# Ken Yackel

Kenneth James Yackel (March 5, 1930 – July 12, 1991) was an American ice hockey player. Yackel played for the American national team at the 1952 Winter Olympics. He briefly played professionally in the National Hockey League, appearing in six games with the Boston Bruins in 1959, the second American-developed player to appear in the NHL during the 1950s. He was briefly the head coach for Minnesota Gophers during the 1971–72 season, serving in an interim capacity after Glen Sonmor resigned mid-year. Yackel was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1948–49 | St. Paul Parkland High School | HS-MN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1950–51 | St. Paul Koppys | AAHL | 24 | 15 | 14 | 29 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1951–52 | University of Minnesota | MCHL | 10 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1951–52 | United States National Team | Intl | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1952–53 | University of Minnesota | MCHL | 27 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1953–54 | University of Minnesota | WIHL | 27 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1954–55 | University of Minnesota | WIHL | 28 | 18 | 18 | 36 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1955–56 | University of Minnesota | WIHL | 30 | 31 | 27 | 58 | 102 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1955–56 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1956–57 | St. Paul Peters | CHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1956–57 | Minneapolis Bungalows | USCHL | — | 15 | 10 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1957–58 | Saskatoon Regals/Saint Paul Saints | WHL | 21 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1958–59 | Providence Reds | AHL | 66 | 16 | 33 | 49 | 83 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1958–59 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1959–60 | Providence Reds | AHL | 57 | 14 | 21 | 35 | 58 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 16 |
| 1960–61 | Minneapolis Millers | IHL | 72 | 40 | 74 | 114 | 102 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 8 |
| 1961–62 | Minneapolis Millers | IHL | 66 | 50 | 48 | 98 | 103 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
| 1962–63 | Minneapolis Millers | IHL | 70 | 40 | 60 | 100 | 70 | 21 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 12 |
| 1963–64 | Muskegon Zephyrs | IHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| IHL totals | IHL totals | IHL totals | 209 | 130 | 182 | 312 | 275 | 34 | 13 | 16 | 29 | 33 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1952 | United States | OLY | | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | 8 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 13 |

## Head coaching record
### College

Statistics overview :
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing |
| Minnesota Golden Gophers (WCHA / Big Ten) (1971–1972) ||||||
| 1971–72 | Minnesota | 7–17–0† | 6–14–0 / 3–5–0† | 10th / 4th |
| Minnesota: | Minnesota: | 7–17–0 | 6–14–0 / 3–5–0 | |
| Total: | Total: | 7–17–0 | | |
| National champion   Postseason invitational champion   Conference regular season champion   Conference regular season and conference tournament champion  Division regular season champion  Division regular season and conference tournament champion  Conference tournament champion ||||||
†Yackel replaced Glen Sonmor in December 1971

## Awards and honors

| Award | Year |
| All-WIHL First Team | 1953–54 |
| AHCA First Team All-American | 1953–54 |
| All-NCAA All-Tournament First Team | 1954 |
| All-WIHL First Team | 1954–55 |
| AHCA First Team All-American | 1954–55 |
| All-WIHL First Team | 1955–56 |
| AHCA Second team all-american | 1955–56 |