| Rich Preston | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Preston watching a Flames pre-game skate | |||
| Born | (1952-05-22)May 22, 1952 (age 73) Regina,Saskatchewan, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Right Wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Houston Aeros (WHA) Winnipeg Jets (WHA) Chicago Black Hawks New Jersey Devils | ||
| NHL draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 1974–1987 | ||
Richard John "Rich" Preston (born May 22, 1952) is aCanadianice hockey coach and formerforward. He played hockey for theHouston Aeros andWinnipeg Jets of theWorld Hockey Association and theChicago Black Hawks of theNational Hockey League. He won theAvco World Trophy in 1975 with Houston and 1979 with Winnipeg, and his play in the1979 WHA playoffs awarded him theWHA Playoff MVP, the last to be awarded by the league prior to the NHL-WHA merger.
Preston was born inRegina,Saskatchewan. He is the son ofKen Preston, general manager of theSaskatchewan Roughriders from 1958–1977 and a member of theCanadian Football Hall of Fame.[1] He studied and played with theDenver Pioneers.
His play with teammateRob Palmer, who was drafted by theChicago Black Hawks, had attracted them to put him on a negotiation list to maybe consider him. He mulled it over but whenBill Dineen of the upstartHouston Aeros (which had players such asGordie Howe) inquired about his services, Preston went with Houston, which gave him $30,000 for his first season with a $25,000 signing bonus.[2]
Preston began his professional career in theWorld Hockey Association in the 1974-75 season with theAvco World Trophy championHouston Aeros At one point, he played on the same line ofGordie Howe andMark Howe that saw Preston play right wing that had teammates jokingly dub them "Howe, Howe and Who!"[3]
He then played three more years with the Aeros before the team folded. Preston, along with several players, was sold to theWinnipeg Jets before the start of the 1978-79 season. The Jets won theAvco World Trophy in 1979 (the league's final year) and Preston was namedMost Valuable Player of the WHA playoffs.
Preston started hisNational Hockey League career with theChicago Black Hawks in1980. He also played for theNew Jersey Devils. He left the NHL after the1987 season.
Preston was an assistant coach for theCalgary Flames from the 2003-2004 NHL season until just after the 2008-2009 NHL season. Shortly after his dismissal from the Flames, Preston was hired as the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes head coach and general manager. After four years in Lethbridge without a single playoff game, Preston was fired from both roles before any team advanced past the first round of the 2013 WHL playoffs.[4]
He is currently serving as a scout for theAnaheim Ducks.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1969–70 | Regina Pats | SJHL | 36 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | University of Denver | WCHA | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | University of Denver | WCHA | 33 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | University of Denver | WCHA | 39 | 23 | 25 | 48 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | University of Denver | WCHA | 38 | 20 | 25 | 45 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Houston Aeros | WHA | 78 | 20 | 21 | 41 | 10 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 1975–76 | Houston Aeros | WHA | 77 | 22 | 33 | 55 | 33 | 17 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 1976–77 | Houston Aeros | WHA | 80 | 38 | 41 | 79 | 54 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 10 | ||
| 1977–78 | Houston Aeros | WHA | 73 | 25 | 25 | 50 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 80 | 28 | 32 | 60 | 88 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 15 | ||
| 1979–80 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 80 | 31 | 30 | 61 | 70 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1980–81 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 47 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1981–82 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 75 | 15 | 28 | 43 | 30 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 21 | ||
| 1982–83 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 79 | 25 | 28 | 53 | 64 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 25 | ||
| 1983–84 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 75 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 50 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1984–85 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 75 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 76 | 19 | 22 | 41 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 73 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 580 | 127 | 164 | 291 | 348 | 47 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 56 | ||||
| WHA totals | 388 | 133 | 152 | 285 | 237 | 51 | 16 | 22 | 38 | 39 | ||||