Mike Addesa
Biographical details
Born(1945-01-08)January 8, 1945
West Roxbury, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedNovember 29, 2022(2022-11-29) (aged 77)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1966–1967Stoneham HS (asst.)
1967–1968St. Mary's HS
1968–1973Randolph HS
1973–1974Wellesley HS
1974–1976Holy Cross (asst.)
1976–1979Holy Cross
1979–1989Rensselaer
1989–1990Notre Dame Hounds (GM)
1990–1995Detroit Red Wings (scout)
1995–2012Boston Bulldogs (HC/GM/Owner)
2011–2013Calgary Flames (scout)
2015–2017Vancouver Canucks (scout)
2015–2017Seacoast Spartans (GM)
Head coaching record
Overall236–155–9 (.601) [College]
Tournaments3–2–1 (.583)

Michael John Addesa, Jr. (January 8, 1945 – November 29, 2022) was an American ice hockey coach and football player. Addesa was the head coach of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute men's ice hockey team from 1979 to 1989.[1] Addesa played collegiate football at Holy Cross.[2]

Coaching career

In 1974, Addesa became an assistant ice hockey coach at Holy Cross. He was elevated to head coach in 1976 and stayed in that position until the end of the 1978–1979 season, when he was hired by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.[3]

Addesa was hired by RPI to replace Jim Salfi who had coached the team from 1972 to 1979.

In his 10 years with RPI, Mike Addesa won one NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship in 1985 and two ECAC Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championships in 1984 and 1985.[4]

Addesa was forced to resign as head coach at RPI in 1989 due to philosophical differences, stemming from the controversy over accusations of making racist comments towards one of two black players on his team, one of whom was future NHL player Graeme Townshend: "If you don’t put forth a greater effort, the world will only see you as a stereotypical nigger.” He has apologized for the comments. Townshend accepted the apology, and has voiced 100% support for Addesa from the beginning. Townshend has stated that his relationship with Addesa was unlike any player/coach relationship he had ever experienced, and that Addesa went above and beyond the job of just being a coach. Townshend viewed their relationship as being closer to a father/son thing. "I loved the guy.”[5] Addesa would later go on to say that he had not meant the comments "racially" [6] and to describe his firing from RPI as a "scam" which had made it impossible for him to continue coaching.[7]

Scouting career

Addesa worked as a scout for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League from 1990 to 1995 and the Calgary Flames from 2011 to 2013.[8] On August 4, 2015, Addesa was named as a scout for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League.[9]

Personal life and death

Addesa died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on November 29, 2022, at the age of 77 from natural causes.[10]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Holy Cross Crusaders (ECAC 2) (1976–1979)
1976–77 Holy Cross 15–12–010–12–016th
1977–78 Holy Cross 17–9–014–7–0T–8thECAC 2 East Quarterfinals
1978–79 Holy Cross 18–10–014–9–010thECAC 2 East Quarterfinals
Holy Cross: 50–31–038–28–0
Rensselaer Engineers (ECAC Hockey) (1979–1989)
1979–80 Rensselaer 16–11–014–8–06thECAC Quarterfinals
1980–81 Rensselaer 16–13–010–11–0t–10th
1981–82 Rensselaer 9–18–26–12–214th
1982–83 Rensselaer 18–11–013–7–07thECAC Quarterfinals
1983–84 Rensselaer 32–6–017–3–01stNCAA Quarterfinals
1984–85 Rensselaer 35–2–120–1–01stNCAA Champion
1985–86 Rensselaer 20–11–113–7–14thECAC Quarterfinals
1986–87 Rensselaer 13–18–29–13–0T-7thECAC Third Place Game (Tie)
1987–88 Rensselaer 15–17–09–13–08thECAC Quarterfinals
1988–89 Rensselaer 12–17–38–12–28thECAC Quarterfinals
Rensselaer: 186–124–9119–87–5
Total:236–155–9

      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

References

  1. ↑ "MHKY All-Time Coaching Records". RPI Athletics Website. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  2. ↑ "All-Time Letterwinners" (PDF). College of the Holy Cross, Department of Athletics. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Mike Addesa". Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  4. ↑ Wallace, William N. (February 1986). "R.P.I. Hockey Mixes Class and Classes". New York Times. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Mike Addesa and the State of Racism in the NHL - OneCanuck". onecanuck.com. Archived from the original on 2015-08-11.
  6. ↑ HighBeam
  7. ↑ "The Daily Gazette - Google News Archive Search".
  8. ↑ "Elite Prospects Hockey: Mike Addesa".
  9. ↑ "Canucks name Weisbrod assistant general manager". Sportsnet. August 4, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Former RPI Coach Mike Addesa Dies". College Hockey News. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
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