North Iowa Bulls and head coach/general manager part ways

F&S Management purchased the North Iowa Bulls in October 2019 and transitioned its North American Hockey League team from Amarillo, Texas, to Mason City. The Bulls became the NAHL team, while a new team was formed, the Mason City Toros, to replace the Bulls in the NA3HL.

In 10 years as part of the NA3HL, Sanden and his teams went 365-101 while winning five West Division championships, three other Central Division championships, and four NA3HL championships.

Since the team moved to the NAHL, the team is 51-69.

“Not many junior hockey coaches are blessed to spend 12 years in the same community. For that, I’d like to thank my wife Teresa and my family, the many players and their families who have supported our goals and process in their development, the many local families who have opened their homes as billets for our players, all of our volunteers who make North Iowa a great junior hockey destination, and the city of Mason City along with Mason City Youth Hockey for embracing junior teams. The success and support I’ve enjoyed here will be hard to duplicate elsewhere. Thank you, North Iowa and Mason City,” said Sanden.

According to the team website, coach Sanden has amassed over 1,200 games as a coach at the junior level and well over 1,450 in his career as a hockey coach.

Coach Sanden has spent time as an assistant with the Coulee Region Chill and the North Iowa Outlaws of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). Sanden also has been a head coach in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Coach Sanden also has international coaching experience, participating in exhibition games in Austria, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland.