Ben Guite, a former University of Maine player and assistant coach for the past eight seasons in Orono, has accepted his first head coaching job with the Maine Mariners of the East Coast Hockey League it was announced on Tuesday.
Guite has spent 2013-2021 as an assistant coach under Red Gendron, the last four seasons as the associate head coach. Gendron passed away unexpectedly in April, and Guite was named interim head coach before Ben Barr was announced as the new head coach with the Black Bears in May. Riley Armstrong who had been the first head coach in the newest Mariners history, is moving on to become an assistant with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League.
The assistant for Guite is a familiar name and fan favorite. Terrence Wallin, who recently retired after five professional playing seasons, the last two as an alternate captain for the Mariners takes his first job behind a bench. Wallin replaces Anthony Bohn in the assistant position, as Bohn left after the 2019-20 campaign to become a head coach in the North American Hockey League.
The Mariners became the minor league affiliate of the Boston Bruins back on June 30th. After not having any games in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maine begins their 72 game 2021-22 regular season October 22 in Portland against the Worcester Railers.