I’ve come to learn is they don’t mean a thing if you don’t have the right people and people believing in themselves and their teammates and especially in their coaches. When you have great people, you implement great systems. It’s all about your people. It’s all about your staff.”

That has certainly proven to be true, as Waselenchuk has upheld the standard of excellence. He currently sports a 149-19-5 record and the No. 1 ranking in the ACHA computer rankings entering this weekend’s series against Midland University at Maysa Arena.

The Beavers finished 31-3-0 in his first season, but were upset in their first game at the 2022 National Tournament to Ohio University. But the following year, Waselenchuk delivered the program’s third title, punctuating a 35-3-0 season with a 6-1 victory over Adrian College in the championship game.

Minot State went 68-12-3 over the next two years, adding another trophy to their impressive display in the form of its first Midwest College Hockey conference championship in the Beavers’ inaugural year in the conference after being an independent program since its formation in 1995. The Beavers knocked off in-state rival Jamestown in overtime to capture the crown.

Waselenchuk was named ACHA Coach of the Year for the 2023-24 season.

The success of the program makes recruiting a bit easier, as Minot State has name recognition in certain leagues across the Midwestern United States and central and western Canada. Half of this year’s roster comes from Manitoba, with four more coming from Saskatchewan and three others from Alberta. Christian Kadolph and Ben Johnson are from Minnesota. Jay Buchholz is the lone North Dakotan by way of Fargo. Jaxon Grosdidier represents Sioux Falls, S.D., and Sheldin Howard hails from British Columbia.

When it comes to recruiting, sometimes Waselenchuk lets his players do the talking.

“My best recruiters are my players,” Waselenchuk said. “I don’t think you’d find more than one or two players on our roster that didn’t know somebody coming into our locker room prior to a season, whether they have played with them in the past or played against them in Manitoba or Saskatchewan, and I think that’s why we’re so tight as a team is they are all friends. They’ve all played with each other. They’ve known each other since they were learning how to skate. That’s a group of guys that want to play for one another.”

Players have no trouble selling both the program and Waselenchuk to potential recruits, as they’ve experienced first hand that the Beavers head coach practices what he preaches about being there for his players.

“Just how much he cares about us guys,” Joseph said. “If you have family matters, he’s a best friend and he’s there for you. “He’s honestly brought more out of myself than I ever could have. I look at myself and how far my game has come along. He cares so much about me as a person and I care about him. Me and him can get into a screaming match on the bench, but it’s nothing personal and shows how close we are and how much you know what I’m like and what I know he’s like. I’m not taking it personally and he knows I’m going to take it like a champion and keep going about my business.”

The winning and the championships are fun, but Waselenchuk will be the first to admit that it’s long hours and trying to find a healthy work-life balance is challenging during the season. It’s a lot of early morning and late nights

“It’s really tough,” Waselenchuk said. “Personally, I’ve given everything to this in my life. I’ve been very open and candid about the mental health aspects of a lifestyle like this and the struggles I’ve had. I’m no different than anybody else in terms of the struggle I deal with every day and I have some open and vulnerable conversations with my players and my family because it’s tough. I have a 3.5-year-old-son and I’ve missed a lot of him growing up, birthdays and different events. For me, friendships kind of go away when you’re on the road or when you put in the amount of hours we are every single day. It puts a lot of strain on those around you and fortunately I’ve had a lot of great people to lean on, but it’s not a profession that’s for everyone. It’s a lot of being at the rink. It’s a lot of early mornings and late nights on a bus away from family.”

Still, Waselenchuk is grateful for the opportunity to coach at his alma mater, as it has provided opportunities he would not have had, like traveling to Italy or even remaining in the United States.

During his senior season in 2013-14, Waslenchuk was approached by members of the ACHA about representing Team USA at the World University Games in Trentino, Italy, after hearing word that he was an American citizen. Waselenchuk’s father is from Saskatchewan and his mother is from just outside of the Los Angeles area, making him eligible for dual citizenship. However, he never filled out the paperwork. But once he was approached about joining Team USA, he began the process and became a dual citizen. Had that experience never arrived at his doorstep, Waselenchuk would have returned to Canada following graduation and remained there, never becoming the head coach at Minot State.

Waselenchuk returned to Italy last year, serving as an assistant coach for the United States Men’s National University Team in the 2025 Winter World University Games.

While he laments missing out on moments with his son Jett, who will turn four in April, some of Waselenchuk’s favorite moments as a coach is seeing him hang around the team and being a part of the team after games celebrating in the locker room with the players. Waselenchuk’s son might become the next great Beaver goaltender in the future, as Waselenchuk said he has started to show an interest in the goaltending position, so much so that he received small goalie equipment as a Christmas present last year.

Waselenchuk’s five years behind the bench has taken him to numerous rinks across the country. Outside of Maysa Arena and All-Seasons Arena, his two favorite rinks to play in are LaHaye Ice Center on the campus of Liberty University, and Bird Ice Arena at Ohio University.

Removing in-state rivals U-Mary and Jamestown from the equation, Waselenchuk identified Adrian College as his favorite team to do battle with, giving a shoutout to head coach Gary Astalos.

When he’s not at the rink, you can find Waselenchuk at Vardon Golf Club, taking part in his favorite non-hockey hobby. A round of golf at Pebble Beach is on his golfing bucket list.

And when it comes to his favorite part about living in Minot and calling the Magic City home? Without any hesitation, Waselenchuk proudly identified the people themselves.