Boston Bandits name Jim Gaudet as new NCDC head coach

By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com 

Jim Gaudet feels fortunate to have been able to learn from so many great coaches throughout his life. That all started within his very house.

Jim, announced on Wednesday as the Boston Bandits’ new NCDC Heach Coach and Director of Hockey Operations, is the son (and a former player for) 22-year Dartmouth College head coach Bob Gaudet. Last season, he worked with former Bandits head coach Rich Alger as an assistant, helping the Bandits to a 26-18-2-4 record and a playoff berth. 

Along with growing up under the tutelage of one successful head coach, he also said he learned a lot last year under Coach Alger. 

“I really enjoyed working with Rich Alger. He taught me a lot of things last year, and I’ll also be using some of my experience and things I learned from my experience of playing and coaching as well.”

Jim was a four-year defenseman for Dartmouth, where he was also an Assistant Captain as a senior in 2011-12. Following his playing career, he was the head skating and skills coach and Director of Hockey Operations at the First Line Training Center in Rockville, Md., and the head coach of the University of Maryland’s ACHA team. 

“Jim is a rising star in the coaching ranks,” said Bandits Senior Advisor Doug Shepherd. “His knowledge, demeanor and coaching philosophy fits with our development model and will help build on the foundation that has been laid here by former Coach Rich Alger and Mark Jones.

“We would like to thank Rich and Mark for the tremendous job that they have done here,” added Shepherd. “Their commitment to bringing in quality individuals to play with our club has helped to set us up for future success. The fact that they were able to improve the club’s point total by 33 in just one season is simply outstanding.”

Gaudet is excited for the chance to help the Bandits build on that success going into Year 3 of the NCDC. 

“I’m definitely excited about it. I think we had a great year last year, and we have a lot of guys coming back from last year’s team, which puts us in a really good spot,” Gaudet added. “We were one of the younger teams in the league last year. Although we will be adding young talent again this year, we will have a good core group of veterans who played a lot of games last year.”  

Joining Gaudet on staff will be Jay Punsky. Punsky will assume the role of General Manager after guiding the Bandits’ Premier team to a second place finish in the New England Division of the USPHL with an outstanding record of 33-7-3-1. 

A former goaltender at the junior level, Punsky has been a winner wherever he has been and has had success in building junior teams at all levels. 

“It’s a great organization to be a part of, as a coach and as a player,” added Gaudet. “We give them every opportunity to develop to the best of their potential. Last year, we rolled four lines and three defensive pairs, so they all got good playing time and developed towards reaching their individual goals in the game.” 

The Bandits kick off the 2019-20 season with their Main Camp at Bridgewater Ice Arena May 23-25. For more information contact Jay Punsky at jpunsky@bostonbandits.com.