Recently hired head coach Ben Barr is wasting no time in putting his mark on the hockey program at the University of Maine. According to multiple sources, former associate head coach Ben Guite will not be retained. Guite was named interim head coach following Red Gendron’s untimely passing. However, he was passed up when it...
Recently hired head coach Ben Barr is wasting no time in putting his mark on the hockey program at the University of Maine.
According to multiple sources, former associate head coach Ben Guite will not be retained. Guite was named interim head coach following Red Gendron’s untimely passing. However, he was passed up when it came time for athletic director Ken Ralph to name a permanent replacement.
The Montreal native starred for the Black Bears from 1996-2000, racking up 47 goals and 49 assists. He enjoyed a 13-year pro career that included 175 games in the NHL. The whole situation is unfortunate as Guite, a beloved former player and longtime associate head coach, deserved to be treated better during the process.
However, Barr had to make the tough call to move in a different direction. The new head coach needed to make sure there was no power struggle or question of authority. Guite, widely thought of as one of the nicest people in the college game, will land on his feet somewhere. He has already interviewed for open assistant positions at Vermont and Penn State. He’s also reportedly a potential candidate for some NHL gigs.
Alfie Michaud, the other assistant on the previous staff, will be back behind the bench when the Black Bears hit the ice for the 2021-22 season. The 1999 Frozen Four MVP has been on the coaching staff at his alma mater since 2016. Michaud loves Maine and brings a wealth of knowledge in terms of the goaltending position and recruiting in western Canadian provinces Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
Multiple sources indicate that Jason Fortier will replace Guite on the Maine staff. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, native will come to Orono by way of the Odessa Jackalopes, where he served as head coach and general manager for the NAHL franchise.
Fortier, 46, is a junior hockey coaching veteran. He has coached in the OJHL, BCHL and NAHL, in addition to a couple of stops in midget hockey.
Interviews are ongoing at Vermont, Yale and Holy Cross, where Todd Woodcroft, Keith Allain and Bill Riga are looking for new assistant coaches.
