University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey head coach Maura Crowell has added Duluth native Chris Connolly to her Bulldog staff as an assistant coach, the school announced today.

"I'm really excited to announce the hiring of Chris Connolly," said Crowell.  "Chris has just finished his professional playing career in Europe and is eager to get back to Duluth and make it his home again. Chris grew up playing youth hockey and high school hockey in Duluth, before eventually attending Boston University where he won a national championship in 2009.  He brings his success as a student-athlete and experience playing internationally to our program, and we are happy to welcome him to the Bulldog hockey family."

Connolly, a graduate of Duluth Marshall High School, comes to UMD with an extensive hockey resume, including a four-year professional hockey career that spanned Finland, Sweden and Germany.  Most recently a member of the Iserlohn Roosters of the German Hockey League (DEL) from 2013-16, Connolly also played for Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) in 2014.  A silver medalist with the Finnish Hockey League member Tappara in 2012-13, Connolly was a Deutschland Cup Champion with Team USA in 2012. He is the brother of Bulldog Hobey Baker Award winner Jack Connolly.

A four-year letterwinner at Boston University from 2008-12, Connolly won a NCAA national title with the Terriers in 2009.  The first two-year captain in the program's history since Jack O'Callahan in 1977, in 2011-12, Connolly was a Hockey East All-Second Team selection and Hockey East's Best Defensive Forward.  Connolly earned the Len Ceglarski Sportsmanship Award, as well as the New England Hockey Writers Frank Jones Award for Best Defensive Forward in 2011-12. 

Prior to his successful span at BU, Connolly suited up for the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League in 2007-08, and as their assistant captain, helped the Lancers become Anderson Cup and Clark Cup champions that same season. Connolly's first stint in the NAHL was with the Fargo-Moorhead Jets from 2005-07, where he was a captain during the 2006-07 season.

While at Duluth Marshall, Connolly led the Hilltoppers to a third place finish in the Minnesota State Class A High School Hockey Tournament in 2004-05.  Connolly was both a captain for the hockey team and the boy's varsity soccer team in 2004-05.

Connolly becomes the second Duluth native on Crowell's staff, with assistant coach Laura Bellamy already into her second season behind the Bulldog bench.