“Getting ready to play a lot of golf” is Jeff Sauer’s immediate response when the subject of his retirement surfaces. Barely a month has melted away since the former Wisconsin head hockey coach concluded his career — opting to begin anew in the field of retirement. Yet, still the weeks have remained at a frenzied pace.

With the prior weeks reminiscent of a given stretch in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WHCA), Sauer, who received a trip to an Augusta, Ga., golf course as a retirement gift, has not been able to reap the benefits associated with the verb “retire.” Instead, he took an expedition to the NCAA’s hockey Frozen Four in his native Saint Paul that left more than Minnesota (this year’s NCAA hockey champions) with hardware to display on the 6th of April. The entire Saturday in the capital city was hailed as Jeff Sauer Day, and it ended with Sauer receiving an unexpected mark of distinction, the 2002 Citation of Merit, given to the former coach for his outstanding achievement outside the rink.

“[Jeff Sauer Day] wasn’t a surprise,” said Sauer, who has two years remaining on his contract with Wisconsin. “The [Citation of Merit] was a complete surprise. [The Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation] caught me completely off guard, they asked me to make a speech.”

Back in Madison, new head coach Mike Eaves looks to ready himself for his inaugural season as a head coach in the WCHA but more importantly, organize a program that is without its former largest asset: Sauer. UW’s most successful coach will be seen creeping in the background shadows of the hockey administrative offices, but will be more than available to Eaves if the need for his counsel should arise.

“[Eaves] hasn’t really recruited at this level,” Sauer said. “[Our main goal is] to help with contacts, most of the recruiting he’s done has been in the United States. The Canadian atmosphere will need to be opened to him. If he needs answers to questions, I will help.”

Staying away from coaching evaluations, Sauer’s new position entails the running of tournaments. The Ice Breaker Tournament, held in Madison in October, and the annual Showdown Tournament in Milwaukee during December, will be added to his already lengthy list of commitments. Sauer will continue to work with the hearing-impaired in the World Deaf Olympics, an organization based in Chicago that the Sauer name has been associated with for the past 25 years. Ties will remain between the U.S.A. International Hockey Committee that holds interest in the Olympics competition, and in the U.S.A. Hockey programs that include international and junior curriculums which prepare players for the next level of competition.

As an aficionado of the department of rules and regulations, Sauer has been called upon for advice from both the WCHA and the NCAA, and holds hopes that one day he will be asked to be involved in committees on the safety level. The discussion on whether or not a safety net should be placed above and behind the Plexiglas behind the goals has been thrust into the spotlight after Columbus Blue Jacket forward Espen Knutsen’s shot sailed over the protective enclosure and killed 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil. Sauer will at some point be dealing with that aspect of the game.

“It’s sad because it wasn’t the puck hitting [Cecil],” said Sauer, a member of the NCAA Rules Committee for eight years. “It was something [the doctors] didn’t see until too late. I’ve been in a lot of rinks in Europe and a lot of those rinks have nets. I think from a fan’s standpoint it’s a distraction.”

With UW’s Athletic Director Pat Richter possibly nearing departure from campus, and Sauer’s numerous tentacles strewn throughout the sport of hockey, his status after his UW contract is up remains in question.

“There are going to be a lot of changes here in the next few years,” said Sauer. “Richter may leave, but there’s no reason [to expect my departure].”

The National Hockey League remains a taboo subject for Sauer; he was contacted five or six years ago about possible positions and all were met with rejections. But the prospect of color commentary for the Fox Sports Network, who broadcasts Badger hockey contests, may entice Sauer.

Two things are for sure when dealing with Sauer: his residence will remain near the lush golf courses of Madison, and hockey will always be a fixture in his life.

Says Sauer, “[Hockey] has been a part of my life since I can remember. It’s not something you can walk away from.”