Rick Dudley

Rick Dudley was born on 31 January 1949 in Toronto, Ontario. He played professional hockey in the World Hockey Association and in the National Hockey League. He also has served as a head coach in the National Hockey League. He is currently assistant general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks. He grew up playing hockey in his hometown of Port Hope, Ontario.

Playing Career
Rick 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 4 February 1979 Cincinnati traded him to the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, where he remained until the 1980–81 season. During that season, Dudley was traded to the Winnipeg Jets 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.

Coaching Career
Rick 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.

NHL Coaching Record
Team            Season   W  L OTL/T Buffalo Sabres  1989-90  45 27  8 Buffalo Sabres  1990-91  31 30 19 Buffalo Sabres  1991-92   9 15  4 Florida Panthers 2003-04 13 15 12

Total Coaching Record - 98-87-43

PLAYOFFS       Season   W  L Buffalo Sabres  1989-90  2  4 Buffalo Sabres 1990-91  2  4

Total Playoff Record - 4-8