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NAHL Minnesota Wilderness

Stepan Shifts from NA3 Head Coach to Lead NAHL Team

October 15, 2024 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Minnesota Wilderness News Release


The Minnesota Wilderness did not have to go far to find its successor to Colten St. Clair as head coach.

The Cloquet-based member of the North American Hockey League today named Zach Stepan as the franchise's seventh head coach since it entered the league in 2013.

Stepan had been leading the Wilderness' North American tier 3 Hockey League team based in Eveleth, MN as head coach and general manager. This is the first season for the NA3HL Wilderness. Through eight games, Stepan led the squad to a 4-4 record.

Stepan is a native of Faribault, MN. His prior head coaching experience came when he led the New Ulm Steel of the NA3HL for two seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21. The 30-year-old Stepan also spent single seasons as an assistant coach with the Chippewa Steel and Aberdeen Wings of the NAHL and the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL.

Stepan's playing experience includes four years at Minnesota State University-Mankato. In the middle of his college career, Stepan skated for Team USA in the 2013 World Junior Championship tournament. Stepan also had a brief stint in minor professional hockey where he played eight games with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL.

Even Alexius, who had been serving as the Wilderness interim head coach since St. Clair resigned on Oct. 9, will shift back to the assistant coaching role he held previously.

Stepan will coach his first game with the NAHL Wilderness on Oct. 24 when the team visits Chippewa.

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