The Hobey Baker Award lost a great friend on December 15, 2021 with the passing of longtime hockey coach R.H. “Bob” Peters. Coach was a longtime member of the Hobey committee and for many years, chaired the Legends of College Hockey award. He too, earned that distinction when so honored in 2001.
Most notably, Peters was a college hockey head coach for 37 years, 35 of those with Bemidji State University. Following a two-year stint coaching the University of North Dakota, Peters in 1966 took over a small-college program in the early stages of its existence – at Bemidji State. Within two seasons Peters led BSU to its first national title and set the foundation for what would become one of the most dominant programs in college hockey. When he retired in 2001, he had the sixth most wins as a head coach in college hockey history, 744 with 702 of those coming at Bemidji State.
Peters, the only coach to lead a team to a national championship game in three divisions of college hockey (Division II, III, and NAIA), developed five NHL players and numerous Olympians and All-Americans. It important to note, that over 100 of his former players went on to coaching positions themselves throughout the high school and collegiate levels.
Besides his head coaching role, he served many years as Athletic Director at BSU and was a founding member of the College Hockey America conference in 2001 and served as its commissioner until 2008. When the home of the Beavers Sanford Center was opened in 2010, the ice sheet was named the R.H. “Bob” Peters rink in his honor. A true legend of college hockey, thanks coach for all whom you touched.
