Dennis “Red” Gendron, head coach at Maine, was 63
Dennis “Red” Gendron, former assistant coach and head coach for the American Hockey League’s Albany River Rats, died Friday of an apparent heart attack while playing golf in Maine. He was 63.
Gendron, hockey head coach at the University of Maine for the past eight seasons, was part of the New Jersey Devils’ organization for 11 years, beginning as an assistant coach for the NHL team in 1994-95. He was assistant coach to the late John Cunniff in Albany for four seasons, beginning in 1996-97. The Rats made the playoffs in each of those seasons, going 157-130-33 (.542) in that span.
After two seasons as a Devils scout, Gendron returned to River Rats as head coach beginning with the 2002-03 season. He was replaced by Robbie Ftorek in the middle of his second season, compiling a 39-74-19 record (.367).
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by Red’s sudden death,” Maine president Joan Ferrini-Mundy said in a statement. “He was a force in UMaine Athletics and in the legacy of our men’s ice hockey program. We mourn his passing and remember his many contributions to the generations of players he mentored and to the program that lit up Black Bear Nation and the state of Maine. Our thoughts are with his wife Janet, daughters Katelyn and Allison, his coaching staff and players. They have our support and respect for their privacy during this difficult time.”
Gendron was head coach of the USHL’s Indiana Ice in 2004-05. He spent six seasons as assistant coach at Massachusetts, two years as associate coach at Yale, and was hired in May 2013 at head coach at Maine, where he had a 96-130-31 mark (.434).
