From a PWHL Pink Slip to a Syracuse Bench: Brian Idalski Is Back in College Hockey
Six weeks after Vancouver's expansion Goldeneyes moved on from him, Brian Idalski landed the Syracuse women's hockey job, and his resume of Olympic recruits and quick rebuilds is exactly the kind of coaching-carousel story that keeps the sport's calendar interesting all summer long.
Key takeaways
- Syracuse named Brian Idalski its women's ice hockey head coach on July 14, replacing Britni Smith, who stepped down in April after a 15-18-4 season.
- Idalski spent the 2025-26 season as the inaugural head coach of the PWHL's Vancouver Goldeneyes, who fired him June 1 after the club finished sixth of eight teams and missed the playoffs.
- His resume includes a decade at North Dakota (2007-2017), a 108-21-11 run at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and a USCHO National Coach of the Year season at St. Cloud State.
- The hire is a reminder that the same pipeline feeding college hockey's Olympic and national-team talent, the kind Ice Vegas Invitational fans track all season, never really goes quiet, even in July.
Figures drawn from Idalski's official coaching record at each stop, per team and league reporting.
A Fast Turnaround After a Rough PWHL Debut
Six weeks. That is roughly how long it took Brian Idalski to go from an ex-PWHL coach back to a Division I head coach, and it is exactly the kind of quick turnaround that makes the college hockey coaching carousel worth watching even in the dead of July. Vancouver's expansion Goldeneyes moved on from Idalski on June 1, after he had guided the club through its entire inaugural PWHL season, a campaign that ended with a sixth-place finish out of eight teams and no trip to the playoffs.
General manager Cara Gardner Morey did not rip her former coach on the way out the door, thanking him for his "professionalism and commitment" as she wished him well and turned the franchise's attention to finding someone to build on a first season that closed at 9-3-4-14 in the standings. It stung, no doubt, but it also freed up one of the more decorated resumes in women's hockey right as Syracuse needed a new voice behind the bench.
The Resume Syracuse Just Bought
Syracuse did not hire a stranger to the sport. Idalski spent a full decade running North Dakota's program, from 2007 through 2017, a stretch that included two NCAA tournament trips and recruiting classes that produced a pair of future Olympic gold medalists in Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando. Grand Forks hockey fans still bring up those rosters, and landing recruits of that caliber tells you exactly what kind of program he built there.
Before Grand Forks, he turned Wisconsin-Stevens Point into a Division III power, posting a 108-21-11 mark across his run there. Years later he resurfaced at St. Cloud State, where a 50-50-9 record over three seasons was good enough to earn him USCHO National Coach of the Year honors for 2022-23. Toss in international coaching stops in China and Czechia along the way, and it is a coaching tree that stretches from small-college rinks all the way to Olympic ice.
What Idalski Inherits at Syracuse
The Orange were looking for direction. Britni Smith stepped down as head coach back in April, leaving Syracuse to close out a 15-18-4 season without a permanent voice running the bench. That is the roster and culture Idalski steps into this month, a program that has reached the NCAA tournament twice but has not broken into the sport's upper tier since conference realignment folded it into Atlantic Hockey America.
Syracuse now shares a league with programs like Penn State, RIT, Mercyhurst and Robert Morris, a conference that got noticeably tougher once College Hockey America merged into it. A coach who has already engineered one turnaround at St. Cloud State, and built a national contender from scratch at North Dakota, is exactly the profile a program in Syracuse's spot goes looking for when a search opens up.
Why Vegas Fans Should Care
Ice Vegas Invitational faithful do not just clock the men's bracket. The same recruiting and coaching pipeline that stocks the Strip's marquee weekend with future NHL picks also feeds the women's game, and every hire like this one reshapes which programs look dangerous the next time a tournament field comes together. A coach who can flip a rebuild fast, the way Idalski did in St. Cloud, is worth tracking through an entire season, not just draft week.
So keep an eye on Syracuse's schedule this fall, and keep an eye on the Strip too. The desert's college hockey calendar only gets busier from here, and there is no better way to see the sport's next chapter live than grabbing tickets and catching a game under the lights at Ice Vegas Invitational.
Stops on Brian Idalski's Coaching Odyssey
Syracuse's new hire has covered a lot of ice. Here is the trail that led him to the Orange bench.
- Wisconsin-Stevens Point (2001-2006): Built a Division III power, finishing 108-21-11 and stacking conference regular-season titles.
- North Dakota (2007-2017): Ten seasons and two NCAA tournament trips, plus recruiting classes that produced future Olympic gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando.
- St. Cloud State (2022-2025): Went 50-50-9 over three seasons and won USCHO National Coach of the Year for 2022-23.
- PWHL Vancouver Goldeneyes (2025-26): Named the expansion franchise's first-ever head coach, then let go June 1 after a 9-3-4-14, sixth-place debut season.
- Syracuse Orange (2026-27): Named head coach July 14, replacing Britni Smith and taking over a team coming off a 15-18-4 season.
- International sidelines: Additional head-coaching stints overseas in China and Czechia round out a resume that spans three continents.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Brian Idalski named Syracuse's head coach?
Syracuse announced the hire on July 14, roughly six weeks after Vancouver's PWHL franchise moved on from him.
Why did the Vancouver Goldeneyes fire Idalski?
The expansion club finished sixth out of eight PWHL teams in its first season, missing the playoffs with a 9-3-4-14 record, and the front office elected to go a different direction on June 1.
What is Idalski's most notable college hockey stop?
His decade at North Dakota (2007-2017) stands out, including two NCAA tournament appearances and recruiting classes that landed future Olympic gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando.
What conference does Syracuse play in now?
Syracuse competes in Atlantic Hockey America, the league formed when College Hockey America merged with the Atlantic Hockey Association, putting the Orange alongside programs like Penn State, RIT and Mercyhurst.