# Rick Bennett

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. 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

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.
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.

## Coaching career

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), and won the American Hockey Coaches Association's Spencer Penrose Award for NCAA Division I coach of the year in 2014. Bennett resigned in 2022 following an allegation about his coaching style and practices that was substantiated through an investigation by Union College.
On May 19, 2022, Bennett was announced to be the first head coach of the ECHL expansion team Savannah Ghost Pirates.
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

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

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | 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 | AHL totals | AHL totals | 351 | 76 | 105 | 181 | 628 | 40 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 125 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — |

## Head coaching record

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

## Awards and honors

| Award | Year |
| All-Hockey East Rookie Team | 1986–87 |
| AHCA East Second-Team All-American | 1988–89 |
| All-Hockey East Second team | 1989–90 |