Wes Bolin grew up in Minneapolis and played high school hockey at Minneapolis West. Following high school, he played college hockey at Wisconsin-Eau Claire and went to school to become a teacher.
In 1983, Bolin took his first teaching and coaching jobs in Hallock, MN. He was head boys hockey coach at Hallock High School and led the team to two Northwest Conference Championships.
After three years in Hallock, Bolin and his family moved to Fond du Lac, Wis., where he would teach and coach for 18 years. His teams were state runner-up two times, section champions eight times, and Badgerland Conference champions seven times, and in 1995, he was named the Wisconsin High School coach of the year.
In 2004, Bolin became the head coach at Woodbury High School. Since becoming the head coach at Woodbury, the Royals won their first section championships (2007 and 2008), including the Class AA state consolation title in 2008. The Royals won or shared three consecutive Suburban East Conference titles from 2008-10. In 2007, he was named the Minnesota High School Class AA coach of the year.
Upon returning to Minnesota, Bolin also became increasingly involved in youth hockey and the CCM High Performance (formerly Select) programs. He has served as a head coach and evaluator in the HP Programs for almost 15 years now, coached in several USA Hockey Select camps and has served as the Program Manager for the HP 18’s since 2016.
Bolin served as the Director of Player Development for Woodbury Area Hockey Club from 2007-2010 before becoming an American Development Model (ADM) instructor for Minnesota Hockey in 2010. Three years later, he took the lead on Minnesota Hockey’s youth player development programs, becoming the ADM Coordinator. Since then, Bolin has developed a team of nearly 30 coaches that have led hundreds of skill sessions including the Little Wild Learn to Play, Chevy Youth Hockey clinics, body contact and checking clinics and much more.
Over the course of more than 35 years of teaching and coaching, Bolin has consistently won the hearts of his students, players and peers with his determination and sincerity. He honored with the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association’s Dave Peterson Award in 2013, for career contributions to youth hockey, and received the Minnesota Hockey President’s Award in 2017.
Thank you, Wes, for your lifelong dedication towards helping young hockey players reach their potential on and off the ice!
Minnesota Hockey established the Ted Brill Award with great respect and fond memories of one of our most influential leaders. It is presented annually to an individual who has at least ten years of service to any of the various player development programs (STP, HEP, High Performance/Selects, High School All-Star Series, etc.).
Year | Recipient | Hometown |
---|---|---|
2018 | Paul Moen | South St. Paul |
2017 | Richard Emahiser | Eden Prairie |
2016 | Pat Westrum | Minneapolis |
2015 | Tom Peart | Minneapolis |
2014 | Ken Walstad | Burnsville |
2013 | Barry Ford | Coon Rapids |
2012 | Bruce Johnson | Plymouth |
2011 | Kevin Dulin | Orono |
2010 | Doug Messerli | Coon Rapids |
2009 | Terry Shercliffe | Moorhead |
2008 | Joan Shocinski | Minneapolis |
2007 | Larry Morales | Mankato |
2006 | Gary Gergus | Shakopee |
Gary Gibbons | Alexandria |