A two-game preseason U.S. Hockey League series between Sioux City (Iowa) and Green Bay will likely be in Duluth in September. The games are expected to be played at the Duluth Heritage Sports Center or split between the Duluth Heritage Sports Center and Amsoil Arena.

Former Minnesota Duluth assistant coach Brett Larson is in his first season as coach and general manager of Sioux City, while defenseman Andy Welinski, a UMD recruit from Duluth, plays for Green Bay.

The U.S. Hockey League talked to some of its players selected in last week’s NHL Entry Draft, including Welinski, and that story is on the league website here.

Ryan Clark of the Fargo (N.D.) Forum has an update on new UMD assistant coach Jason Herter, who is leaving the Fargo Force of the U.S. Hockey League to join the Bulldogs. That story is here.

Also the Newark Star-Ledger refers to Andy Baggot’s Wisconsin State Journal story on Mike Eaves not going to the New Jersey Devils as coach. That story is here.

Chris Dilks of Western College Hockey touches on a number of college-related subjects in a linkorama here.

And Dilks said of Welinski following the NHL Entry Draft:

Andy Welinski — Despite being from Minnesota, Andy Welinski didn’t draw a lot of attention, even though he may be the best pro prospect out of this group when all his said and done. In this clip, he describes his game, as well as why he was happy he chose to play in the USHL this past season: Andy Welinski audio file.

UMD recruit Kyle Osterberg of Lakeville, Minn., is on the roster for the U.S. National Team Development Program U18 team for 2011-12. The team roster is here.

A Ryan Clark story in Tuesday’s Fargo (N.D.) Forum on Jason Herter is here.

The Fargo Force has a news release on its former head coach here.

Minnesota Duluth has a release on its new assistant coach here.

Also, at the University of Minnesota, the comings and goings of assistant coaches were detailed Monday by Roman Augustoviz of the Star Tribune here.

Former University of North Dakota defenseman Jason Herter, a noted recruited in junior and AAA midget hockey, has agreed to join the Minnesota Duluth men’s staff for 2011-12, head coach Scott Sandelin said Monday.

Herter, 40, a native of Hafford, Saskatchewan, spent last season in his first year as coach and general manager of the Fargo (N.D.) Force of the U.S. Hockey League. Fargo went 33-22-5 during the regular season before being eliminated in the second round of the league playoffs by eventual Clark Cup champion Dubuque (Iowa). He replaces Brett Larson, who left UMD’s staff last month, after three seasons, to become coach and general manager of Sioux City (Iowa) in the U.S. Hockey League.

“Jason is absolutely a good recruiter and has been an exceptional coach with Fargo and before that with the Russell Stover U16 AAA team,” said Sandelin, who is scouting a USA Hockey U16 Select development camp in Rochester, N.Y..

“He’s played in our league, he knows a lot of players in the USHL and has connections in Canada. He’s excited about joining us and fits well into our plans.”

Herter coached with Russell Stover, based in Overland Park, Kan., through 2008.

Herter interviewed at UMD on Wednesday, was offered and accepted the job Friday and is expected to sign a on-year contract Wednesday in Duluth. Also interviewing last week were Alaska Fairbanks assistant Brian Meisner, 41, a Cloquet native, who played at St. Scholastica and is entering his fourth season with the Nanooks; and former Michigan State assistant Brian Renfrew, 39, who spent eight seasons with the Spartans, but was not retained when Tom Anastos replaced Rick Comley as Michigan State’s head coach in March.

Sandelin, 46, a former North Dakota defenseman entering his 12th season, said he had 45 formal applications for the job before choosing three finalists. He headed a selection committee that included Plante, athletic trainer Suz Hoppe and UMD captain Jack Connolly of Duluth.

Herter, who couldn’t be reached for comment Monday, said through the Fargo Force website:

“I am excited about the opportunity to further my coaching career at the NCAA Division I coaching level and join a program that is at the top of college hockey. It is bittersweet to leave the Fargo Force as I have enjoyed working with the players, coaches, and staff for one of the best organizations in the USHL.”

It’s expected Herter will earn approximately what UMD’s assistant coaches were paid Last season. Larson made $68,000 and assistant coach Derek Plante, in his first season, $64,000. Plante’s contract has already been renewed for 2011-12, said UMD athletic director Bob Nielson.

Sandelin signed a five-year contract extension last month that will take him through 2016-17.

Herter was an assistant under Dean Blais when the Fargo Force began in 2008-09, but when Blais took the Nebraska-Omaha head job in 2009-10, Steve Johnson was hired as Fargo’s head coach. Herter wasn’t retained and did some scouting for a few U.S. Hockey League teams that season.

Last September, Johnson became a St. Cloud State assistant and Herter was named Fargo’s head coach for 2010-11. Fargo assistant Byron Pool will take over as interim head coach for the Force.

In three years at North Dakota (1988-91), Herter had 118 points in 119 games and ranks among the school’s top five defensemen in career scoring. He was a No. 1 pick by Vancouver in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft and played one game with the New York Islanders before spending 11 years in minor league and European hockey.

Also, Fargo Force forward Austin Farley, 17, of Park Ridge, Ill., 5-foot-6 and 150 pounds, is expected to commit to UMD for 2013-14.

Former North Dakota defenseman Jason Herter has been offered the position to become a Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey assistant coach and is expected to accept the job this week.

Herter, 40, a native of Hafford, Saskatchewan, spent last season in his first year as coach and general manager of the Fargo (N.D.) Force of the U.S. Hockey League. Fargo went 33-22-5 during the regular season before being eliminated in the second round of the league playoffs by eventual Clark Cup champion Dubuque (Iowa). He would replace Brett Larson, who left UMD’s staff last month, after three seasons, to become coach and general manager of Sioux City (Iowa) in the U.S. Hockey League.

Neither Herter or UMD head coach Scott Sandelin immediately returned calls to their cell phones Monday.

UMD athletic director Bob Nielson said Monday morning he couldn’t comment on the situation but did say the school hoped to have an assistant coach in place this week. UMD assistant coaches, in all sports, are assigned one-year contracts.

Last season, Larson made $68,000 and assistant coach Derek Plante, in his first season, $64,000. Sandelin signed a five-year contract extension last month that will take him through 2016-17. Plante’s contract has already been renewed for 2011-12, said Nielson.

Herter interviewed at UMD on Wednesday. Also interviewing last week were Alaska Fairbanks assistant Brian Meisner, 41, a Cloquet native, who played at St. Scholastica and is entering his fourth season with the Nanooks; and former Michigan State assistant Brian Renfrew, 39, who spent eight seasons with the Spartans, but was not retained when Tom Anastos replaced Rick Comley as Michigan State’s head coach in March.

Sandelin, 46, a former North Dakota defenseman entering his 12th season, said he had 45 formal applications for the job before choosing three finalists. He headed a selection committee that included Plante, athletic trainer Suz Hoppe and UMD captain Jack Connolly of Duluth.

Herter was an assistant under Dean Blais when the Fargo Force began in 2008-09, but when Blais took the Nebraska-Omaha head job in 2009-10, Steve Johnson was hired as Fargo’s head coach. Herter wasn’t retained and did some scouting for a few U.S. Hockey League teams.

Last September, Johnson became a St. Cloud State assistant and Herter was named Fargo’s head coach for 2010-11. Recruiting is said to be a Herter strength.

In three years at North Dakota (1988-91), Herter had 118 points in 119 games and ranks among the school’s top five defensemen in career scoring. He was a No. 1 pick by Vancouver in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft and played one game with the Canucks before spending 11 years in minor league and European hockey.

When Herter was hired as Fargo head coach last fall he said:

“Hockey is in my blood and I’ve always been looking for a good opportunity. I am established in the community and in the world of hockey, if a good opportunity comes up, you take advantage of it.”

The Anaheim Ducks website ran a feature on Duluth defenseman Andy Welinski on Sunday. That story is here.

Duluth defenseman Andy Welinski was picked in the third round of Saturday’s NHL Entry Draft by Anaheim, the 83rd pick overall. He was ranked 48th in the Central Scouting Bureau’s final rankings leading to the draft.

The draft is being held at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center.

A link to Minnesotans picked is provided by Minnesota Hockey Hub here.

Game video highlights of Minnesotans picked is provided by the Minneapolis Star Tribune here.

Welinski, 18, 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, played his senior season with Green Bay in the U.S. Hockey League in 2010-11 and will be with Green Bay in 2011-12, before joining Minnesota Duluth’s program in 2012-13. He played for Duluth East through his junior year.

Welinski was the third Minnesotan taken in the draft. Wayzata High School forward Mario Lucia, son of Minnesota coach Don Lucia, was taken by the Minnesota Wild in the second round, 59th overall; and center Steve Fogarty of Edina was taken in the third round, 72nd overall, by the New York Rangers.

UMD recruit Tony Cameranesi, also a center from Wayzata High School, was picked in the fifth round, 130th overall, by Toronto.