Aug. 18, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Head Coach Guy Gadowsky and the men's ice hockey team have announced the hiring of Alex Dawes as Director of Hockey Operations effective immediately.
"Alex Dawes has impressed the Athletic Department, our administration and our hockey staff with his tireless work ethic, attention to detail and his communication skills," commented head coach Guy Gadowsky. "He is well respected outside of PSU and with previous experience in Division I men's hockey operations he will provide a seamless transition."
The shift of Dawes from the women's program to the men's program comes on the heels of Bill Downey announcing his departure for a similar title in the Philadelphia Flyers organization.
Downey, a 2004 Penn State graduate, has worked as Director of Hockey Operations for the past four seasons beginning with the Nittany Lions jump to Division I status for the 2012-13 season. He will begin his new journey serving as the Manger of Hockey Operations for the American Hockey League affiliate of the Flyers, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms starting on August 22nd.
"We will miss Billy very much and wish him and his family the very best with the Flyers," stated Gadowsky.
Dawes, now entering his fourth year at Penn State, has served as assistant women's hockey coach and director of operations for the past two seasons. During his time with the women he worked primarily with the defenseman and penalty kill unit as well as video coaching and overseeing many of the day-to-day operations of the program.
"I can't say thank you enough to all of the great people that I have had the privilege of working with at Penn State," mentioned Dawes. "I especially want to thank Sandy Barbour, Michael Cross, and Coach Gadowsky for this tremendous opportunity within our men's hockey program. I look forward to helping continue the growth and success of the program."
As well as his duties with the Penn State women, Dawes also served as video coach of the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team for the 2015-16 season where they won a gold medal at the 2016 IIHF World Championships. He produced scouting reports, pre and post-game meeting packages and assisted in all areas of hockey technology.
He is a 2012 graduate of Utica where he also spent time as an assistant coach and director of hockey operations for the Pioneer men's team from 2009-13.
Penn State entertains Queen's (Ontario) for an exhibition game on October 2nd before opening the season with a pair of games against Saint Lawrence on October 6-7.