Mark Dennehy enters his fifth season behind the bench for the
Merrimack College hockey team. He was named the seventh head hockey
coach in Merrimack College history on June 30, 2005. Dennehy came
from the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he worked with
current UMass Coach Don Cahoon from 2000-2005.
Dennehy and his coaching staff have entirely rebuilt the hockey
program since his arrival in 2005. In 2008-09, freshman defenseman
Karl Stollery became the first Warrior to make an all-conference
team since Dennehy’s first season at Merrimack. The Warriors
surrendered just 89 goals last season, setting a school record for
the second straight year. Strong recruiting led to the addition of
goaltender Joe Cannata, who helped the Warriors post a
goals-against-average of under three in conference games for the
first time in school history.
Cannata and incoming freshman Kyle Bigos became the first players
at Merrimack to be drafted since 2002, as both were taken in the
2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Despite the 9-21-4 season, Dennehy had his team in virtually every
game, as the Warriors lost 14 games by one goal, tops in the
country. The freshmen and sophomore classes accounted for
approximately two-thirds of the team’s points, showing that
expectations are higher for this season.
After a tough 2006-07 season that saw the Warriors win just three
games, Dennehy’s squad rebounded in 2007-08, winning its
first three games and garnering 12 victories in all. Led by captain
Derek Pallardy, the Warriors allowed just 93 goals. Highlighted by
weekend sweeps at Bemidji State, vs. #16 Maine, and a home-and-home
with #14 Providence, the Warriors, who had just one senior and 22
freshmen and sophomores on the roster, caught the eye of the public
and even garnered 22 national votes in the USCHO poll following the
sweep of Maine on November 19th. Forwards Rob Ricci, J.C.
Robitaille, and Matt Jones combined to score 38 goals, one more
than the entire team scored in 2006-07.
Dennehy garnered Hockey East Coach of the Year staff member honors
in 2002-03 and was involved in all aspects of coaching the
Minutemen, including recruiting, video analysis, fund-raising,
marketing, and on ice instruction. He was a part of one of the
quickest rebuilding processes in the history of college hockey,
when the UMass team advanced to the finals of the 2003 Hockey East
Tournament in just the third season under head coach Don Cahoon and
his staff. With the likes of All-American Thomas Pock, Greg
Mauldin, and Nick Kuiper, UMass took Maine to three overtimes
before losing in the finals.
Off of the ice, the Merrimack Hockey program continues to set a
torrid pace academically. Andrew Braithwaite was among 16 Warriors
to earn Hockey East All-Academic honors, with Braithwaite being
named the Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year for the second time.
Sixteen Warriors achieved a grade-point-average of over 3.0 in
2008-09, most in Hockey East.
Since the award’s inception 18 years ago in the 1991-92
season, a Merrimack athlete has received the honor nine times, most
among all Hockey East schools.
Prior to his position at UMass, Dennehy worked for Cahoon at
Princeton from 1994-99. He helped the tigers to three consecutive
ECAC ‘Final Five’ tournaments in Lake Placid. In
1997-98 Dennehy contributed toward Princeton’s first ever
ECAC championship and only NCAA appearance in the long
distinguished history of the program. From there, he cut his teeth
as the head coach at Fairfield University for the 1999-2000 before
joining ‘Toot’ again at UMass.
Dennehy has recruited and/or coached two All-American players, two
Hockey Humanitarian Award Finalists, three all-rookie team members,
and four all-league selections. Six of his former players have
signed NHL contracts. Jeff Halpern, the most prominent, served as
the captain of the Washington Capitals during the 2005-06 season
before signing with the Dallas Stars prior to the start of the
2006-07 season. He has also played for the U.S. National Team in
the World Cup of Hockey, Olympics, and World Championships.
More recently, Dennehy created, founded, and directed the U.S.
College Hockey Advancement Camp. The first of its kind in the east,
the USCHA attracts prospects and their families from all over North
America to the UMass Amherst campus. This prospect camp is fully
staffed with college hockey coaches. The schedule includes
practices, seminars, and games each day. The seminars include
topics such as the NCAA Clearinghouse, Strength & Conditioning,
and a panel discussion between the prospects, their parents, and
college coaches.
A member of the American Hockey Coaches Association since 1994,
Dennehy was named to the AHCA Boar of Governors in 2006. He has
also volunteered for both Massachusetts Hockey and USA Hockey.
A native of Dorchester, Mass., Dennehy helped Boston College win
three Hockey East regular season titles, played on the 1989-90
Hockey East Championship team and was a part of three NCAA
qualifying teams, including the 1990 team which advanced to the
NCAA Frozen Four at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
He then went on to play a season in Britain’s elite league
for the Ayr Raiders in 1991-92. Dennehy parlayed that into a tryout
with the Fort Wayne Comets in the IHL before trading in his skates
for a whistle.
Dennehy resides in Andover with his wife Heather and three
daughters – Kelsey, Kielan, and Caroline.
