Ben Lovejoy
Ben Lovejoy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Benjamin N. Lovejoy February 20, 1984 United States |
| Other names | The Reverend |
| Occupation(s) | Professional ice hockey player (retired), broadcaster |
| Years active | 2006–2019 |
| Known for | NHL defenseman for Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils, Dallas Stars; Stanley Cup winner (2016) |
Benjamin N. Lovejoy (born February 20, 1984) is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. His most recent NHL tenure was with the Dallas Stars, having previously played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, and New Jersey Devils.
His moniker, "The Reverend," is inspired by the character Reverend Lovejoy from the Simpsons television series.
Amateur
In 1998, Lovejoy competed in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament representing the Middlesex Islanders minor hockey team.
He attended Cardigan Mountain School in New Hampshire and Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, where he played prep-level hockey.
Undrafted by any NHL team, Lovejoy spent one season at Boston College followed by three years at Dartmouth College, participating in NCAA Hockey East and ECAC competitions. During his junior year, he opted to decline a professional offer from the Montreal Canadiens to complete his academic degree and enhance his athletic development. Additionally, he earned All-Ivy League recognition in lacrosse in 2006 and graduated that same year.
Professional
After college, Lovejoy started his professional journey by appearing in five games with the Norfolk Admirals at the conclusion of the 2006–07 season. In the summer of 2007, he inked an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Pittsburgh Penguins’ primary affiliate. He netted his first pro goal on March 17, 2008, concluding that season with 20 points (2 goals and 18 assists) across 72 games, along with a +16 plus-minus rating.
On July 7, 2008, Lovejoy secured an NHL contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was promoted on December 7, 2008, replacing defenseman Hal Gill. At that time, he ranked among the top ten AHL defensemen with 14 points and a +14 plus-minus over 24 contests. Lovejoy made his NHL debut on December 8, 2008, during a 4–3 defeat against the Buffalo Sabres.
Selected for the PlanetUSA team at the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic, Lovejoy also competed in the hardest shot event. On April 11, 2009, he earned Second Team AHL All-Star recognition and was honored as the league’s top defenseman after leading all players with a +42 plus-minus rating. Although called up for Pittsburgh’s playoff roster, he did not participate in any games but was awarded a Stanley Cup ring; however, his name was omitted from the Stanley Cup engraving due to limited NHL appearances.
Lovejoy registered his first NHL point with an assist during a 6–5 victory over the Boston Bruins on November 14, 2009. He scored his inaugural NHL goal on December 22, 2010, against goaltender Scott Clemmensen of the Florida Panthers, despite suffering a facial injury from puck contact.
During the lockout-shortened 2012–13 NHL season, Lovejoy was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on February 6, 2013, in exchange for a fifth-round selection in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. As an unrestricted free agent prior to the 2013–14 season, he agreed to a three-year contract extension with Anaheim. On January 3, 2014, Lovejoy set a franchise record for Ducks defensemen by scoring two goals within less than three minutes during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers.
On March 2, 2015, he was traded back to Pittsburgh in return for defenseman Simon Després. In the 2015–16 campaign, Lovejoy contributed four goals and ten points over 66 regular-season games and appeared in all 24 playoff matches as Pittsburgh secured their fourth Stanley Cup championship. He became the first player born in New Hampshire to earn this honor.
As a free agent on July 1, 2016, Lovejoy signed a three-year deal with the New Jersey Devils. In his final contracted season (2018–19), he played in 51 games tallying seven points while leading the team in shorthanded ice time. With New Jersey out of playoff contention that year, he was traded to the Dallas Stars on February 23, 2019, receiving Connor Carrick and a third-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft in return.
Lovejoy officially announced his retirement from professional hockey on August 29, 2019.
Post-playing career
On August 29, 2019, Lovejoy publicly declared his retirement from professional hockey during an appearance on NHL Tonight. The following year, he took on a broadcasting role with NHL on NBC, stepping in for Jeremy Roenick, who was let go in 2020.
Personal life
Lovejoy wed Avery Eyre in 2010; she served as the captain of the Dartmouth College squash team. Together, they have three daughters. His parents, Carl and Cari Lovejoy, possess notable athletic pedigrees—his father competed in hockey at Colby College, while his mother earned two All-American lacrosse honors at UMass and has been inducted into their Hall of Fame. As the oldest of three siblings, Lovejoy's brothers Nick and Matt also achieved success in collegiate athletics.
On December 7, 2017, Lovejoy became the first NHL player still active to donate his brain for concussion-related scientific study.
Career statistics
... [Statistics continue as originally formatted] ...| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2000–01 | Deerfield Academy | HS-Prep | 6 | 12 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2001–02 | Deerfield Academy | HS-Prep | 11 | 19 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2002–03 | Boston College | HE | 22 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Dartmouth College | ECAC | 32 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 544 | 20 | 81 | 101 | 287 | 76 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 26 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Awards | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-ECAC Hockey Third Team | 2006–07 | |
| NHL | ||
| Stanley Cup winner | 2016 | |