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Rick Bennett

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Rick Bennett
Bennett with Union in 2014
Born (1967-07-24) July 24, 1967 (age 57)
Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 218 lb (99 kg; 15 st 8 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for New York Rangers
NHL draft 54th overall, 1986
Minnesota North Stars
Playing career 1990–1999
Coaching career
Current position
TitleAssistant coach
TeamQuinnipiac
ConferenceECAC Hockey
Biographical details
Alma materProvidence College
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2000–2005Providence (asst.)
2005–2007Union (asst.)
2007–2011Union (asso. head coach)
2011–2022Union
2022–2024Savannah Ghost Pirates
2024–PresentQuinnipiac (asst.)
Head coaching record
Overall192–133–45 (.580)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2014 NCAA Champion
3× ECAC regular season champion (2011-12, 2013-14, 2016-17),
3× ECAC Tournament Champion (2012, 2013, 2014)
Awards
2014 Spencer Penrose Award
2014 College Hockey News Coach of the Year
2014 USCHO Coach of the Year
2012 Tim Taylor Award
2017 Tim Taylor Award

Eric John "Rick" Bennett (born July 24, 1967) is an American former ice hockey left winger and former head coach of the Savannah Ghost Pirates. He is the former head coach of the Union Garnet Chargers men's ice hockey team of Union College, where he coached from 2011 until 2022.[1] He played 15 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers over three seasons from 1990 to 1991. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1990 to 1999, was spent in the minor leagues.

Playing career

[edit]

Bennett was a four-year letterwinner (1986–90) and co-captain at Providence, where he was recognized as a Hobey Baker finalist (1990) and two-time winner of the Lou Lamoriello Trophy as team MVP. He was named an All-American during the 1988-89 season and earned All-Hockey East Second Team honors in 1990. A left-winger, Bennett finished with 134 points (50 goals, 84 assists) in 128 career games. Bennett skated on the famed B-B-G line, along with center Mike Boback and right wing Robbie Gaudreau. Rick, who graduated with a B.A. in general studies, was inducted into the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.[2]

Bennett was a third-round draft pick (54th overall) of the Minnesota North Stars in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. His draft rights were later traded to the New York Rangers. Bennett appeared in 15 games with the Rangers over three seasons (1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92). Bennett's 10-year professional career also included stints with the Binghamton Rangers (AHL), Springfield Indians (AHL), Hershey Bears (AHL), Springfield Falcons (AHL), Albany River Rats (AHL), Cincinnati Cyclones (IHL), Jacksonville Lizard Kings (ECHL) and Pee Dee Pride (ECHL). Bennett served as a player assistant coach for the Jacksonville Lizard Kings and Pee Dee Pride.[3]

Coaching career

[edit]

Bennett served as head coach at Union College from 2011 to 2022, leading the Dutchmen to three ECAC Hockey regular season titles (2011–12, 2014-14 & 2016-17), three ECAC Hockey tournament titles (2012, 2013 & 2014), four NCAA Tournament appearances (2012, 2013, 2014 & 2017), two Frozen Fours (2012 & 2014) and one NCAA championship title (2014) by defeating Minnesota. Bennett won ECAC Hockey's Tim Taylor Award for conference coach of the year twice (2012 & 2017),[4][5] and won the American Hockey Coaches Association's Spencer Penrose Award for NCAA Division I coach of the year in 2014.[6] Bennett resigned in 2022 following an allegation about his coaching style and practices that was substantiated through an investigation by Union College.[7]

On May 19, 2022, Bennett was announced to be the first head coach of the ECHL expansion team Savannah Ghost Pirates.[8]

On February 1, 2024, it was announced that Bennett would be relieved from his duties as head coach of the Savannah Ghost Pirates.

Personal life

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Bennett and his wife, Karyn have five children together. The family resides in Clifton Park, New York.[citation needed]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1985–86 Wilbraham & Monson Academy HS-MA 20 30 69 99 25 — — — — —
1986–87 Providence College HE 32 15 12 27 34 — — — — —
1987–88 Providence College HE 33 9 16 25 70 — — — — —
1988–89 Providence College HE 32 14 32 46 74 — — — — —
1989–90 Providence College HE 31 12 24 36 74 — — — — —
1989–90 New York Rangers NHL 6 1 0 1 5 — — — — —
1990–91 New York Rangers NHL 6 0 0 0 6 — — — — —
1990–91 Binghamton Rangers AHL 71 27 32 59 206 10 2 1 3 27
1991–92 New York Rangers NHL 3 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
1991–92 Binghamton Rangers AHL 69 19 23 42 112 11 0 1 1 23
1992–93 Binghamton Rangers AHL 76 15 22 37 114 10 0 0 0 30
1993–94 Springfield Indians AHL 67 9 19 28 82 6 1 0 1 31
1994–95 Springfield Falcons AHL 34 3 5 8 74 — — — — —
1994–95 Hershey Bears AHL 30 3 4 7 40 3 2 1 3 14
1995–96 Jacksonville Lizard Kings ECHL 67 28 34 62 182 18 5 10 15 30
1995–96 Cincinnati Cyclones IHL 4 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 2
1996–97 Jacksonville Lizard Kings ECHL 64 23 33 56 120 — — — — —
1996–97 Albany River Rats AHL 4 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1997–98 Pee Dee Pride ECHL 68 12 30 42 137 8 3 2 5 14
1998–99 Pee Dee Pride ECHL 66 21 18 39 103 11 3 1 4 33
AHL totals 351 76 105 181 628 40 5 3 8 125
NHL totals 15 1 1 2 13 — — — — —

Head coaching record

[edit]
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Union Dutchmen (ECAC Hockey) (2011–2022)
2011–12 Union 26–8–7 14–4–4 1st[9] NCAA Frozen Four
2012–13 Union 22–13–5 10–8–4 4th[10] NCAA Regional finals
2013–14 Union 32–6–4 18–3–1 1st[11] NCAA Champions
2014–15 Union 19–18–2 8–13–1 10th[12] ECAC quarterfinals
2015–16 Union 13–14–9 6–10–6 9th[13] ECAC first round
2016–17 Union 25–10–3 16–4–2 T-1st[14] NCAA regional semifinals
2017–18 Union 21–15–2 16–5–1 2nd[15] ECAC quarterfinals
2018–19 Union 20–13–6 10–10–2 7th[16] ECAC quarterfinals
2019–20 Union 8–25–4 5–15–2 10th[17] ECAC first round
2021–22 Union 6–11–3 † 4–6–1 † - N/A
Union: 192–133–45 107–78–24
Total: 192–133–45

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

† Bennet resigned mid-season.[18]

Awards and honors

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Award Year
All-Hockey East Rookie Team 1986–87 [19]
AHCA East Second-Team All-American 1988–89 [20]
All-Hockey East Second team 1989–90 [21]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Bennett Steps Down as Union Head Men's Hockey Coach". Union College. January 28, 2022.
  2. ^ "Rick Bennett - Head Men's Hockey Coach - Men's Ice Hockey Coaches".
  3. ^ "Rick Bennett - Head Men's Hockey Coach - Men's Ice Hockey Coaches".
  4. ^ "College hockey: Dutchmen reward Bennett". The Daily Gazette. June 6, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  5. ^ "Union gives Bennett contract extension to stay behind bench through 2022-23". USCHO.com. August 25, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  6. ^ Dilks, Chris (April 9, 2014). "Union's Rick Bennett Wins Spencer Penrose Award". SB Nation College Hockey. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  7. ^ "Union hockey coach Rick Bennett resigns after investigation". The Associated Press. January 29, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  8. ^ "VGK Announce ECHL Affiliation Relationship With Savannah Ghost Pirates". NHL.com. May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  9. ^ "2011-12 Standings".
  10. ^ "2012-13 Standings".
  11. ^ "2013-14 Standings".
  12. ^ "2014-15 Standings".
  13. ^ "2015-16 Standings".
  14. ^ "2016-17 Standings".
  15. ^ "2017-18 Standings Presented by U.S. Army ROTC".
  16. ^ "2018-19 Standings".
  17. ^ "2019-20 Standings".
  18. ^ "Union men's hockey coach Bennett steps down after 'an allegation about his coaching style and practices that was substantiated through an investigation by the college'". USCHO. January 29, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  19. ^ "Hockey East All-Rookie Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  20. ^ "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  21. ^ "Hockey East All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Tim Taylor Award
2011–12
2016–17 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Spencer Penrose Award
2013–14 		Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by Union Dutchmen men's ice hockey Head Coach
2011–22 		Succeeded by
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