John Mariucci was born to Italian immigrants on the Iron Range. The Eveleth boy grew into a young man about the time the Great Depression hit, which might explain why he played hockey with his heart on his sleeve, always ready to take one -- or six -- for the team. He was an All-American and national champion at the University of Minnesota, then played five seasons in the NHL.

But he would grow into a legend behind the bench, coaching the Gophers from 1952 to 1966. In his rookie coaching season, Mariucci took a team with a .500 record the previous year all the way to the NCAA title game, and was named Coach of the Year.