Chris Bergeron

Last updated

Chris Bergeron
Born (1970-11-28) November 28, 1970 (age 54)
Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Center
Shot Right
National teamFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
NHL draft undrafted
Playing career 19932000
Coaching career
Playing career
1989–1993 Miami
Position(s) Center
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2000–2010 Miami (assistant)
2010–2019 Bowling Green
2019–2024 Miami
Head coaching record
Overall206–270–60 (.440)
Tournaments0–1 (.000)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1994 Riley Cup
1998 Ray Miron President's Cup

Chris Bergeron (born November 28, 1970) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey center, and the former men's ice hockey head coach at his alma mater, Miami University. [1] [2]

Contents

Playing career

NCAA hockey

Bergeron played with the Miami RedHawks of the CCHA (NCAA Division I). Bergeron became an integral part of Miami squad, culminating in his senior 1992–93 season, when the team finished with a stellar 22-3-5 (.750) record and CCHA regular season title. Miami then capped a historic year for the program with its first bid to the NCAA men's ice hockey tournament. Miami was led by Bergeron (61 points), Brian Savage (2nd-Team All-American, 37 goals), defenseman Bobby Marshall (2nd-Team All American, 45 points) and goalie Richard Shulmistra (2.71 GAA). The team lost in the first round to Wisconsin 3–1 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. [3] [4] Bergeron was voted the best defensive forward in the CCHA for the 1992-93 season [5] and turned professional with the completion of his collegiate career.[ citation needed ]

International

Following his college career at Miami, Bergeron joined teammate Brian Savage and saw action in four games with the Canadian National Team, recording a goal in four games with Canada. [6]

Professional career

Bergeron played professionally with a number of teams in his 7 year professional career. In his first season, with the Toledo Storm, he recorded 20 points in 18 games and 10 points in 5 playoff games, helping the team to the ECHL Riley Cup championship. [7]

He spent one season in the professional roller hockey league, during the summer of 1994 with Buffalo Stampede. Bergeron played in 20 game recording 19 goals, 34 assists and 46 penalty minutes in his first and only season playing professional roller hockey. Bergeron was second on the team in points and tied for third in goals, with the team winning the RHI championship Murphy Cup. [8]

He returned to the ice for the 1994–95 season, primarily with the Birmingham Bulls of the ECHL, in a solid season (82 points, 27 goals, 55 assists). He spent time with the Cincinnati Cyclones for parts of four seasons, and put forward his best season in 1997–98 with the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Central Hockey League. Bergeon netted 65 goals and added 54 assists for 119 points in 65 regular season games with the Cottonmouths on their way to a CHL championship Levins Cup. [9]

Bergeron finished his professional career in the 1999-2000 season with the Port Huron Border Cats of the United Hockey League. [10]

Career statistics

Playing career

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

   Regular season   Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1989–90 Miami University NCAA 36561118
1990–91 Miami UniversityNCAA26931226
1991–92 Miami UniversityNCAA4013233622
1992–93 Miami UniversityNCAA4121406154
1993–94 Toledo Storm ECHL 1810102026573102
1993–94 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 4165113710000
1994–95 Birmingham Bulls ECHL 53275582128748122
1994–95 Cincinnati Cyclones IHL 14134220000
1995–96 Birmingham BullsECHL3321385985
1995–96Toledo StormECHL632521038114
1995–96 Cincinnati CyclonesIHL25325810000
1995–96 Carolina Monarchs AHL 20112
1996–97 Toledo StormECHL969158
1996–97 Las Vegas Thunder IHL 30112
1996–97Cincinnati CyclonesIHL62718256810110
1997–98 Columbus Cottonmouths CHL 6565541199712651114
1997–98 Cincinnati CyclonesIHL61012
1998–99 Port Huron Border Cats UHL 532643691873144
1998–99 Cincinnati CyclonesIHL1011230000
1999–00 Port Huron Border CatsUHL1366121462462
NCAA Totals1434872120120
ECHL Totals11967114181249221419338
IHL Totals1111225378470110
AHL Totals4366123910000

Coaching career

In 2000, Bergeron retired from playing professional hockey and returned to his Alma Mater Miami University. [11] He joined the RedHawks as an assistant coach for the 2000–01 season and spent the next 10 seasons with the RedHawks under former teammate and Miami head coach Enrico Blasi. During his time at Miami, Bergeron was part of eight 20-win seasons, including six NCAA Tournament appearances and a national championship game. [2] Bergeron worked with the forwards, as well as being heavily involved in recruiting, bringing in six players who would become All-Americans and another player who would go on to win the Hobey Baker Award at Miami. [12]

In 2010, Bergeron was hired as head coach at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Bergeron replaced interim head coach Denis Williams, [13] who took over the struggling program in 2009 after Scott Paluch left to take a position with USA Hockey. [14] [15]

In 2014-15, Bergeron led the Falcons to their first 20+ win season since 1995-96, finishing with a record of 23-11-5. They wrapped up that season just .0001 PairWise points on the outside of the national tournament, where they were left out in favor of the eventual national champions that year, Providence.[ citation needed ]

In 2016-17, after high preseason expectations and sluggish start, he led Bowling Green as they rode a seven-game winning streak all the way to the program's first conference championship game appearance since the 1987-88 season. The Falcons fought valiantly before ultimately dropping the road contest in a hostile environment to Michigan Tech in double overtime, 3-2.[ citation needed ]

In 2017-18, his Bowling Green Falcons won the Great Lakes Invitational tournament. They triumphed over Michigan Wolverines 6-4 in the semifinals, and they defeated Michigan Tech 4-1 in the championship game, winning the event for the first time in history.[ citation needed ]

In 2018-19, Bowling Green had a hot stretch to start the season, highlighted by an 8-2 victory over a top-10 Ohio State in Columbus and culminating in finishing the first half of the season with a sweep of then #3 Minnesota State to go into the Christmas break with a 13-3-3 record. Despite their struggles with consistency down the stretch to close the regular season, the Falcons earned a bid to the 2019 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament. They were selected as the 15th seed, which was the last at-large bid to make it into the tournament. Falcons supporters gathered for a "watch party" for the selection show inside the Slater Family Ice Arena as BG earned their first NCAA bid in 29 years. Bowling Green lost 2-1 in overtime to eventual national champions Minnesota-Duluth in the first round.[ citation needed ]

On April 5, 2019, Bergeron was named the head hockey coach at Miami University, leaving Bowling Green as the 2nd-winningest coach in program history, with 171 wins.[ citation needed ]

On March 18, 2024 Bergeron was fired as the head hockey coach at Miami University, leaving with an overall record of 35-116-16. The final season of Bergeron's tenure finished with a 0-15-1 record in his final 16 games.

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Bowling Green Falcons (CCHA)(2010–2013)
2010–11 Bowling Green 10–27–43–21–4–211th CCHA Quarterfinals
2011–12 Bowling Green 14–25–55–19–4–311th CCHA Third Place Game
2012–13 Bowling Green 15–21–510–15–3–19th CCHA Quarterfinals
Bowling Green:39–73–1418–55–11–6
Bowling Green Falcons(WCHA)(2013–2019)
2013–14 Bowling Green 18–15–613–11–4t-3rd WCHA Semifinals
2014–15 Bowling Green 23–11–517–8–33rd WCHA Semifinals
2015–16 Bowling Green 22–14–616–7–53rd WCHA Semifinals
2016–17 Bowling Green 21–18–214–13–14th WCHA Runner-Up
2017–18 Bowling Green 23–12–617–6–53rd WCHA Semifinals
2018–19 Bowling Green 25–11–516–8–43rd NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinals
Bowling Green:132–81–3093–53–22
Miami RedHawks (NCHC)(2019–2014)
2019–20 Miami 8–21–55–16–3–27th Tournament Cancelled
2020–21 Miami 5–18–25–17–28th NCHC Quarterfinals
2021–22 Miami 7–27–24–19–18th NCHC Quarterfinals
2022–23 Miami 8–24–43–18–38th NCHC Quarterfinals
2023–24 Miami 7–26–31–21–28th NCHC Quarterfinals
Miami:35–116–1618–92–11
Total:206–270–60

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

[16]

References

  1. "Bergeron named new hockey coach - BG News Sports Blog". Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Chris Bergeron Named Head Coach Of Bowling Green Hockey". Bowling Green Falcons.
  3. "1993 NCAA Tournament". Inside College Hockey. 2004. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  4. "Miami University (Ohio) 1992-93 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  5. Miami Hockey Record Book
  6. "Chris Bergeron (b.1970) Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  7. "Kelly Cup Champions".
  8. "Roller Hockey International history and statistics at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  9. "Columbus Cottonmouths 1997-98 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  10. "United Hockey League history and statistics at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  11. "Q&A: Chris Bergeron, Bowling Green".
  12. Hockey news muredhawks.com [ dead link ]
  13. "Falcon Faithful Greet New Era of Hockey With Open Arms". Bowling Green Falcons.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. "Paluch Era Comes To A Close". Bowling Green Falcons.
  16. "2013–14 Bowling Green Hockey Media Guide" (PDF). Bowling Green Falcons. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by CCHA Best Defensive Forward
1992–93
Succeeded by