| Rick Dudley | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 31, 1949 Toronto, Ontario |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) |
| Position | Left wing |
| Shot | Left |
| Played for | Buffalo Sabres Cincinnati Stingers Winnipeg Jets |
| Playing career | 1972–1981 |
Richard Clarence Dudley (born January 31, 1949 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. Dudley was previously the general manager of several hockey teams. Dudley played in the World Hockey Association and in the National Hockey League. Dudley has also served as a head coach in the National Hockey League. Dudley grew up playing hockey in his hometown of Port Hope, Ontario.
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Dudley began his playing career with the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL in 1972–73 and played there for three seasons, before switching leagues in 1975–76. He played four seasons in the WHA for the Cincinnati Stingers. On February 4, 1979, Cincinnati traded him to the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, where he remained until the 1980–81 season. During that season, Dudley was released and picked up by the last place Winnipeg Jets on waivers, where he played the remaining 30 games of the season, wearing the number 99. He spent the next season, 1981–82, playing seven games for the Fredericton Express in the American Hockey League.
Dudley is a member of the Cincinnati Hockey Hall of Fame. He also played for the 1974 Rochester Golden Griffins of the National Lacrosse League in the off season.[1] Despite missing a dozen games at the start of the season because the NHL playoffs and at the end of the season because of Buffalo Sabres training camp, he still managed to finish sixth in league scoring.
Dudley began coaching the next year, 1982–1983, after retiring as a player. He coached in the ACHL, IHL, and AHL, before finally getting a head-coaching job in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres in the 1989–90 season. While coaching in the IHL, in 1988, he won the Commissioner's Trophy for the Coach of the Year. He coached the Sabres for three seasons before being fired in 1991–92. He then spent the next four seasons coaching three different teams in the IHL, and wouldn't make an NHL coaching appearance again until he was the mid-season replacement for the Florida Panthers in the 2003–04 season. He was the general manager of the Ottawa Senators in the 1998–99 season.
On April 14, 2010, Dudley was named General Manager of the Atlanta Thrashers,[2] replacing Don Waddell, who became club President. Dudley had served as associate general manager for one year under Waddell.
Shortly after settling into his new position, when free agency began on July 1, 2010, Dudley aggressively pursued and obtained four players, including Dustin Byfuglien, and an assistant coach, John Torchetti, from the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks.
Dudley was added to the Toronto Maple Leafs management team on June 24, 2011.
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Finish | W | L | Win % | Result | ||
| BUF | 1989–90 | 80 | 45 | 27 | 8 | – | 98 | 2nd in Adams | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in 1st round |
| BUF | 1990–91 | 80 | 31 | 30 | 19 | – | 81 | 3rd in Adams | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in 1st round |
| BUF | 1991–92 | 28 | 9 | 15 | 4 | – | 22 | 3rd in Adams | – | – | – | (fired) |
| FLA | 2003–04 | 40 | 13 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 38 | 4th in Southeast | – | – | – | (returned to assistant coaching role) |
| Preceded by Ted Sator |
Head coach of the Buffalo Sabres 1989-91 |
Succeeded by John Muckler |
| Preceded by Pierre Gauthier |
General Manager of the Ottawa Senators 1998–99 |
Succeeded by Marshall Johnston |
| Preceded by Jacques Demers |
General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning 1999-2002 |
Succeeded by Jay Feaster |
| Preceded by Chuck Fletcher |
General Manager of the Florida Panthers 2002-04 |
Succeeded by Mike Keenan |
| Preceded by Mike Keenan |
Head coach of the Florida Panthers 2003–04 |
Succeeded by John Torchetti |
| Preceded by Don Waddell |
General Manager of the Atlanta Thrashers 2010–11 |
Succeeded by Kevin Cheveldayoff (Winnipeg Jets) |
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