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The Bozeman Icedogs are no longer just another team in the Northern Pacific Hockey League, better known as the NORPAC. Now they're well connected, or more precisely, they're affiliated.

The Icedogs are the new NORPAC affiliate for the North American Hockey League's Chicago Hitmen, a Tier 2 Junior A expansion team, which, according to new head coach Bill Zaniboni "is going to offer kids an opportunity to take that next step to college."

What it means for the team is that Bozeman is a new training ground for future Hitmen. And Chicago is a very possible destination for the current Icedogs.

"It all depends on what Chicago needs," Zaniboni said Tuesday from his home in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. "If something does occur where a player is playing very well for us and they want to give him a look, he can definitely be shipped down there for a weekend series to get a feel for it."

Zaniboni, who went from playing in the NAHL to Division 1 hockey, actually made the Icedogs-Hitmen move possible. He played for Hitmen head coach Steve Pronger during his time with the Detroit Red Wings AA affiliate Flint Generals in 2008 and 2009. Zaniboni kept in close contact with his former coach and as a result, Zaniboni, Pronger and Hitmen owner Mark Hammersmith struck the deal for the Icedogs in Chicago's inaugural season. Along with the affiliation, however, comes extra responsibility for the first year coach. Hitmen management asked Zaniboni to be their head talent scout for the western United States.

"Pretty much, I'm just going to watch the NORPAC. Being a head coach, I'll get to see every team and know the players. I'm lucky our division (America West) is very strong every year. I'll get to see some good players," said Zaniboni, who played for five minor league affiliates after a career at Northern Michigan University. He leaves Sault Ste. Marie for Bozeman on Monday to assume the top position after previous coach Kevin Stone resigned due to a discrepancy with his immigration from Canada.

The coach says he is completely excited to get to work and meet the Icedogs soon after his arrival. The team starts practicing for the 2010-2011 season on August 20th, but Zaniboni knows his young team will need to impress with the newly added attention to the program. Being that it is his first year, the coach may feel pressure to win more than the kids on the ice, who are under 20 years old. Most of them are hoping to use hockey as a way to earn a college scholarship.

"That's what we want these young kids to work on. To get an education out of this whole thing," said Zaniboni. "It's going to be an opportunity for kids looking to move to that next level and they're going to be hungry every night because there's always someone watching and looking to see what people do at that level. It's going to be exciting hockey and we hope to pack that rink and get that tradition of winning back together."

Now that the Hitmen organization is now his overseer, it may come as little surprise that Zaniboni cheered on the Chicago Blackhawks to their NHL Stanley Cup victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in June. But he also says he cheered them on because they're similar to the squad he's leading.

"We're young, we have a lot of energy, and we'll be fun to watch," he said hopefully. "We've got a lot of size. A couple kids that are 6'3" and 6'4". It's basically a fresh, new group of kids."

New kids. New coach. New affiliation. Perhaps, new championships in Bozeman.