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2014 USA Bandy Hall of Fame Inductee - Chris Middlebrook

By staff, 10/03/14, 1:00PM CDT

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Player, Coach, Leader, Ambassador....Middlebrook has done it all...

Chris Middlebrook was there the December 1980 evening when Gunnar Fast introduced bandy to  Minnesota hockey players at Richfield Ice Arena.  During the next 34 years Middlebrook became a leading factor across the entire spectrum of USA Bandy. As a player he was a member of the first US National Team that played in Sweden in October 1981 and continued to represent team USA until his final international match in October 2002, playing Libero (sweeper) the entire time, a total of 173 international matches.  He was Captain of the US Team from 1982-1997, was the first American to play on a Swedish team, Skovde BK —1983-84 and was the world's first true professional bandy player, Harnosand 1985-86. He was also offered the opportunity to play in the Soviet Union 1986-87. Middlebrook won an unprecedented 14 USA Championships as a player. He was player/coach of the US National Team 1988-89, Head Coach 1999-2005 and Co-Head Coach 2008-2012. He also was Head Coach of USA Youth Bandy 1997 to 2007. As a Leader Middlebrook was a co-founder of the Bandoliers, the first American Bandy Team. He has been an ABA Board Member since 1982 and ABA President 1992-1996 and 2004 to present. He was a co-founder of the Minnesota Bandy Federation (1984) and the American International Summer Bandy Camp (2000) and also founder and ongoing director of the North American Cup (1984) and the North American Rink Bandy Cup (1987). In recent years Middlebrook has founded and coached the youth team Dynamo Washburn and was co -founder of the Saints Bandy Club. He currently is the Team Leader of the US Men's National Team and Head Coach of the USA Development Team.