This news release Thursday from the North American Hockey League. The Minnesota Wilderness of Cloquet joins the league in 2013-14:

Corey Millen is the new head coach of the NAHL’s Minnesota Wilderness.

The United States defeated Russia 8-3 Thursday morning in the World Championships quarterfinals before 5,506 fans at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. It was Russia’s most one-sided loss in tournament history.

Among WCHA-connected players, Paul Stastny of Denver had two goals and two assists; Craig Smith of Wisconsin had five assists; Ryan Carter of Minnesota State-Mankato had a goal and an assist;Tim Stapleton of Minnesota Duluth had an assist while defenseman Justin Faulk logged the most ice time at 22:02; and St. Cloud State’s Drew LeBlanc was not in the lineup.

Recaps from the International Ice Hockey Federation here and USA Today’s Kevin Allen here and a game summary here.

Video highlights and post-game interviews from the IIHF here.

The USA plays Switzerland in Saturday’s semifinals.

Bruce Ciskie has a few UMD post-season thoughts right here.

Former Minnesota Duluth assistants Steve Rohlik and Brett Larson have reunited at Ohio State for the 2013-14 season: Rohlik, 44, as head coach and Larson, 40, as associate head coach, accepting the position Tuesday.

Stories from the News Tribune here, Sioux City (Iowa) Journal here, the Sioux City Musketeers web site here and Ohio State athletic web site here.

UMD plays at Ohio State on Nov. 1-2.

This from the Minnesota Duluth sports information office Tuesday:

Senior Mike Seidel, who paced Minnesota Duluth in a number of offensive statistical categories this past winter, is the recipient of Mike Seiler Award as the Bulldogs’ Most Valuable Player for 2012-13, the team announced Tuesday.

Seidel, a right winger from Darien, Ill., and the reigning Bulldog Fan Favorite Award winner, saved some of his best hockey for last and wound up first among 2012-13 Bulldogs in goals (17), power play tallies (nine), game winners (four) and shots (150) while tying for the team scoring lead with 34 points. All of those totals either eclipsed or equaled his previous career bests.

The Jerry Chumola Rookie of the Year Award went to center Tony Cameranesi, a member of the WCHA All-Rookie Team who finished as UMD’s top point producer along with Seidel and fellow freshman forward Austin Farley.  The Maple Grove, Minn., product racked up 14 goals (seven of which came on the power play) to go with 20 assists and was one of just six Bulldogs to skate in all 38 games.

In addition, rookie center Cal Decowski landed the Mike Sertich Award (Most Improved Player) as a reward for a solid stretch run in which he racked up six of his eight overall points (three goals and five assists) in the last nine outings of the year. Senior defenseman Drew Olson received the Goldie Wolfe Award (Most Inspirational Player), senior right winger Keegan Flaherty was honored with the Bulldog Community Service Award and junior defenseman Tim Smith earned himself the Bob Junkert Award for possessing the best plus-minus (+3) of any Bulldog this winter

Slovakia defeated the United States 4-1 Tuesday in the World Championships before 9,262 fans in Helsinki, Finland. Danny Kristo of Eden Prairie, Minn., had America’s goal. The loss cost the U.S. the Group H title, however the Americans (5-2) are in Thursday’s quarterfinals against Russia at 5 a.m. CDT

The International Ice Hockey Federation has a game recap here and video (including an interview with Tim Stapleton) here and here.

Former Alaska Anchorage coach Dave Shyiak, fired March 29 after eight seasons, is accused of hitting Anchorage player Nick Haddad with a hockey stick according to a letter by former player Mickey Spencer sent recently to the school’s president, board of regents and chancellor. Doyle Woody of the Anchorage Daily News has the details here.

Minnesota Duluth has a promotion providing a drawing of one gift a day through June’s 30 days for those renewing season tickets for men’s and women’s hockey, and football, by the end of May. Details of the 30-for-30 deal are available on the school’s athletic web site here.

The No. 2-ranked Minnesota Wilderness of Cloquet were beaten by No. 1 Brooks (Alberta) Bandits 6-3 Sunday in round-robin play of Canada’s Royal Bank Cup in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Brooks is 2-0 in the five-team tournament and Minnesota 0-2.

A game story from the tournament web site is here.

Minnesota plays Truro (Nova Scotia) on Tuesday.

In the World Championships in Finland and Sweden, the United States (5-1) next faces Slovakia (2-4) Tuesday in Helsinki.

The International Ice Hockey Federation has world rankings based on tournament play here.

The United States defeated Germany 3-0 Sunday before 11,057 fans at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. Defenseman Justin Faulk had an assist. The U.S. continues to lead Group H at 5-1.

The International Ice Hockey Federation has a game story here and video highlights here and post-game interviews here.

Defenseman Brenden Kotyk of Regina, Saskatchewan, after a year at St. Scholastica, is transferring to Minnesota Duluth with hopes of playing for the Bulldogs. A News Tribune story is here.

The Syracuse Crunch beat Springfield 5-3 Saturday to take a 2-0 lead in an American Hockey League Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series. J.T. Brown had an assist. The Syracuse Post-Standard has a game story here.

Todd Mileweski of U.S. College Hockey Online has an update on what was on the agenda a week ago as college hockey coaches gathered in Florida here.

Alex Iafallo scored a goal Saturday night, yet the Fargo Force lost 4-1 at Dubuque to fall behind 2-0 in the U.S. Hockey League’s Clark Cup final. A game story from the Dubuque Telegraph Herald via the Fargo Forum here.

The Minnesota Wilderness, the first U.S.-based team to compete in Canada’s Royal Bank Cup, opened play Saturday with a 5-1 loss to host Summerside in Prince Edward Island. The tournament web site has a recap here.

The United States defeated France 4-2 Saturday in the World Championships before 7,458 fans in Helsinki, Finland. The U.S. leads Group H at 4-1. Tim Stapleton, Drew LeBlanc and Justin Faulk all had assists.

Updates from USA Hockey, with video, here and the International Ice Hockey Federation here.

Dubuque defeated Fargo 4-1 Friday night in Dubuque, Iowa, to open the U.S. Hockey League’s best-of-five championship playoff series. A game story from the Dubuque Telegraph Herald via the Fargo Forum here.

The Syracuse Crunch defeated the Springfield Falcons 5-2 Friday night to take Game 1 of the American Hockey League Eastern Conference semifinals at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, Mass. Winger J.T. Brown had a goal for Syracuse.  game story from the Syracuse (N.Y.) Post-Standard here.

The NCHC announced a board of directors this week for 2013-14, led by board chair Brian Faison, athletic director at North Dakota. Minnesota Duluth’s new athletic director, Josh Berlo, is also on the board. A news release is here.

The Minnesota Wilderness of the Superior International Junior Hockey League has become the first U.S.-based team to qualify for Canada’s Royal Bank Cup, which opens Saturday. The News Tribune has a Wilderness update here.

Star defenseman Gage Ausmus of East Grand Forks, Minn., who had made a commitment to Denver, will now join North Dakota’s program (following the firing of Denver coach George Gwozdecky). Ausmus has played with the U18 team and his dad, Troy, played football at UMD. The Grand Forks Herald has an update here.

Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves has named Matt Walsh as a full time assistant. A Wisconsin State Journal update is here.

The Omaha World-Herald has an update on Nebraska-Omaha’s roster, including the release of forward walk on Joe Krause of Hermantown. The story is here.

The International Ice Hockey Federation has an update that it appears the NHL will participate in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, in a story here.

The IHHF also has world rankings here as the U.S. prepares to meet France on Saturday in Helsinki, Finland, in the World Championships.

Junior winger Joe Basaraba of Fort Frances, Ontario, and junior winger Adam Krause of Hermantown have been named Minnesota Duluth men’s co-captains for 2013-14, the school announced Thursday.

Basaraba had 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points in 37 games last season, and has 20 goals and 28 points in 113 career games. He’ll be part of a four-player senior class next season.

Krause had two goals and two assists for four points in 2012-13, and has seven points in 66 career games. His brother, Joe, was a sophomore forward at Nebraska-Omaha in 2012-13.