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Robert H. Peters (October 6, 1937 – December 14, 2021) was a Canadian men's ice hockey coach. He was the head coach of the Bemidji State University ice hockey team from 1967 to 2001. With 702 wins, he ranks fifth all-time in career wins by a men's college ice hockey coach.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 6, 1937[1] Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | December 14, 2021 (aged 84) Bemidji, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1957–1958 | North Dakota |
| Position(s) | Goaltender |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1961–1964 | North Dakota (assistant) |
| 1964–1966 | North Dakota |
| 1966–2001 | Bemidji State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 744–313–50 (.695) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1963 NCAA National Champion (assistant) 1965 WCHA regular season champion 1967 ICHA regular season champion 1968 NAIA National Champion 1969 ICHA regular season champion 1969 NAIA national champion 1970 ICHA regular season champion 1970 NAIA national champion 1971 ICHA regular season champion 1971 NAIA national champion 1973 ICHA regular season champion 1973 NAIA national champion 1974 ICHA regular season champion 1976 ICHA regular season champion 1977 ICHA regular season champion 1978 ICHA regular season champion 1979 NAIA national champion 1980 NAIA national champion 1982 NCHA regular season champion 1984 NCHA regular season champion 1984 NCAA national champion (D-II) 1985 NCHA regular season champion 1986 NCHA regular season champion 1986 NCHA tournament champion 1986 NCAA national champion (D-III) 1987 NCHA tournament champion 1991 NCHA regular season champion 1993 NCAA national champion (D-II) 1994 NCAA national champion (D-II) 1995 NCHA regular season champion 1995 NCHA tournament champion 1995 NCAA national champion (D-II) 1997 NCAA national champion (D-II) | |
| Awards | |
| 1984 Edward Jeremiah Award | |
Coaching history
editPeters entered the college hockey head coaching ranks in 1964 as bench boss at the University of North Dakota. During his initial campaign, Peters, the eventual Western Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year, led the Fighting Sioux to a WCHA title and a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He coached in Grand Forks for two seasons, leading the Sioux to a 42–20–1 mark before making a career decision that would change the face of collegiate hockey.
Peters left the Division I powerhouse in 1966 and took over at Bemidji State University. Within two seasons Peters led BSU to its first national championship and set the foundation for what would become one of the most dominant programs in college hockey.
Thirty-five years later, Peters retired from coaching with one of the most impressive lists of achievements in the history of collegiate sports: 744 victories as a head coach, 702 coming at Bemidji State alone, to make Peters the first coach to win 700 or more games at a single school; 13 small-college national championships; and still-standing national collegiate records for most wins in an unbeaten season (31–0–0 in 1983–'84) and longest unbeaten streak (43 games from Nov. 8, 1983 to Jan. 1, 1985).
Peters, the only coach to lead a team to a national championship game in three divisions of college hockey and the only coach to reach the Final Four in all four divisions (Division I, II, III and NAIA), developed five NHL players and numerous Olympians and All-Americans.
A 1960 graduate of the University of North Dakota, Peters spent his collegiate days at goaltender for the Fighting Sioux. He coached at the high school level for one season before rejoining the UND staff as an assistant coach.
CHA commissioner
editRetired from coaching, Peters remained heavily involved in the sport of college hockey. In 2001 he became the commissioner of the College Hockey America (CHA) conference.
In addition to appointing Peters CHA Commissioner, the athletic directors of the league's member institutions approved the recommendation by the coaches to name the regular-season championship trophy in honor of Peters as the R.H. "Bob" Peters Cup.
Contributions to college hockey
editPeters' influence on college hockey also has stretched outside the arena. He has proven his administrative skills at Bemidji State by serving as athletic director and head hockey coach, and he lent service to several committees. Under Peters' guidance, BSU hockey progressed from NAIA to NCAA Division III to NCAA Division II, and in 1999, BSU elevated its hockey program to Division I. He served on championship committees for the NAIA and NCAA for over 20 years, and in 2001 was named a Hobey Baker Legend of Hockey.
Personal life
editPeters died in Bemidji, Minnesota on December 14, 2021, at the age of 84.[2]
Career statistics
edit| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | Min | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957–58 | North Dakota | NCAA | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 660 | 14 | 2 | 1.27 | .927 |
Head coaching record
edit| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota Fighting Sioux (WCHA) (1964–1966) | |||||||||
| 1964–65 | North Dakota | 25–8–0 | 13–3–0 | 1st | NCAA consolation game (win) | ||||
| 1965–66 | North Dakota | 17–12–1 | 13–9–1 | 2nd | WCHA second round | ||||
| North Dakota: | 42–20–1 | 26–12–1 | |||||||
| Bemidji State Beavers (ICHA) (1966–1978) | |||||||||
| 1966–67 | Bemidji State | 13–5–1 | 10–2–0 | t-1st | |||||
| 1967–68 | Bemidji State | 16–8–0 | 6–6–0 | – | NAIA national champion | ||||
| 1968–69 | Bemidji State | 23–2–0 | 11–1–0 | 1st | NAIA national champion | ||||
| 1969–70 | Bemidji State | 24–3–0 | 10–2–0 | 1st | NAIA national champion | ||||
| 1970–71 | Bemidji State | 20–7–1 | 10–1–1 | 1st | NAIA national champion | ||||
| 1971–72 | Bemidji State | 13–12–1 | 5–6–1 | – | |||||
| 1972–73 | Bemidji State | 23–6–1 | 8–4–0 | t-1st | NAIA national champion | ||||
| 1973–74 | Bemidji State | 20–10–1 | 9–3–0 | 1st | NAIA runner-up | ||||
| 1974–75 | Bemidji State | 13–15–0 | 2–10–0 | – | |||||
| 1975–76 | Bemidji State | 22–9–0 | 8–4–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1976–77 | Bemidji State | 24–4–3 | 9–3–2 | 1st | |||||
| 1977–78 | Bemidji State | 25–5–1 | 11–3–0 | 1st | NAIA runner-up | ||||
| Bemidji State: | 236–86–9 | 99–45–4 | |||||||
| Bemidji State Beavers (NAIA Independent) (1978–1980) | |||||||||
| 1978–79 | Bemidji State | 27–2–0 | NAIA national champion | ||||||
| 1979–80 | Bemidji State | 24–8–0 | NAIA national champion | ||||||
| Bemidji State: | 51–10–0 | ||||||||
| Bemidji State Beavers (NCHA) (1980–1982) | |||||||||
| 1980–81 | Bemidji State | 24–7–0 | 8–4–0 | – | |||||
| 1981–82 | Bemidji State | 25–5–1 | 16–3–1 | 1st | NAIA runner-up | ||||
| Bemidji State: | 222–68–9 | 129–42–7 | |||||||
| Bemidji State Beavers (NCHA (D-II)) (1983–1984) | |||||||||
| 1983–84 | Bemidji State | 31–0–0 | 18–0–0 | 1st | NCAA national champion | ||||
| Bemidji State: | 31–0–0 | 18–0–0 | |||||||
| Bemidji State Beavers (NCHA (D-III)) (1984–1992) | |||||||||
| 1984–85 | Bemidji State | 27–6–2 | 14–3–1 | 1st | NCAA runner-up | ||||
| 1985–86 | Bemidji State | 25–9–1 | 12–6–0 | t-1st | NCAA national champion | ||||
| 1986–87 | Bemidji State | 22–12–1 | 12–7–1 | 3rd | NCAA Frozen Four | ||||
| 1987–88 | Bemidji State | 24–11–3 | 15–6–3 | 2nd | NCAA Frozen Four | ||||
| 1988–89 | Bemidji State | 19–13–4 | 11–8–1 | 3rd | NCAA Frozen Four | ||||
| 1989–90 | Bemidji State | 15–11–2 | 11–11–2 | 5th | |||||
| 1990–91 | Bemidji State | 21–6–3 | 17–4–3 | t-1st | |||||
| 1991–92 | Bemidji State | 16–9–5 | 9–8–3 | 4th | |||||
| Bemidji State: | 169–77–21 | 101–53–15 | |||||||
| Bemidji State Beavers (NCHA (D-II)) (1992–1999) | |||||||||
| 1992–93 | Bemidji State | 24–7–0 | 14–6–0 | 2nd | NCAA national champion | ||||
| 1993–94 | Bemidji State | 21–9–3 | 12–6–2 | 3rd | NCAA national champion | ||||
| 1994–95 | Bemidji State | 24–7–2 | 16–3–1 | 1st | NCAA national champion | ||||
| 1995–96 | Bemidji State | 16–9–4 | 13–5–2 | 2nd | NCAA runner-up | ||||
| 1996–97 | Bemidji State | 25–7–2 | 14–5–1 | 2nd | NCAA national champion | ||||
| 1997–98 | Bemidji State | 22–10–2 | 14–6–0 | 3rd | NCAA runner-up | ||||
| 1998–99 | Bemidji State | 17–13–0 | 10–6–0 | 3rd | |||||
| Bemidji State: | 149–62–13 | 93–37–6 | |||||||
| Bemidji State Beavers (CHA) (1999–2001) | |||||||||
| 1999–00 | Bemidji State | 13–20–1 | 8–8–1 | 3rd | CHA third-place game (win) | ||||
| 2000–01 | Bemidji State | 4–26–4 | 4–12–3 | 6th | |||||
| Bemidji State: | 17–46–5 | 12–20–4 | |||||||
| Total: | 744–313–50 | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
See also
editExternal links
edit- ^ Bob Peters Coaching Record at collegehockeynews.com
- ^ "Bemidji State's Bob Peters, who won 13 national hockey titles, dies at 84". Star Tribune. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ^ "2013–14 North Dakota hockey media guide". ISSUU.com. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
- ^ "2012–13 Bemidji State hockey media guide" (PDF). Bemidji State Beavers. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-10.