After a lengthy career in professional hockey as a player and a coach, Bobby Carpenter is returning to the amateur ranks.
The Winchendon School announced last week that it has hired Carpenter (Beverly, Mass.), a three-time Stanley Cup champion, as head coach of its 19U girls hockey program.
“Bobby brings tremendous knowledge and experience from his life’s work around the sport," athletic director Dan Chretien said in a press release. "His passion for hockey and commitment to developing young athletes is clearly evident. As the parent of a highly successful women’s hockey player, he brings an understanding of how to provide sound and sensible advice to our families. These attributes combine to make him the perfect fit for our program. We are confident that under his leadership, our team will continue to excel both on and off the ice."
Carpenter takes over for Kara Santoro (Wolcott, Conn.), who guided the girls 19U team to a 37-23-2 record last season, its first as a full-season program. Under director of ice hockey Jeff Pellegrini (Lynn, Mass.), who also coaches the girls 16U team, Winchendon's girls hockey program departed the NEPSAC in favor of a full-season model following the 2022-23 season.
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He was most recently the head coach of the EC Kassel Huskies in the German DEL2 league, following a season with the Kunlun Red Star in the KHL.
Before his time overseas, Carpenter was a player development coordinator with the Toronto Maple Leafs from the 2010-11 season through 2014-15.
Following his playing career, he served as an assistant coach with both the New Jersey Devils and their AHL affiliate, the Albany River Rats from 1998-99 to 2003-04. He won the Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the Devils in 2000 and 2003, and he was the head coach of the River Rats in 2001-02.
“Bobby’s addition is certain to have a tremendous impact for our Girls Hockey Program over the next few years," head of school Sean Duncan said in the release. "More broadly, his presence as an exceptional coach, teacher, and human will help us further elevate Winchendon’s athletic programming across the school. As an institution that embraces character and leadership development in our athletic and co-curricular programs first and foremost, Bobby is a terrific fit.”
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As a player, Carpenter enjoyed an 18-year career in the pros, primarily with the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals. He also had stops with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings. He finished with 320 goals and 728 points in 1,178 career NHL games, winning a Stanley Cup with the Devils in 1995. Carpenter, a U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer, was also a standout at St. John's Prep, where he had 166 points (67 goals) in 74 games before moving on to the professional ranks.
Carpenter's daughter, Alex (North Reading, Mass.), plays for PWHL New York. Her resume includes six World Championship gold medals following a standout career at Boston College and Governor's Academy. Carpenter's son, Bobo (North Reading, Mass.), is a former standout at Boston University and Austin Prep. He currently plays for the ECHL's Florida Everblades.
