Bob Brinkworth

Robert J. "Bob" Brinkworth is a Canadian retired ice hockey Center and coach who was a two-time All-American and ECAC Player of the Year for Rensselaer.
==Career==
Brinkworth was recruited to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by the legendary Ned Harkness and began playing with the varsity team in 1961. As a sophomore he led the team in scoring, recording more than three points per game, and finished second in the nation with 71 points. He made the inaugural First Team All-ECAC roster and was a major reason for the Engineers making the ECAC Tournament. Unfortunately, the team lost their quarterfinal match and ended their season in a disappointing fashion. As a junior Brinkwork again led the team in scoring and was third in the nation with 75 points. This time he received increasing attention for his efforts and was named an All-American as well as the ECAC Player of the Year. Despite his performance, Rensselaer played rather poorly during the season and didn't even make the conference tournament.
Harkness left prior to Brinkworth's senior season to take over at Cornell. The coach was replaced by Rube Bjorkman (who would leave after the 1964 season) and the team rebounded with a much better campaign. Brinkworth was named team co-captain with Jerry Knightly and got the team to post an 18–8 record and return to the conference tournament. Brinkworth helped the team with its first ECAC tournament game but couldn't overcome the stout defense of St. Lawrence in the semifinal. RPI won what they thought was Brinkworth's final college game over long-time rival Clarkson to finish third in the tournament and Brinkworth was named to the All-Tournament First Team. When the NCAA selection committee passed over St. Lawrence in favor of RPI for the NCAA Tournament, Brinkworth had one last chance to make an impact with the Engineers. While the team lest to Denver in the semifinal, they recovered for a 2–1 win over Providence in the consolation game and Brinkworth able to end on a high note. He finished the season as the second highest scorer in the nation for the second time, behind only Knightly with 70 points.
After graduating, Brinkworth turned to a professional career, joining the Omaha Knights in the second season of the CPHL. The following year Brinkworth jumped up to the AHL, playing with the Providence Reds and Baltimore Clippers over four seasons. He was never able to get a call-up to the NHL, however, and moved to the IHL in 1970. In his first season with the Port Huron Flags the team finished 6th out of 7 teams but made the postseason and went on a stunning run. The Flags won the championship with Brinkworth leading the way, scoring 10 goals and 18 points in 14 games. The next season the team finished second in their division and went on a second postseason run to capture their second consecutive Turner Cup. Brinkworth spent two more seasons with Port Huron before retiring as a player.
Brinkworh began his second career as a coach, working with amateur and professional teams for many seasons. In 2004 he became the head coach for Florida Gulf Coast and headed the school's club team for 15 seasons. He was the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II coach of the year in 2009. He was inducted into the RPI Athletic Hall of Fame in 1968.
==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
1961–62 	Rensselaer 	ECAC Hockey	 	22 	41 	30 	71 	10 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1962–63 	Rensselaer 	ECAC Hockey	 	23 	34 	41 	75 	8 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1963–64 	Rensselaer 	ECAC Hockey	 	26 	35 	35 	70 	2 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1964–65 	Omaha Knights 	CPHL 	 	67 	15 	15 	30 	10 	 	6 	2 	0 	2 	8
1965–66 	Providence Reds 	AHL 	 	57 	11 	12 	23 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1966–67 	Baltimore Clippers	AHL 	 	56 	9 	14 	23 	12 	 	3 	0 	1 	1 	2
1967–68 	Baltimore Clippers	AHL 	 	23 	6 	8 	14 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1968–69 	Baltimore Clippers	AHL 	 	73 	24 	19 	43 	30 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	0
1970–71 	Port Huron Flags 	IHL 	 	70 	22 	39 	61 	12 	 	14 	10 	8 	18 	0
1971–72 	Port Huron Wings 	IHL 	 	70 	29 	47 	76 	6 	 	15 	6 	8 	14 	2
1972–73 	Port Huron Wings 	IHL 	 	55 	26 	32 	58 	25 	 	11 	3 	4 	7 	2
1973–74 	Port Huron Wings 	IHL 	 	14 	5 	2 	7 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NCAA Totals	NCAA Totals 	NCAA Totals	 	71 	110 	106 	216 	20 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
AHL Totals 	AHL Totals 	AHL Totals 	 	209 	50 	53 	103 	54 	 	7 	0 	1 	1 	2
IHL Totals 	IHL Totals 	IHL Totals 	 	209 	82 	120 	202 	43 	 	40 	19 	20 	39 	4
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honors==
Award 	Year 	
All-ECAC Hockey First Team 	1961–62	
All-ECAC Hockey First Team 	1962–63	
AHCA East All-American 	1962–63	
All-ECAC Hockey First Team 	1963–64	
AHCA East All-American 	1963–64	
ECAC Hockey All-Tournament First Team	1964 	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:1942 births
Category:Canadian ice hockey centres
Category:Ice hockey people from Ontario
Category:RPI Engineers men's ice hockey players
Category:Omaha Knights players
Category:Baltimore Clippers players
Category:Port Huron Flags players
Category:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
Category:Turner Cup champions