Luke Strand, who is set to start his first season as head men’s ice hockey coach at Minnesota State University in 2023-24, is serving as head coach of the Under-18 Men's Select Team for the first time. He previously was an assistant coach for the U.S. Junior Select Team that won the 2010 World Junior A Challenge.

Strand, who boasts 20 years of coaching experience, wrapped the 2022-23 season as an assistant men’s ice hockey coach at Ohio State University where he orchestrated the program’s top-ranked penalty kill unit (.887) and helped the Buckeyes to a 21-16-3 record, a third-place finish in the Big Ten Conference and a berth in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Prior to his time in Columbus, Strand served as head coach and director of hockey operations for the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers for five seasons (2017-22), guiding the team to the Clark Cup title in 2022 behind a 41-16-4-1 (W-L-OTL-SOL) regular-season record. The Eau Claire, Wisconsin, native, also coached the Musketeers to playoff berths in 2019 and 2021. Before his time at the helm in Sioux City, Strand spent one year as a scout for the NHL’s Calgary Flames (2016-17) and had stops working in the AHL, NCAA and USHL between 2003-16.