Maine Hockey Coach 1 of 3 Finalists for the Hockey East Coach of the Year

Maine's Ben Barr is one of the three finalists for the Bob Kullen Award, which is awarded to the Hockey East Coach of the Year.

The other finalists besides Coach Barr are Greg Brown from Boston College and Mike Cavanaugh from UConn.

The award is named after Bob Kullen who starred as a player at Bowdoin College from 1969 to 1971. After a brief minor league hockey career, Kullen became an assistant coach at the University of New Hampshire from 1977 to 1986 and head coach for the 1986-87 season. He was forced to have a heart replacement and missed the 1987-88 season before returning for the 1988-89 season. But after his body rejected the heart, he was forced to step down, with Dick Umile taking his place.

Now in his 4th year. Coach Barr has led the Black Bears to a 22-7-6 record this year. His previous records were

• 2023-24 23-12-2
• 2022-23 15-16-5
• 2021-22 7-22-4

This is the 2nd year Coach Barr has been a finalist. The Coach of the Year will be announced on Wednesday, March 18

Previous Coach of the Year Award Winners include

• 1984-85 Len Ceglarski - Boston College
• 1985-86 Jack Parker - Boston University
• 1986-87 Bill Riley Jr. - UMass Lowell
• 1987-88 Shawn Walsh - Maine
• 1988-89 Fern Flaman - Northeastern
• 1989-90 Shawn Walsh - Maine
• 1990-91 Dick Umile - New Hampshire
• 1991-92  Jack Parker - Boston University
• 1992-93 Shawn Walsh - Maine
• 1993-94 Bruce Crowder  UMass Lowell
• 1994-95 Shawn Walsh - Maine
• 1995-96 Bruce Cowder - UMass Lowell
• 1996-97 Dick Umile - UNH
• 1997-98  Bruce Crowder - Northeastern
• 1998-99 Dick Umile - UNH
• 1999-00 Jack Parker - Boston University
• 2000-01 Paul Pooley - Providence
• 2001-02 Dick Umile -- New Hampshire
• 2002--03 Don Cahoon - Massachusetts
• 2003-04 Jerry York - Boston College
• 2004-05 Jack Parker - Boston University
• 2005-06 Jack Parker - Boston University
• 2006-07 Dick Umile - New Hampshire
• 2007-08 Kevin Sneddon - Vermont
• 2008-09 Greg Cronin - Northeastern
• 2009-10 Mark Dennehy - Merrimack and Dick Umile - New Hampshire
• 2010-11 Jerry York - Boston College
• 2011-12 Norm Bazin - UMass Lowell
• 2012-13 Norm Bazin - UMass Lowell
• 2013-14 Jerry York - Boston College
• 2014-15 David Quinn - Boston Univeristy
• 2015-16 Nate Leaman - Providence
• 2016-17 Norm Bazin - UMass Lowell
• 2017-18 Jerry York -- Boston College
• 2018-19 Greg Carvel - Massachusetts
• 2019-20 Red Gedron - Maine
• 2020-21 Jerry York - Boston College
• 2021-22 Jerry Keefe - Northeastern
• 2022-23 Jay Pandolfo - Boston University
• 2023-24 Greg Brown  Boston College

Maine takes on Northeastern in the Hockey East semifinals on Thursday, March 20th at 7:30 p.m. You can listen to the game on 92.9 The Ticket with the pregame with Jon Shields starting at 7 p.m.