A.J. Aitken will be in his seventh year and sixth season as St. Norbert College's women's hockey coach in 2025-26.
The Green Knights had a banner year in 2024-25, finishing with a school-record 25 wins, posting a record of 25-5-1 overall and 16-1-1 record in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association. St. Norbert swept the league's titles, winning both the regular season title and the Slaats Cup after defeating #7 Adrian College in the tournament final. The Green Knights continued to make history as they won their first NCAA Tournament game in program history, defeating Gustavus Adolphus 3-1 in the opening round and advancing to the quarterfinals.
Aitken also coached Courtnie Hogan to a record-breaking season in 24-25, concluding with her recieiving second team All-American honors.
In 2023-24, Aitken led the team to 21 wins, posting a 21-7-1 record overall and a 13-2-1record in NCHA, as the Green Knights finished as runner-up in the NCHA Slaats Cup Playoffs for a third consecutive season.
Aitken led the Green Knights to their second-consecutive 20-win season in 2022-23, posting a 20-6-3 mark overall and a 13-2-1 ledger in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association to finish in second place. St. Norbert finished as the NCHA Slaats Cup Playoffs runner-up for the second-straight year and was ranked No. 14 in the final USCHO.com Division III Poll.
St. Norbert had a banner 2021-22 season, setting a then school-record for wins with a 20-9 record. The Green Knights finished in third place in the NCHA with an 11-5 record and advanced to the championship game of the NCHA Slaats Cup Playoffs. St. Norbert also gained its first win over a nationally ranked team in almost six years with a 2-1 win at No. 3 UW-Eau Claire on Jan. 8, 2022.
Aitken led the Green Knights to the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Playoffs in his first season in 2019-20. The year included a four-game winning streak late in the year, St. Norbert's longest in four seasons. The Green Knights also posted five consecutive home wins.
Aitken served 11 years during two stints as associate head coach for the Green Knights’ men’s program. Aitken also spent three seasons as the head coach of the Marian University men’s program.
During his time with the St. Norbert men’s program, Aitken helped the Green Knights to a 264-47-26 record, which included nine NCAA Division III Frozen Four appearances and three NCAA Division III national championships in 2008, 2011 and 2012. After nine seasons on the St. Norbert bench, Aitken fashioned a 39-37-4 mark during his three seasons with Marian from 2012-15 before returning to St. Norbert for two seasons. Following his second tenure at St. Norbert, Aitken coached the Green Bay Bobcats U14 girls and the Green Bay Hornets U16 girls.
A Fort McMurray, Alberta, native, Aitken played for NCAA Division I Michigan Tech from 1997 to 2000. Aitken played in 140 games for the Huskies, scoring 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points. He also served as the Huskies’ team captain during his last two seasons. Aitken, a finance major at MTU, was also named Academic All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association twice.
Following his collegiate career, Aitken played with Macon and Memphis of the Central Hockey League. His stint in Memphis, from 2001 to 2003, resulted in being a part of two CHL championships.
Mailing Address
St. Norbert College
100 Grant Street
Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center
De Pere, WI 54115-2099
