Hudson Crusaders

Head Coach Ted Urschel will be entering his 5th year behind the bench for the Crusaders.  In his first 3 seasons he was an assistant and the forwards coach.  This past season, his first as Head Coach, Ted was able to lead the Crusaders to their first ever National Tournament appearance with the help of his staff.

Ted grew up playing hockey in Peoria, Illinois, Philadelphia, PA and Red Wing, MN which gives him a unique knowledge of the different styles of hockey that are played throughout the US.  

After moving to Red Wing, Minnesota Ted played a key role on the Red Wing High School team which lost in the class A championship game his senior year.  After high school Ted played 3 seasons in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League for both the St. Paul Lakers and Twin Cities Northern Lights where he was a 2-time all-star.  During his last season with the Lights, Ted scored 72 points which is still a team record for most points in the regular season.  After juniors, Ted played Division III college hockey for Hamline University in the MIAC.

Ted credits past coaches like George Nemanich (Red Wing HS), Don Babineau, Eric Fink (Tri-City Storm) and Scott Bell (Hamline University) with helping him learn more about the game of hockey and developing him into the coach he is today.

Ted currently resides in Hudson, WI where he is an EMT-Basic for the St Croix EMS ambulance service.

Don grew up playing hockey in Champlin Park, MN where he was a 2 time captain of his high school team.  Don went on to play 3 seasons for the Minnesota Owls (MNJHL) and led his team to the National Tournament all 3 years he was there. 

After playing, Don immediately began coaching at the age of 22 where he was an assistant with the Owls.  He was then hired by the Northwest Knights to be their Head Coach.  Don led the Northwest Knights to two, 2nd place finishes behind the perennial juggernaut Iron Range Yellow Jackets.  Don then accepted the Head Coaching position with the St. Paul Lakers where he coached current Crusaders coach, Ted Urschel.  Don was then the Head Coach of the Hudson Crusaders from 2007-2009 before he stepped down to spend more time with his family and help the upstart Minnesota Wildcats.  Don returned to the Crusaders as an assistant coach during the 2009-2010 season.  Don has been named MNJHL coach of the year twice during his 12 year coaching career. 

Don currently resides in Plymouth, MN with his wife Lisa, son Blake and daughter Bailey where he is a manager at Costco.

Elliott grew up playing hockey in St. Louis for the St. Louis Jr. Blues AAA organization.  At the age of 16, Elliott began his junior career in the MnJHL with St. Paul Lakers where he met Head Coach Ted Urschel and was coached by now Assistant Coach, Don Babineau.

After 3 seasons in the MnJHL, Elliott played 2 seasons in the NOJHL where in his fifth and last year of junior hockey, helped lead his team to a league title.  Elliott then played 1 season of NCAA Division III Hockey for the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.  

Elliott then began his coaching career while working with current Phoenix Coyotes Amateur scout Matt Millar with the Goaltending Development Institute-GDI.  Elliott has helped trained some of the top goaltenders in Minnesota and Wisconsin including Mike Lee (St. Cloud State-WCHA, USA 2010 WJC Champion), Jordan Parise (North Dakota-WCHA), Troy Davenport (Cornell-ECAC) and this years Wisconsin Mr. Hockey Saxton Soley (Eau Claire Memorial).  

After 2 seasons of working with the Crusaders, Elliott was also hired by the Austin Bruins (NAHL) as their goaltending consultant for their inaugural year and has retained that position for the 2011-12 season.

Elliott currently resides in White Bear Lake, MN where he still works with GDI and at the Total Hockey Maplewood.