In September of 2023, the UMD men's hockey program elevated the role of long-time goaltender coach
Brant Nicklin to an assistant coach.
Nicklin had been a volunteer assistant coach for the Bulldogs men staff since the 2014-15 season, and prior to joining the men, served as the UMD women's goaltending coach from 2009-2014. Nicklin was on coaching staff for the UMD women's hockey NCAA title in 2010, as well as the men's back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. He's also worked in that same capacity at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth previously and run a number of local goaltending schools and clinics.
A native of Comox, British Columbia, Nicklin was the Bulldogs' ace in the goal for four seasons and exited UMD in 2000 ranking first all-time in saves percentage (.895), shut outs (8) and appearances (137), second in saves (3,880), and goals against average (3.40) and third in wins (55), and still owns team records for games played (137). In 1996-97, Nicklin became just the second UMD freshman to play in every minute of his club's Western Collegiate Hockey Association games and wound up landing a spot on that circuit's All-Rookie Team. The following year, he posted a program-record five shutouts and a 21-16-2 overall mark while pacing the WCHA in saves for a second straight winter. Nicklin, the current WCHA record holder for consecutive league starts (80), was the recipient of the Bulldog Community Service Award as junior and the Goldie Wolfe Award (UMD's Most Inspirational Player) in 1999-2000.
Nicklin went on to sign a free agent contract with the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins and participated in two of their training camps. In four years as a professional, he tended goal for the Central Hockey League's Oklahoma City Blazers (2000-01) and San Angelo Saints (2003-04), the United Hockey Leagues's Quad City Mallards (2001-02) and Rockford Ice Hogs (2002-03), the East Coast Hockey League's Florida Everblades (2000-01) and the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals (2002-03).
Nicklin, who graduated from UMD in 2006 with a B.A. degree in recreation, resides in Duluth with his wife, Kelly. They have two children -- Reese and Alex.
