Hall of Fame Class of 2013: Dean Talafous
August 27, 2013 | General News
Every day this week leading up to the induction ceremony, one of the eight members of the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame class of 2013 will be celebrated. The Hall of Fame induction is Friday, Aug. 30 outside the Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center. The 5 p.m. ceremony is open to the public. Today's honoree is former Wisconsin men's hockey star Dean Talafous.
Aug. 27, 2013
MADISON, Wis. -- Dean Talafous, affectionately known as "The Stork" during his varsity playing days for the Badgers (1971-74), was already part of Badger lore. Soon he will be part of the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.
Most famously known for his NCAA heroics in the 1973 NCAA Frozen Four, Talafous was named the 1973 Frozen Four MVP after scoring game-winning goals against Cornell in the semifinals and Denver in the finals.
In one of the greatest comebacks in Wisconsin hockey history, the Badgers trailed 4-0 at one point, and 5-2 in the third period to Cornell in the NCAA semifinals. Drawn to within 5-4, Talafous provided his first clutch goal with just five seconds left in regulation, tying the game at five and sending it to overtime. Then with 33 seconds left in overtime, Talafous scored again to send the Badgers to their first NCAA championship game.
 |
| Dean Talafous |
In the title game, Talafous broke a 2-2 second period deadlock with the eventual game-winning tally in a 4-2 victory over Denver, giving Wisconsin its first of six NCAA titles.
Talafous completed his Badger career with 133 points in 111 games played, and led the Badgers in assists and game-winning goals in both the 1972-73 and 1973-74 campaigns.
Following his UW career, Talafous played eight seasons in the NHL with the Atlanta Flames (1974-75), Minnesota North Stars (1975-78) and the New York Rangers (1978-82), posting 108 goals and 269 points in 518 career contests. He was originally drafted at No. 53 overall in the fourth round of the 1973 NHL Draft by Atlanta.
Talafous represented the United States in 1973 and 1974 at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, and also skated for Team USA at the 1976 and 1981 Canada Cup.
Following his playing career, Talafous took a spot behind the bench, serving as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota (1982-88), before serving as head coach of UW-River Falls (1989-96). His tenure at River Falls peaked with the team's capture of the 1994 NCAA Division III championship. Talafous was also head coach of the WCHA's Alaska Anchorage Seawolves from 1996 to 2001.
His Badger legacy continued on in 2002 when his son Peter became a member of the UW men's hockey program. Pete spent three years with the Badgers, scoring three goals and 20 points in 52 games from 2002 to 2005.
