Stu Bickel

Stuart Richard Bickel (born October 2, 1986) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and current head coach of the American Hockey League’s Iowa Wild. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild.

Playing career On July 2, 2008, the Anaheim Ducks signed Bickel, an undrafted free agent, to a three-year contract. In the 2010–11 season, on November 23, 2010, the Ducks traded Bickel to the New York Rangers in exchange for fellow defenseman, Nigel Williams. After starting the 2011–12 season with the AHL Connecticut Whale, Bickel was called up to the Rangers on December 18, 2011. He made his NHL debut on December 20, 2011, in a game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center, recording an assist in the game for his first NHL point.

The Rangers re-signed Bickel to a two-year contract on July 1, 2012. He started the delayed 2012–13 season with the Rangers after the NHL lockout. Still, after 16 games, he was placed on waivers and assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Whale and Wolf Pack, for the remainder of his two-year contract.

On July 1, 2014, Bickel signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Minnesota Wild. Bickel was assigned initially to AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild to begin the 2014–15 season, however, he made his return to the NHL for the first time since 2012, appearing in nine games with Minnesota with one assist.

As an unsigned free agent over the off-season, Bickel accepted an invitation to the St. Louis Blues training camp on a professional try-out. After he was unable to earn a contract with the Blues and their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, Bickel signed a professional try-out with the San Diego Gulls on October 9, 2015.

Bickel, in his tenth and final professional season, made four appearances with the San Diego Gulls in the 2017–18 AHL season.

Coaching career Having ended his professional career, for the 2018–19 season, Bickel accepted an assistant coaching role for the University of Minnesota hockey team. In 2020, Bickel left the U of M and became the head coach of the North American Hockey League's Minnesota Magicians, based out of Richfield, Minnesota, for the 2020–21 season. After one season with the Magicians, he initially joined the St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies men's ice hockey team as an assistant coach before joining the 2021–22 staff of the American Hockey League's Springfield Thunderbirds as an assistant coach. Bickel helped the Thunderbirds reach the Calder Cup Finals in his only season with the team.

Bickel was hired by the Seattle Kraken as an assistant coach with their new AHL affiliate, the expansion Coachella Valley Firebirds in 2022. With Bickel working alongside fellow assistant coach Jessica Campbell on head coach Dan Bylsma’s staff, the Firebirds reached the Calder Cup Finals in 2023 and 2024.

Following four seasons with Coachella Valley, Bickel was named head coach of the Iowa Wild on June 29, 2026.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2004–05 Green Bay Gamblers USHL 13 0 0 0 20 — — — — — 2005–06 Green Bay Gamblers USHL 14 0 0 0 25 — — — — — 2005–06 Southern Minnesota Express NAHL 38 8 12 20 115 13 1 4 5 36 2006–07 Sioux Falls Stampede USHL 57 2 11 13 215 8 0 3 3 29 2007–08 University of Minnesota WCHA 45 1 6 7 92 — — — — — 2008–09 Iowa Chops AHL 21 0 1 1 51 — — — — — 2009–10 Bakersfield Condors ECHL 24 1 12 13 50 9 0 2 2 14 2009–10 San Antonio Rampage AHL 36 2 2 4 38 — — — — — 2010–11 Syracuse Crunch AHL 6 0 3 3 14 — — — — — 2010–11 Elmira Jackals ECHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2010–11 Hartford Wolf Pack/CT Whale AHL 54 2 7 9 135 6 0 1 1 6 2011–12 Connecticut Whale AHL 27 1 3 4 80 — — — — — 2011–12 New York Rangers NHL 51 0 9 9 108 18 0 0 0 16 2012–13 New York Rangers NHL 16 0 0 0 49 — — — — — 2012–13 Connecticut Whale AHL 10 0 1 1 18 — — — — — 2013–14 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 24 1 7 8 85 — — — — — 2014–15 Iowa Wild AHL 43 3 8 11 93 — — — — — 2014–15 Minnesota Wild NHL 9 0 1 1 46 — — — — — 2015–16 San Diego Gulls AHL 59 1 6 7 210 6 0 0 0 6 2016–17 San Diego Gulls AHL 26 2 4 6 148 3 0 1 1 2 2017–18 San Diego Gulls AHL 4 0 0 0 47 — — — — — AHL totals 310 12 42 54 919 15 0 2 2 14 NHL totals 76 0 10 10 203 18 0 0 0 16