The Bowdoin College Athletic Department has announced the hiring of Ben Guite as its next head coach of men's ice hockey.
A 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, Guite brings a breadth of playing and coaching experience into becoming the tenth coach in the storied history of Polar Bear ice hockey, and just the fourth since 1959.
"I am thrilled to welcome Ben Guite to our community at Bowdoin," said Ashmead White Director of Athletics Tim Ryan. "Ben brings an extensive hockey playing and coaching background to Bowdoin and I am excited for our players, alumni, and community members to get to know him, as the thoughtful and caring person he is truly defines him much more than his considerable hockey accomplishments."
"My family and I are very excited to join the Bowdoin community and contribute to its rich hockey program," said Guite. "Thank you to Tim Ryan, Alice Wiercinski and President Clayton Rose for entrusting in me the responsibility to develop our players into future community leaders while pursuing excellence in the classroom and on the ice."
"Through each step of the search process, Ben continually impressed the committee with his deep-rooted, personal commitment to his athletes, combined with a contagious passion for the sport," said Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator Alice Wiercinski. "His proven experience as a high-achieving player, coach, and educator will benefit our students and community and will position our men's hockey program well moving forward."
Guite was a critical member of the University of Maine's legendary 1999 national championship squad, scoring a goal in the title game victory over the University of New Hampshire as a junior. He served as an Assistant Captain during his senior season in Orono, which also included a trip to the Frozen Four, and went on to play 13 seasons of professional hockey, including 175 games in the NHL (with Colorado, Boston, and Nashville), before transitioning to a career in coaching in 2013.
His coaching career began with eight seasons as an assistant hockey coach at the University of Maine, which included time as the program recruiting coordinator and four seasons as Associate Head Coach, a role in which he oversaw virtually all aspects of the operations of the hockey program. Following the sudden passing head coach Red Gendron, Guite served as the interim head coach at Maine in the spring of 2021 prior to becoming the head coach of the Maine Mariners in the ECHL. In his lone season with the Mariners, he led the team to their first-ever postseason appearance, finishing the year with a 33-31-5-3 record.
Guite graduated with an English degree with a minor in Business from the University of Maine and went on to earn a Master's degree in Business Administration from Maine while playing in the NHL. He has held numerous leadership roles in the hockey community, including serving as a captain for five of the AHL teams on which he played, as a NHL Players Association representative, and as a member of the Professional Hockey Players Association Executive Committee. Guite is originally from LaSalle, Quebec and currently resides in Bangor with his wife Kristen and their two sons, Patrick and Maxime.
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