MINNEAPOLIS -- Tyler Veen, who has spent the last two seasons as head coach and general manager for the Rochester (Minn.) Grizzlies junior hockey club, has been named as an assistant coach for the Augsburg University men's hockey team, it was announced on Thursday.
 
Veen spent four seasons on the staff of the Grizzlies, a team in the North America 3 Hockey League (NA3HL), a Tier III junior hockey league in the USA Hockey amateur system. He served as an assistant coach from 2021-23, then was promoted to head coach and general manager in 2023. The Grizzlies were 63-27-4 in Veen's two seasons as head coach, reaching the NA3HL West Division finals each season and leading the league in advancements to upper levels of junior hockey. In his four years on the coaching staff, the Grizzlies were 134-42-4, winning the NA3HL championship in 2021-22.
 
"We're thrilled to welcome Tyler to our program," said Augsburg head coach Garrett Hendrickson. "His experience, passion for the game and commitment to developing hockey players makes him an outstanding addition to our staff. I'm confident he will have an immediate impact both on and off the ice, as we continue to keep a championship culture here at Augsburg."
 
Prior to joining the Grizzlies, Veen served as a regional volunteer scout for the Fargo (N.D.) Force of the Tier I United States Hockey League (USHL) and as a scout and assistant coach for the Austin (Minn.) Bruins of the Tier II North American Hockey League (NAHL.) He also served as a youth hockey coach in East Grand Forks, Minn., for four years.
 
A native of Harwood, N.D., Veen played hockey from a young age through high school. He earned his bachelor's degree in business management (athletic coaching minor) from the University of North Dakota in 2020. He also holds a certificate in hockey general management and scouting from Sports Management Worldwide.
 
Veen replaces Jarrad Vroman, who spent two seasons as the Auggies' top assistant coach before departing in July to become the new head coach for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's hockey team.