Bob Brinkworth

Robert J. "Bob" Brinkworth is a Canadian retired ice hockey Center and coach who was a two-time All-American and ECAC Player of the Year for Rensselaer.[1]

Bob Brinkworth
Born	May 10, 1942 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position	Center
Played for	Rensselaer Omaha Knights Providence Reds Baltimore Clippers Port Huron Flags
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	1961–1974

Career

Brinkworth was recruited to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by the legendary Ned Harkness and began playing with the varsity team in 1961. As a sophomore he led the team in scoring, recording more than three points per game, and finished second in the nation with 71 points. He made the inaugural First Team All-ECAC roster and was a major reason for the Engineers making the ECAC Tournament. Unfortunately, the team lost their quarterfinal match and ended their season in a disappointing fashion. As a junior Brinkwork again led the team in scoring and was third in the nation with 75 points. This time he received increasing attention for his efforts and was named an All-American as well as the ECAC Player of the Year.[2] Despite his performance, Rensselaer played rather poorly during the season and didn't even make the conference tournament.

Harkness left prior to Brinkworth's senior season to take over at Cornell. The coach was replaced by Rube Bjorkman (who would leave after the 1964 season) and the team rebounded with a much better campaign. Brinkworth was named team co-captain with Jerry Knightly and got the team to post an 18–8 record and return to the conference tournament. Brinkworth helped the team with its first ECAC tournament game but couldn't overcome the stout defense of St. Lawrence in the semifinal. RPI won what they thought was Brinkworth's final college game over long-time rival Clarkson to finish third in the tournament and Brinkworth was named to the All-Tournament First Team. When the NCAA selection committee passed over St. Lawrence in favor of RPI for the NCAA Tournament, Brinkworth had one last chance to make an impact with the Engineers. While the team lest to Denver in the semifinal, they recovered for a 2–1 win over Providence in the consolation game and Brinkworth able to end on a high note. He finished the season as the second highest scorer in the nation for the second time, behind only Knightly with 70 points.

After graduating, Brinkworth turned to a professional career, joining the Omaha Knights in the second season of the CPHL. The following year Brinkworth jumped up to the AHL, playing with the Providence Reds and Baltimore Clippers over four seasons. He was never able to get a call-up to the NHL, however, and moved to the IHL in 1970. In his first season with the Port Huron Flags the team finished 6th out of 7 teams but made the postseason and went on a stunning run. The Flags won the championship with Brinkworth leading the way, scoring 10 goals and 18 points in 14 games. The next season the team finished second in their division and went on a second postseason run to capture their second consecutive Turner Cup. Brinkworth spent two more seasons with Port Huron before retiring as a player.

Brinkworh began his second career as a coach, working with amateur and professional teams for many seasons. In 2004 he became the head coach for Florida Gulf Coast and headed the school's club team for 15 seasons.[3] He was the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II coach of the year in 2009. He was inducted into the RPI Athletic Hall of Fame in 1968.[4]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular Season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1961–62	Rensselaer	ECAC Hockey		22	41	30	71	10		—	—	—	—	—
1962–63	Rensselaer	ECAC Hockey		23	34	41	75	8		—	—	—	—	—
1963–64	Rensselaer	ECAC Hockey		26	35	35	70	2		—	—	—	—	—
1964–65	Omaha Knights	CPHL		67	15	15	30	10		6	2	0	2	8
1965–66	Providence Reds	AHL		57	11	12	23	6		—	—	—	—	—
1966–67	Baltimore Clippers	AHL		56	9	14	23	12		3	0	1	1	2
1967–68	Baltimore Clippers	AHL		23	6	8	14	6		—	—	—	—	—
1968–69	Baltimore Clippers	AHL		73	24	19	43	30		4	0	0	0	0
1970–71	Port Huron Flags	IHL		70	22	39	61	12		14	10	8	18	0
1971–72	Port Huron Wings	IHL		70	29	47	76	6		15	6	8	14	2
1972–73	Port Huron Wings	IHL		55	26	32	58	25		11	3	4	7	2
1973–74	Port Huron Wings	IHL		14	5	2	7	0		—	—	—	—	—
NCAA Totals				71	110	106	216	20		—	—	—	—	—
AHL Totals				209	50	53	103	54		7	0	1	1	2
IHL Totals				209	82	120	202	43		40	19	20	39	4

Awards and honors

Award	Year
All-ECAC Hockey First Team	1961–62	[5]
All-ECAC Hockey First Team	1962–63	[5]
AHCA East All-American	1962–63	[1]
All-ECAC Hockey First Team	1963–64	[5]
AHCA East All-American	1963–64	[6]
ECAC Hockey All-Tournament First Team	1964	[7]

References

1. "1962-1963 All-American Team". The American Hockey Coaches Association. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
2. "ECAC Awards". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
3. "Coaches Corner". Florida Gulf Coast. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
4. "Robert J. Brinkworth". RPI Engineers. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
5. "ECAC All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
6. "1963-1964 All-American Team". The American Hockey Coaches Association. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
7. "All-Tournament Honors" (PDF). ECAC Hockey. Retrieved 2014-05-12.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database