NAHL announces sale of Austin Bruins and Rochester Grizzlies to Eveleth, Minnesota native Brian Raduenz
In a press release from the North American Hockey League (NAHL), the league has announced that its Board of Governors has approved the application, sale, and transfer of membership of the Austin Bruins and the NA3HL’s Rochester Grizzlies to Eveleth, Minnesota native Brian Raduenz who has purchased the teams from Mike Cooper and Craig Patrick.
Raduenz is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of AEVEX Aerospace, an Aerospace and Defense company specializing in aviation-based technology solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after serving 20 years in the U.S. Air Force as a commander, flight test engineer, and program manager for a wide variety of manned and unmanned Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) programs.
Raduenz, who played high school hockey for the then-Eveleth Golden Bears and graduated from Eveleth High School in 1984 received his Air Force Commission and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he also played NCAA Division I hockey. He also holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a Master of Science in Military Studies from Air University.
The Austin Bruins began play in the NAHL in 2010-11. In 13 seasons in the NAHL, the Bruins have made the playoffs nine times, won four Central Division regular season titles, and have an overall record of 412-266-87 in that time span. In that 13-year span, the Bruins have had more than 140 NCAA commitments. The team has been to the Robertson Cup Championship Game three times in 2014, 2015, and in 2023.
The Rochester Grizzlies just finished their fifth season playing in the NA3HL. During the 2021-22 season, the Grizzlies were crowned as Fraser Cup National Champions and during the 2020-21 season the finished as Fraser Cup Runner-Up. In five years in the NA3HL, the Grizzlies have amassed a 173-43-12 record and advanced dozens of players onto the NAHL and college hockey.