Dave Hansen is the reason that the McKenzie County Hockey Club was founded and is thriving today. As the founding member in 1985, Dave, with help from a new local friend, founded the MCHC and had 14 members to play their first game. Dave’s passion quickly grew to 40 members in 3 years, and the club was able to join the AHAUS. Our club is now 210 players strong with multiple state championships, numerous former players now coaching, and the same Dave Hansen skating with Learn-to-Skate up to Jr. Gold daily, showing has passion for the sport.

Dave grew up in Grand Forks, ND and started playing hockey as a Pee Wee. He went on to play varsity hockey for Grand Forks Red River until he graduated in 1980. In 1981, Dave started his coaching career assisting the Red River JV team through 1984. In 1985, Dave moved to Watford City where he started the McKenzie County Hockey Club. He coached 48 teams from 1985 through the 2019 season when he finally retired from coaching. In 2021, he decided to come back for “one more year” to assist the Jr. Gold team and has continued to help ever since. During the 2024-2025 season, Dave coached the Learn-to-Skate/Learn-to-Play group while also assisting every other team on the ice. Dave has been voted Jr. Gold Coach of the year 3 times in his career. First in the ‘01-’02 season, second the ‘07-’08 season, and lastly the ’14-’15 season.

Dave not only has coached hockey for many years, but he also officiates games. He started officiating in 1985 and was happy to get his 25-year pin. He took a 2-year shift change after year 26 but then got right back to it helping to train the youth officials and still officiates games to this day.

Dave has been on the MCHC board of directors, hockey committee, and/or a trusted advisor to the club many times for the last 40 years. Dave currently sits on the MCHC coaches committee, Jr.Gold/High School Hockey Committee, and was the tournament manager for the 19U and Jr.Gold/High School state tournament when Watford City hosted a couple years ago. Dave has been a zamboni driver and skate sharpener for almost all 40 of those years the MCHC has been around.

In 1993, 8 years after the club was formed, Dave was able to get the community to start buying into community hockey through his passion of the sport. Dave spent countless hours and went to countless meetings, to find funding to get an ice rink installed in the multi-purpose building in town. In 1995, the MCHC skated indoors for the first time. As Watford City grew, the town built a new multi-purpose building (the Rough Rider Center) and on January 13th, 2017, there was a naming ceremony for the main rink. It is now proudly known as the Dave Hansen Arena, a huge honor to Dave for his commitment to the local youth hockey players.

Dave was the head coach for the following non-MCHC teams:

Team NW North Dakota (ND Select) at the Northern Plains 91’s AA hockey tourney.

Watford City Northern Stars Hockey team at the 2006 and 2007 Minnkota Cup.

2015 and 2016 Team North Dakota at the America’s Showcase in Pittsburg PA.