Former Quinnipiac blueliner, Washington assistant Cashman named new Dartmouth coach
Dartmouth announced Monday the hiring of Reid Cashman as the new men’s hockey coach.Cashman comes to Hanover as the 22nd head coach in program history after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Washington Capitals.He replaces Bob Gaudet, who retired after the 2019-20 season.“I feel like I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime to be the head coach of the Dartmouth men’s hockey program,” Cashman said in a statement. “For 114 years, Dartmouth has competed at the highest level and has produced Olympians, All-Americans and NHL players. Along with the great history on the ice, Dartmouth College has been one of the finest institutions in the world for more than 250 years. It is truly an honor to be given this prestigious opportunity.”A former defenseman, Cashman is a 2007 graduate of Quinnipiac, where he was an All-American, a First-Team All-ECAC Hockey selection and a Hobey Baker top 10 finalist (2005). Following his professional playing career, he returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach, helping the Bobcats reach two Frozen Fours in 2013 and 2016.While in the Washington organization, Cashman was integral in bringing along the franchise’s young talent, as he was responsible for building staff and running the Capitals’ development camps. On the bench with the Caps, Cashman oversaw the defense and penalty kill.Before making it to the NHL, Cashman was an assistant with the AHL’s Hershey Bears for two seasons.“I am thrilled to welcome Reid, his wife Stefanie and daughters Maggie and Sophia to the Upper Valley and the Dartmouth community,” Dartmouth director of athletics and recreation Harry Sheehy said in a statement. “Reid’s professionalism, passion and purpose were evident to all who engaged with him. Our department, players and alumni were all struck by his excitement and vision for the program. Personally, I was impressed by his track record of success in both recruiting and player development.”As a player, Cashman was a two-time captain at Quinnipiac in addition to his on-ice accolades. His 125 career assists and 148 points are both still school records for defensemen more than a dozen years after graduating. An All-American in each of his last three seasons with the Bobcats, Cashman was also recognized as a member of the ECAC Hockey All-Decade Team for the 2000s and was named one of the top 50 players in league history.After leaving Hamden, Cashman played for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins and Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL, in the ECHL for Columbia, Wheeling and Cincinnati — where he won the 2010 Kelly Cup — before capping his pro career with EHC Black Wings Linz of the Austrian Erste Bank Ice Hockey League.Cashman will remain with the Capitals through the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs that are set to begin this summer, joining the Big Green on a full-time basis shortly after the conclusion of the team’s postseason run.