If you have heard of the game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, you know that the actor has been in so many films that you can make connections from him to about anyone in Hollywood within six people. The hockey version of this game could be Six Degrees of Mike Gibbons.

Gibbons, recently hired as an assistant coach at Bemidji State, has been a hockey coach at the college, high school, junior and pro levels since 1981. Gibbons retired after 13 seasons as an assistant coach at St. Cloud State last spring. That plan went to the wayside when Eddie Olczyk left his position as an assistant coach at Bemidji State to work for the NHL's Seattle Kraken and head coach Tom Serratore called.

Gibbons, a former Bemidji State All-American defenseman and coach, was hired to be an assistant coach for this season on Nov. 19. He talks about his career with The Rink Live's Jess Myers and Mick Hatten.