Whether you are a player or staff, no matter your position, at UAA, you’re family.

In this episode, David welcomes Doug Spooner and Kevin Kuper back on the podcast to share with listeners the progress they’ve made so far with the mentorship program. They explain why this program is so important to them and to the team’s future success.

David, Spooner, and Kup discuss: 

• The milestones they have achieved since starting the mentorship program.
• How a resume can make all the difference when starting your career.
• Why its important for the players to get their foot in the door and how the program can help them do that.
• And more

Connect with David: 

• LinkedIn: David Vallieres
• LinkedIn: Synergy Capital Solutions
• Seawolf Hockey Alumni

About Kevin: 

Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Kuper attended UAA and shortly after became part of the Seawolf Hockey family working as the equipment manager from ‘86 to ‘91. This position gave him the opportunity to travel to Japan with the team and become a part of the brotherhood. 

Since his time at UAA, Kup has moved across the country to California. He’s started his own business working as a supply chain consultant helping businesses optimize their supply chain and operations. 

About Doug:

With a knack for the net like few others, Doug Spooner [1987-91] thrilled UAA fans for four seasons, tallying a near-record number of goals and helping UAA to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.

Utilizing his solid frame and soft scoring touch, the Cache Creek, British Columbia, native was a staple of Seawolf teams that compiled four straight winning seasons, including 21- and 22-victory campaigns in 1989-90 and 1990-91. UAA’s 1987-88 Rookie of the Year, 1988-89 Leon Thompson Fan Favorite and 1990-91 team captain tallied 23 goals in both his sophomore and junior seasons, still tied for No. 6 on the all-time list.

Spooner’s 75 career goals left him just one shy of equaling the program record – a mark he likely would have topped had he not missed 13 games to injury as a senior. His 148 points and 73 assists both also rank in UAA’s career top 10 more than 20 years after his playing days, while his 50 points as a sophomore are still tied for 9th on the single-season list.

Playing on the same team – although often on different lines – with fellow Seawolf Hall-of-Famers Rob Conn, Dean Larson and Derek Donald, he was a vital part of the program’s first to NCAA Tournament teams in 1990 and 1991.

Spooner graduated in 1991 with a bachelor of arts in justice. He currently lives in League City, Texas.

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Almost every hockey player has a dream of playing in the NHL, but as we all know, this dream doesn’t pan out for most players.

What do these players do now?

In this episode, David invites Kevin Kuper, lead on the Seawolf Hockey Alumni mentoring program, to talk about the future of the program and what progress has been made so far. They discuss the importance of exploring other career options before graduation.

David and Kevin discuss: 

• Kuper’s experience as the equipment manager for the Seawolves from ‘86-’91
• What the mentorship program was created for
• Some of the things that players and alumni can expect from participating in the program
• And more

Connect with David: 

• LinkedIn: David Vallieres
• LinkedIn: Synergy Capital Solutions
• Seawolf Hockey Alumni

Connect with Kevin Kuper:

• Email: kkuper30@gmail.com
• LinkedIn: Kevin Kuper

About Kevin: 

Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Kuper attended UAA and shortly after became part of the Seawolf Hockey family working as the equipment manager from ‘86 to ‘91. This position gave him the opportunity to travel to Japan with the team and become a part of the brotherhood. 

Since his time at UAA, Kup has moved across the country to California. He’s started his own business working as a supply chain consultant helping businesses optimize their supply chain and operations. 

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It’s a good idea to chat with people who really know the sport and have experience with it, especially if they also know some of the same people as you.

In this episode, David Vallieres and Coach Shasby talk with Pete McEnaney about his extensive coaching career, personal life, and future plans.  Additionally, Pete shares his insights and experiences during his time on campus when he used to play hockey and reflects on the friendships formed during that time

David, Pete, and Coach Shasby discuss: 

• The current state of the Seawolves hockey season, with the team coming off a long break and heading toward the final eight games against tough opponents
• The upcoming facility upgrades and plans for a new arena
• Pete’s 25 years of coaching hockey and his current work with Sysco Food Service for 26 years
• Pete’s personal life, including being a single father with three children who are all doing well in their respective fields
• Pete’s plans of retiring and coming back to hockey, supporting UAA Hockey
• Pete’s favorite memories from his time at UAA, including playing with great players and working with talented coaches, and emphasizes the importance of the friendships he formed during his time on campus
• And more!

Connect with David: 

• LinkedIn: David Vallieres
• LinkedIn: Synergy Capital Solutions
• Seawolf Hockey Alumni

Connect With Matt Shasby:

• 907-786-1227
• mrshasby@alaska.edu 

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Not many people make the 5000-mile trip for a job opportunity. But when the position involves the UAA Seawolves, it’s well worth it.

In this episode, David  Vallieres talks with Kevin Murdock, Seawolf’s assistant coach, to share his experience as a coach and how he ended up in Anchorage all the way from Florida.

Kevin discusses: 

• The various team’s Coach Murdock has been involved with from Minnesota to Ohio to finally landing in Alaska
• His roles and responsibilities on the Seawolf bench
• Some team updates and results from the Governor’s Cup in December
• And more

Connect With David: 

• LinkedIn: David Vallieres
• LinkedIn: Synergy Capital Solutions
• Seawolf Hockey Alumni

Connect With Kevin Murdock:

• kmmurdock@alaska.edu 

About Our Guest: 

Kevin Murdock joined the UAA staff as an assistant coach in the fall of 2021. Murdock came to UAA from the North Iowa Bulls of the North American Hockey League where he served as the associate head coach and general manager.

Murdock first joined the North Iowa Bulls in 2016 as an assistant coach. He helped the Bulls to a pair of division titles in 2017 and 2018 and an appearance in the Silver Cup in 2017. He was elevated to associate head coach for the 2018-19 season where the team finished second in the West Division and advanced to the Fraser Cup, formerly known as the Silver Cup. Murdock helped the Bulls to a 106-26-6-3 mark during his three years in Mason City.

Murdock was named the head coach of the Kenai River Brown Bears in 2019, where he posted a record of 47-40-4-4 over two years. He returned to North Iowa in the spring of 2021 serving as associate head coach and general manager before coming to UAA.

Murdock, a native of Bradenton, Fla., started his collegiate career at Minnesota State before playing his final three seasons at Lake Superior State where he appeared in 56 games in goal. He would go on to play professional hockey with the Fort Wayne Komets, Fayetteville FireAntz and Tulsa Oilers. Murdock earned his bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation from Lake Superior State.

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What’s up Sea Wolves fans and welcome to The Pack is Back Podcast, hosted by alumni, David Vallieres! 

In this inaugural episode, David talks with Matt Shasby, the Seawolves head coach, to talk about the trials and tribulations of stepping into this role and rebuilding the Seawolves program. As the season kicks off, we get a glimpse of how the team is looking so far, and where they hope to go in the future.

Matt discusses: 

• The adventure of refreshing a program and fostering it back to health
• How the transfer portal changed the game for college hockey recruitment
• The effort and experience of having Seawolf hockey back on the ice
• And more

Connect With David Vallieres: 

• LinkedIn: David Vallieres
• LinkedIn: Synergy Capital Solutions
• Seawolf Hockey Alumni

Connect With Matt Shasby:

• 907-786-1227
• mrshasby@alaska.edu 

About Matt Shasby: 

Coach Shasby is currently the vice president of player development for the state of Alaska and serves as a coach with the Anchorage Hockey Association. He has coached numerous age groups in addition to high school teams during his coaching career that started in 2009.  

Shasby is a Seawolf alum who played in 127 games during his four-year career for the Seawolves from 1999 to 2003. He was an All-WCHA Second Team Defenseman and was named to the All-WCHA Academic Team three times.

Shasby went on to play professional hockey, appearing in 375 games, primarily with the Alaska Aces of the ECHL. He has served as a volunteer with USA Hockey at numerous camps and coaching education programs.

Shasby earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Alaska Anchorage in 2008 and a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Phoenix. He currently teaches seventh and eighth grade social studies at Northern Lights ABC.

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