Former Jet hits 200 NCAA coaching wins

A big win for Winnipeg Jet 1.0 alumni Brad Berry arrived last month as the University of North Dakota head coach recorded victory number 200 with a 4-1 decision over Miami (OH).

“I think what's so special about North Dakota as well as a lot of other programs or, or organizations is our culture and we use that word strongly because it's all team first,” said Berry from his office.

“And, you know, as much as it's a great honour to win 200 games. To me that's something you look out after your career is done and you're retired you go, and you reflect on it.”

Berry’s attention is on this weekend’s NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul, Minnesota as North Dakota faces Omaha in the semifinals on Friday. The NCAA tournament will begin next weekend which the former Jet describes as drinking water through a firehose.

“You know, like in pro hockey right, you can get playoffs and you have the best of five, best of seven. Usually, it's best to seven. In college hockey when you get into the NCAA tournament. There are 16 unreal teams,” said Berry.

“They're all very good competitive teams, and you better be your best because it's a one and go on or one and done. Everything’s got to be going right for you because you got to win four games. You got to win two of the regional and two of them Frozen Four to win the championship. We were fortunate enough my first year as a head coach to win it in 2016.”

Berry has big connections to the current Winnipeg Jets coaching staff. Current Jets head coach Rick Bowness was an assistant coach with the Jets during Berry’s first two seasons in the National Hockey League from 1985-1987.

“I'm not surprised that he's had success wherever he's went, you know, as a head coach or an assistant coach and when he was in Winnipeg, like he's just passionate and he brings life to the locker room and you can see that even at his age right now, with Winnipeg, what he's doing there, he just infuses energy and positivity into a group,” said Berry.

“He's just down to earth and he and he calls it like, he sees that there's no gray area. It's direct and it's truthful and I just liked it. And he's had longevity just because of who he is.”

But it’s Jets associate coach Scott Arniel who Berry still has a friendship with to this day. Arniel and Berry were teammates for a short time on the Jets before the former was traded to Buffalo. The two played against each other often while they were both in the International Hockey League. They reunited behind the bench with the Manitoba Moose when Arniel was the head coach from 2006-2008 and then Berry followed Arniel to Columbus in 2010.

“I learned a ton from him. As far as the pro game, different, different things about being a head coach, you know, obviously he was in Manitoba and Columbus, and that helped me you know, because I was an assistant coach all my life at North Dakota and finally I got the head coaching job here in 2015,” said Berry.

“And I go back to a lot of things I learned from Scott, and he had to learn that on the fly, but you know, he learned through Lindy Ruff when he was in Buffalo. I called him a couple of days ago about a couple of systems structure things that he got right back to me, and you know, he calls me every now and then too so we kind of lean on each other still to this day.”

One thing is for certain with the former Jets draft pick, he is a proud member of the Jets alumni.

“I played at North Dakota here collegiately and that was just two hours down the road from Winnipeg. And back in the day, we used to get all the Jet games on TV down here and I was grateful and honored and humbled enough to get drafted by the Winnipeg Jets. Bill Lezuk was a key part of that and with John Ferguson,” said Berry.

“To this day Dave Ellett, you know, I talk with him every couple of weeks, he used to be my D partner for a couple years and I lived with him to and there’s just a lot of strong relationships there that are ongoing. Zinger (Jets assistant GM Craig Heisinger), he comes down to a lot of our games and his work ethic and scouting and different things. I just take pride in relationships and that’s why Winnipeg is so special to me.”