New head coach Dave Shyiak names Andy Contois as Northern Michigan University’s first assistant hockey coach | News, Sports, Jobs

On Friday morning, Dave Shyiak was introduced to the media and public as the fourth head coach in Northern Michigan University hockey history.

That same afternoon, NMU Sports Information announced that Shyiak had appointed its first assistant coach.

Former Wildcats player Andy Contois, a Marquette native, will join the Northern team.

A graduate of NMU with a degree in finance, he has served as associate head coach of the Youngstown, Ohio-based Phantoms of the 16-team United States Hockey League, the top junior league in the United States, for the past three seasons, according to NMU SI.

Andy Contois

In Contois’ three seasons at Ohio, Youngstown posted a record of 100-61-16-9 and played a leading role in leading the Phantoms to the program’s first Clark Cup title in the 2022-23 season.

“Andy is ready for this opportunity,” Shyiak said in the NMU SI press release, “He is a Marquette graduate and has developed into a great coach and recruiter. He will be a key asset to our program and community in the future.”

“I can’t wait for Andy and his wife Taylor to come back to the (Upper Peninsula) and continue the tradition of Wildcat hockey.”

The 42-year-old Contois was also grateful for the opportunity to play for his hometown team.

“I would like to thank President (Brock) Tessman, (athletic director) Rick Comley and coach Dave Shyiak for the opportunity to return to Northern,” Contois said this in the NMU SI publication. “The program is in good hands with Coach Shyiak and I am thrilled to join his team and help grow this program into something the University and the Marquette community are proud of.”

Before coming to Youngstown, Contois played two seasons for the Indy Fuel of the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League), a minor league in professional hockey. The Chicago Blackhawks-affiliated team qualified for the playoffs in both seasons and led the league in sending its players to the top minor league, the American Hockey League.

Prior to Indy, Contois spent two years with the Central Illinois Flying Aces of the USHL. During his time with the Flying Aces, Andy coached seven players who were selected in the NHL Draft and another 45 players moved on to the NCAA Division I level to play college hockey.

Before becoming a coach, Contois played for the Wildcats for four years from 2002 to 2006, with Shyiak serving as NMU’s associate head coach for the first three of those seasons.

The 1999 Marquette Senior High School graduate

played in 119 games for the Marquette Electricians Midget AAA junior hockey team, scoring 60 goals and a total of 135 points. After graduating from high school, he also played for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL.

After Northern, Contois had a ten-year professional career, spending parts of four seasons in North America in the AHL and ECHL and most of the last seven seasons in Europe.

Information compiled by Steve Brownlee, the Journal’s sports editor. His email address is [email protected].