Broadfoot a Gopher "Institution" as Hockey Equipment Manager

 Wander into Harry Broadfoot’s den in the bowels of Mariucci Arena and you’ll find a museum of Golden Gopher hockey history.

Jerseys from over 20 years of Minnesota hockey teams dangle from the high ceiling and banners of past championship events adorn the walls. A refrigerator looks as though it was purchased when the Gophers were still playing their games outdoors.

Possibly the least-recognized relic from the room is its curator himself.

Broadfoot has been working behind the scenes as an equipment manager with University of Minnesota athletics since 1976, when they still used wooden sticks and wore leather skates.

“Harry’s an institution,” said Gophers’ hockey coach Don Lucia, who has worked with Broadfoot since coming to Minnesota in 1999.

“Everybody likes Harry,” noted Lucia’s predecessor, Doug Woog. “He’s seen it all.”

Hockey is where Broadfoot has especially made his mark, sharpening skates and washing Golden Gopher uniforms since joining the sport in 1986 “because they told me that’s what I had,” he says.

One-liners are commonplace in Broadfoot’s world below the grandstands where he munches on handfuls of jellybeans, nibbles on chicken wings and keeps a box of oatmeal raisin cookies ready for any potential visitor. Broadfoot is good for eating just about anything the sweeter the better and even originally had hopes to work in the food business.

“I wanted to be a cook,” said Broadfoot, whose self-identified specialties are chili and grilled catfish. After graduating from Minneapolis Vocational High School, Broadfoot had a job lined up as a chef at the Sheraton-Ritz hotel, but put it off to attend one year of college at Moorhead State University and never pursued his culinary dreams. He joined the University of Minnesota in 1972 as a dormitory bookkeeper and snatched up a chance to work in athletics four years later.

At five-and-a-half feet tall, Broadfoot never played sports himself, though he draws plenty of inquiries about a media guide mention of a professional wrestling career. The legend was created by a former Minnesota Sports Information Director to persuade Broadfoot to get his picture taken and prove people really would read his bio. He first worked with football, wrestling and basketball. He served as equipment manager for both men’s basketball and hockey until 2000 and now also works with the women’s rowing team.

When handed the hockey assignment, he admits the only thing he knew about icing came on cakes and cookies, but Broadfoot gradually gained the necessary hockey skills and knowledge. Aside from putting too much pressure on a rivet and drilling it through the whole skate his first time, he learned quickly, which is the personality trait for which he’s most proud.

“I’ve always thought that even though I might not have the experience, I’ve got the ability to learn. The key is the willingness to do the job. People I hire know absolutely nothing about skate sharpening. But if you’re willing to learn, I can teach you. I have that attitude because it’s how I felt about myself.

“A lot of the job is learning as you go. You have to have a certain amount of humility and being able to say you don’t know, but you’re willing to learn. In that time gap, you just hope you don’t screw up too many things.”

Woog remembers Broadfoot’s early years with the hockey team and noted how many former student managers have gone on to jobs around the league.

“He’s such a good mentor,” Woog said. “What he’s done for all those kids is amazing. It’s a training ground for patience.”

Lee Greseth, who worked under Broadfoot in the early 1990’s before serving as equipment manager at conference rivals Colorado College, Alaska-Anchorage, North Dakota and currently Denver, knows firsthand how deep Broadfoot’s respect stretches league-wide.

“When I was at Minnesota, Harry just basically let us run the show,” Greseth said of he and his fellow student staffers. “Even today, I know whenever I have a question about something he’ll be the first one I call.”

Broadfoot learned the intricacies of his trade from his predecessor, Bud Kessel, who frequently reminded him the important lesson of not stressing out over the job. A memorial card from Kessel’s funeral on June 6, 1993 is kept tacked above Broadfoot’s desk, keeping Kessel’s mantra forefront in his mind.

“The best thing he left me with was he always told me, Harry, just stay calm. Whatever happens just stay calm.’”

Broadfoot’s positive attitude is not lost on Lucia and the rest of the Golden Gophers. “Harry’s great to be around,” Lucia said. “He’s always upbeat and in a good mood. His presence just puts everyone else in a good mood.”

Broadfoot’s favorite parts of the job are the road trips and personalities of the players. Of course, it’s the food that he loves most about the road, but it’s the ever-changing roster that he cherishes more than anything.

“In the pros, it’s the same guys. Here, I know there’s going to be a certain turnover rate with fresh people every year.

“I’ve got a real high level of respect for what they do. They perform at a high level and it feels like they’ve got a certain level of respect in me. In that regard, it’s pretty cool.”

His relationships with the players extend well beyond their stick length and skate size. He gets to know each player on a personal level and they affectionately know him as “Bomber.” The nickname evolved after former player and current Buffalo Sabres’ forward Thomas Vanek began calling him “H-Bomb.” Broadfoot likes the moniker, but added “when we visited the White House after our first national title, I had to tell the guys, Please, don’t call me by my nickname today.’”

Current Gophers’ senior forward Ben Gordon noted that Broadfoot is well aware of his superstition of eating nine pieces of gum before every game and is perfectly timed with another pack every time Gordon finishes his first three pieces.

Broadfoot’s own pre-game habits are even well-known to colleagues across the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. “People around the league make sure to have Twinkies ready in the visiting locker room when Harry’s in town,” Greseth said.

Unique in many ways, Broadfoot is also one of the only African-American equipment managers in all of college hockey, but it’s something neither he nor anyone else even notices.

“I’ve never thought of it in that context,” he said. “I just wanted to be a guy whose done his job.”

“Because everyone likes him so much, he’s always been treated fairly,” said Woog, who joined Broadfoot for summer fishing trips and post-practice pizza parties on Wednesdays when he was coaching. “I consider him one of the best people I ever met. It’s never about Harry. He doesn’t need much center stage.”

Though he’s seemingly always upbeat, the job isn’t all perfect for Broadfoot, who spends most of his days and nights on road trips in the tiny visitor locker room sharpening skates and preparing uniforms before the occasional Twinkie. Hockey equipment is more complex than most sports and has its ever-present sweaty stench, but Broadfoot wouldn’t trade it.

“I see other people doing things and I think I don’t have it bad at all. Plus, I work with great personalities, I eat good and I’m getting paid for it.”

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