The Maine Mariners announced on Tuesday that University of Maine alumnus and associate coach Ben Guite will be succeeding Riley Armstrong as the team’s next head coach. Guite had previously served on the Black Bears’ coaching staff from 2013-2021 and played for the college hockey powerhouse from 1996-2000. Following the tragic death of UMaine bench boss Red Gendron in April, Guite was named interim head coach until Ben Barr was hired to lead the program later in the spring.
Meanwhile, Armstrong accepted a position as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms and thus left the Mariners position vacant. During his brief tenure with the hockey club, Armstrong led the Mariners to a 69-58-5-2 record through their first two ECHL seasons, finishing each season with winning records. Per the team release, Armstrong will become the 43rd active AHL coach (12 head coaches, 31 assistant coaches) to make the transition from the ECHL. There are currently 45 NHL coaches (four head coaches, 41 assistant coaches) with backgrounds in the ECHL.
A Local Connection
For Guite, the move from the college ranks to the ECHL allows him to remain in the Pine Tree State. Though it is his first professional coaching opportunity, his career as a player and coach up the interstate in Orono is well-documented. A national championship winner in 1999, Guite was also the Black Bears captain in 2000, where he led the men’s hockey team with 22 goals. He went on to play 13 years in the pros, including a brief tenure with the Boston Bruins, who are now the Mariners’ new NHL affiliate.
“It’s a huge honour to be able to be a head coach in the ECHL,” said Guite. “I am very thankful for Danny [Briere] showing the confidence in selecting me as head coach and to Riley for making the transition seamless with the players and helping in securing the best possible team for our fans for the upcoming season.”
Simultaneously, the team announced that Terrence Wallin would be serving as Guite’s assistant. Wallin is recently retired from the pro ranks, and in fact, played for the Mariners for the past two seasons as an alternate captain. Though only 29-years-old, Wallin already has a background in the education side of the game. In 2019, he founded Maine Evolution Hockey, an organization dedicated to teaching skill development to players of all ages throughout the state.
This announcement, combined with the new affiliation with the Boston Bruins, marks an exciting time in Maine Mariners’ history. Maine will start their season on Friday, October 22nd with a home-and-home series against the Worcester Railers.