FAIRBANKS, Alaska – On Wednesday, Alaska Nanooks hockey head coach Erik Largen officially announced the addition of Joe Howe to his staff, who will serve as the program's assistant coach.

Howe becomes Largen's second and final assistant coaching hire since being named the Nooks' bench boss in April. Howe replaces Lincoln Nguyen, who resigned from the Alaska Nanooks hockey staff in June.

"We are thrilled to be adding Joe Howe to our coaching staff," Largen said on Wednesday. "Joe has a tireless work ethic and has already been a part of a staff which has won an NCAA National Championship. Joe is a teacher of the game and will be able to help out all of our student-athletes on a day-to-day basis. We are getting someone who will make an immediate impact on our program in the most positive way."

Howe comes to the Nanooks after spending the last three seasons with the University of Denver hockey program. Howe served as the team's volunteer assistant coach and goalie coach from August of 2015 through July 2017 before being promoted to the Director of Hockey Operations for the 2017-18 season.

At Denver, Howe and the rest of the Pioneers claimed the 2017 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey national championship title after claiming the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) regular season championship title. In 2016, the team advanced to the Frozen Four and were most recently named the 2018 NCHC playoff champions.

With the Pios, Howe was responsible for planning and executing goalie practices, team and individual video sessions, planned and managed team budgeting, travel, scheduling, and observed all game planning, recruiting, player evaluation and skill development.

While working as the goalie coach for DU, the Pios' netminders improved in goals against average, save percentage, games played and wins from the previous seasons. More specifically, Howe coached DU goaltender Tanner Jaillet, who was the 2017 Mike Richter award winner, the NCHC Goalie of the Year and was named a Second Team All-American.

A former goaltender from Plymouth, Minnesota, Howe played four seasons with Colorado College from 2009-2013. Howe appeared in 119 career games with the Tigers and is currently ranked third all-time in career saves. Howe was a three-time Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) All-Academic Team selection before graduating with a bachelor's degree in mathematical economics in May of 2013.

From 2013-2015, Howe played professionally in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and the American Hockey League (AHL).

Howe becomes the final addition to Largen's 2018-19 Nanook hockey staff which includes Zirnis, new volunteer assistant coach Dylan Blankenship, volunteer assistant coach and champs life coach Ryan Reinheller, new student volunteer assistant coach Eric Yancey, director of hockey operations Camden Pommenville, new equipment manager Tom Carroll, new athletic trainer Dave Boyd, strength and conditioning coach Mike Curtin and hockey office manager Shawn Head.

The Alaska Nanooks hockey team will host their annual Blue vs. Gold game on Saturday, Sept. 22 at the Patty Center before taking on the Simon Fraser Clan in exhibition action at the Carlson Center on Saturday, Sept. 29. Both games are scheduled for 7:07pm AKT.

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks hockey team, follow @NanooksHockey on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Hockey team page on Facebook.