Red Gendron

Dennis "Red" Gendron
Born	Template:Birth date
Died	April 9, 2021(2021-04-09) (aged 63)
Occupation	Ice hockey coach
Known for	Head coach of University of Maine men's ice hockey team; assistant coach for New Jersey Devils and Yale University; author of Coaching Hockey Successfully

Dennis "Red" Gendron (November 27, 1957 – April 9, 2021) was a distinguished ice hockey coach, most recently at the helm of the University of Maine men's ice hockey team. Throughout his career, Gendron held head coaching positions with the Albany River Rats and Indiana Ice, alongside various coaching and scouting assignments with organizations including the New Jersey Devils, Albany River Rats, University of Maine, University of Massachusetts, Yale University, and Team USA.

High school

Gendron's coaching journey commenced as an assistant coach at his former school, Berlin High School, where he served from 1979 until 1981. He then stepped into his inaugural head coaching role in 1981 at Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans. Over nine seasons, he led the Bobwhites to four state titles (1982, 1983, 1987, 1988) and was honored twice as Vermont’s coach of the year. While at BFA, he also coached future NHL All-Star John LeClair and balanced responsibilities coaching baseball and football in addition to teaching history.

University of Maine (1990–93)

Gendron transitioned to college-level coaching in 1990 when he joined Shawn Walsh as an assistant coach for the University of Maine. By his third season, he played a key role in guiding the Black Bears to an outstanding 42–1–2 record en route to capturing the 1993 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship. During this period, he coached two recipients of the prestigious Hobey Baker Award: Scott Pellerin in 1991–92 and Paul Kariya in 1992–93.

New Jersey Devils/Albany River Rats

In 1993, Gendron was brought into the New Jersey Devils organization as a technology specialist for the 1993–94 campaign. The following season, he advanced to assistant coach under head coach Jacques Lemaire, contributing significantly to the Devils’ first-ever Stanley Cup victory against the Detroit Red Wings.

From the 1996–97 through the 1999–00 seasons, Gendron served as assistant coach for the Devils’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Albany River Rats. He then worked as a scout for New Jersey during the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons before being appointed Albany’s head coach for the 2002–03 season. Midway through the 2003–04 season, he was succeeded by Robbie Ftorek.

While with the Devils organization, Gendron witnessed three Stanley Cup championships (1995, 2000, 2003) and a finals appearance in 2001. His name is inscribed on the Stanley Cup for both the 1995 and 2000 triumphs.

Indiana Ice

On June 17, 2004, Gendron was named head coach of the USHL’s Indiana Ice.

University of Massachusetts

In July 2005, Don "Toot" Cahoon hired Gendron as assistant coach for the men's hockey program at the University of Massachusetts. He maintained this position for six seasons and played a pivotal role in leading the Minutemen to their first NCAA Division I tournament berth since their return in 1993–94 during the 2007 postseason.

Yale University

Gendron joined Yale University in 2011 as associate head coach for two seasons. His tenure included contributing to Yale’s historic first national championship captured at the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

University of Maine (2013–2021)

On May 17, 2013, Gendron was named the fifth head coach in the history of the University of Maine men's ice hockey team.

International

Gendron held the position of assistant coach for Team USA during the World Junior Championships in 1993, 2001, and 2002. Additionally, he contributed to coaching several U.S. Select teams for ages 16 and 17.

Author

In 2002, Gendron authored Coaching Hockey Successfully, a book that USA Hockey utilizes as an advanced guide for coaching education.

Personal life

Raised in Berlin, New Hampshire, Gendron completed his high school education at Berlin High School in 1975, where he was part of the state championship-winning hockey squad during his final year. He pursued higher education at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire, majoring in History and Secondary Education. Throughout college, he captained the hockey team for three seasons and also played baseball. Gendron and his wife Janet were parents to two daughters, Katelyn and Allison. He was bilingual in French and English and had conversational skills in Russian.

Gendron passed away on April 9, 2021, following a medical incident while playing golf.

External links

• Official Biography, Maine Black Bears