Dillon Simpson's first assignment as a coach is to take on an unprecedented assignment

Oct. 10—GRAND FORKS — Dillon Simpson was only a couple of years into his professional playing career when some of his coaches started dropping hints.

"It was, 'Hey, I think you should take a look at coaching when you're done playing,'" Simpson said. "Over the last four years, it really ramped up. It's something I've put some intention to away from the rink, even as a player, putting some things together and getting prepared for that transition. It's something that's been in the back of my mind. Then, the opportunity knocked."

Due to new NCAA legislation, college hockey programs were granted the ability to hire a third full-time assistant coach beginning July 1.

UND went through a lengthy process to find an assistant to join head coach Brad Berry, associate head coach Dane Jackson and assistant Karl Goehring on staff.

With Jackson being a forward and Goehring a goalie, Berry wanted to hire someone to coach the defensemen.

Berry interviewed about 20 candidates, going through multiple rounds.

He landed on Simpson, a former UND captain.

"I was fortunate enough to coach him here at North Dakota and get to know him not only as a player but as a person — who he is and how driven he is," Berry said. "He has impeccable character. He's a guy that's passionate about the game of hockey. He's very smart and intellectual when it comes to the game and he has a way about connecting with players."

In Year 1, Simpson is facing a challenge that's unique in college hockey history.

UND has zero returning defensemen.

According to research by UND's sports information department, there has never been another college hockey team to bring back zero defensemen from a previous season.

"It's pretty unprecedented," Simpson said. "We're all in the same boat. Eight new guys and a new coach. But kudos to them. They've done a great job. They're working hard. They're coming together. The chemistry keeps getting better. They're easy guys to work with. All of them are eager to learn. All of them have good heads about the game. So, it's been a lot of fun for me to pick their brains, work with them and get to know them."

The Fighting Hawks filled the eight voids with four transfers and four freshmen.

The transfers are fifth-year senior Garrett Pyke from Alaska, fifth-year senior Keaton Pehrson from Michigan, fifth-year senior Logan Britt from Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac, and redshirt sophomore Bennett Zmolek, who missed all of last season at MSU-Mankato with a hip injury.

The freshmen are Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Abram Wiebe, Jake Livanavage, Tanner Komzak and Nate Benoit, a Minnesota Wild draft pick.

"Early on, we were hitting the blender every day with pairings, just to get everyone comfortable playing with everyone," Simpson said. "We've got three righties, five lefties, but we've got some lefties who like playing on their off side as well. As a coach, that makes things a little easier."

Wiebe is one of the left-handers who has frequently played on the right side.

He did that for the Chilliwack Chiefs in the British Columbia Hockey League and has communicated that with Simpson.

"He's a really good guy," Wiebe said. "I think he's going to give us an opportunity to be the best players we possibly can be. Having just retired from hockey, he knows what it's like to play college hockey and he knows what's going through our minds. Getting to know him the past couple weeks and having a couple meetings with him, I can see he's going to push me and make me a better player through my time here and I'm really excited for it."

Simpson has a connection with some of the defensemen.

His younger brother, Riley, played at Arizona State with Livanavage's brother, Johnny Walker, for a season.

"It's been great getting to know him and what he expects out of all of us," Livanavage said.

Some of Pehrson's old Michigan teammates played with Simpson at his last pro hockey stop, the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League.

"It's nice to have a younger coach here to kind of connect with him more," Pehrson said. "He's been great so far and I'm looking forward to working with him the rest of the way."

Simpson knows the challenges freshman defensemen face entering college hockey.

Simpson came to UND as one of the most highly touted players in Western Canada. But he was in-and-out of the lineup as a freshman on a loaded 2010-11 UND team.

By the time he was a senior, he captained UND to the NCAA Frozen Four.

Simpson said he likes the progress the rookies have made in fall camp.

"They all have good heads about them — where their games are at, what they need to do better, what their strengths are," Simpson said. "That makes things easier when you're having an honest conversation with them. All of them are eager to work hard and get better. I've seen nothing but their confidence grow since I got here. Each week, they're more comfortable. They're getting more up to speed. They're pushing the pace in practice, which is nice to see."

They've also done a lot of team activities off the ice to get acclimated quickly.

The players spent a weekend at Jackson Kunz's family lake place. They played pickleball all summer at Optimist Park. They've gone to dinners together. They played paintball. They took a team fishing trip to Lake of the Woods.

"Off the ice, they've done a great job putting in the time doing a lot of team-building stuff," Simpson said. "They do a lot of things together, which I think pays huge dividends as the year goes along."

Simpson has an idea of how he wants to coach the group.

"I've been fortunate enough to play under every kind of coach you could imagine," he said. "It's good to take some bits and pieces of things I like, and maybe know some things I didn't like. I learned from a lot of great coaches over the years from minor hockey into college and through the pros.

"The last four or five years, I've been piecing together traits and values that I've really liked in coaches over the years and I've tried to portray that here with my approach."

Simpson reached the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, but spent most of his pro career in the AHL.

Last season, he served as the captain of the Cleveland Monsters.

Simpson was looking to continue his professional career when the UND job opened. He instantly put plans on hold to pursue the job.

"It was nothing but excitement when I got the job," Simpson said. "But the reality of performing and doing a great job has set in. It's great that I'm here, but I have a lot to prove as a coach, just as the players do coming in here. I want to do well. I want to do right by the players. I want to do right by the coaches and I really want to help this team win."