Dent earned three Stanley Cup rings

Bowman in announcing the coaching change in April thanked Dent for contributions to the Blackhawks organization.

“He played a major role in helping a number of players reach the NHL level, many of whom became Stanley Cup champions,” Bowman, the son of NHL Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman, said.

Dent’s three Stanley Cup rings and longevity in the AHL speaks volumes about his “outstanding ability as a coach” as well as his character, Bill Burke said.

“Eleven years in the same organization,” the IceDogs owner said. “Very tough in the AHL when you constantly have your top players moving up, when you still want to win.”

Rockford finished under .500 only once in six seasons under Dent but only made the playoffs twice, each time losing in the first round.

As a player Dent was a left-shooting centre who spent two seasons in the Central Ontario Junior Hockey League before going on to a four-year collegiate career at St. Lawrence University. He made his professional debut with Central Hockey League’s Wichita Thunder and spent the next three seasons seeing action in the ECHL with the Johnstown Chiefs and the Charlotte Checkers.

After taking a year off Dent wrapped up his pro career by playing four games with the ECHL’s Toledo Storm in 1996-97.

In 1994 and 1995 he played roller hockey with the Philadelphia Bulldogs.

As associate coach with the IceDogs Dent succeeds Billy Burke who was promoted to the top job after Dave Bell stunned the team by accepting a position as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Ontario Reign, the top affiliate in the Los Angeles Kings organization.

Ontario is a city of 175,000 less than an hour east of Los Angeles in southern California.

Prior to becoming head coach, Bell spent three seasons behind the IceDogs bench as former general manager and head coach Marty Williamson’s associate coach.

The IceDogs visit the Hamilton Bulldogs in the Saturday, Sept. 23, season opener. Their first home game at Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines is Friday, Sept. 29, against the defending OHL champion Erie Otters.