Ben Lovejoy
Encyclopedia
Benjamin N. Lovejoy is a professional ice hockey
defenseman
currently with the Pittsburgh Penguins
organization.
in Deerfield, Massachusetts
. The program has turned out numerous Division 1 standouts over the past two decades, many of whom have gone on to continue their playing careers in the NHL.
Ben Lovejoy was offered an NHL contract by Montreal
during his third year of college. Lovejoy turned down the offer so that he could finish school and grow more as a player. Undrafted, Lovejoy played one year for Boston College
and three years for Dartmouth College
of the NCAA. Lovejoy also played lacrosse
at Dartmouth, earning All-Ivy honors in 2006. He graduated from Dartmouth with the class of 2007. He began his professional career a few days after graduation and played five games with the Norfolk Admirals
of the American Hockey League
to end the 2006–07
season. That summer, Lovejoy signed an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
. Ben Lovejoy scored his first pro goal at home during the Saint Patrick's Day
game. Lovejoy ended the season with 20 points (2 goals, 18 assists) appearing in 72 games and a plus-16 rating.
On July 7, 2008, Lovejoy signed an NHL contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. On December 7, 2008, when a replacement was needed for Pittsburgh blueliner Hal Gill, Lovejoy received his first recall to the Penguins. At the time of his recall, Ben was ranked in the top ten among the AHL defensemen with 14 points (4+10) and placed in the top ten among all AHL players with a plus/-14 rating in 24 games. He made his NHL debut on December 8, 2008, in a 4-3 loss against the Buffalo Sabres
.
Ben Lovejoy was named to the PlanetUSA squad for the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic, which was held January 25-26th, 2009 at the DCU Center
in Worcester, Massachusetts
. During the Skills Competition, Ben took part in the hardest shot and breakaway.
On April 11, 2009, Ben Lovejoy received the 2nd team AHL All-Star award along with Most Valuable Defenseman. Lovejoy ended the regular 2008–09 campaign leading the entire AHL with a Plus/Minus rating of 42
Lovejoy earned his first NHL point with an assist during a 6-5 Penguins win over the Boston Bruins
on November 14, 2009. His first NHL goal was scored on December 22, 2010 against Scott Clemmensen
of the Florida Panthers
.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenseman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
currently with the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
organization.
Playing career
Ben Lovejoy played high school hockey for prep school Deerfield AcademyDeerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy is an independent, coeducational boarding school in Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States. It is a four-year college-preparatory school with approximately 600 students and about 100 faculty, all of whom live on or near campus....
in Deerfield, Massachusetts
Deerfield, Massachusetts
Deerfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,750 as of the 2000 census. Deerfield is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area in Western Massachusetts, lying only north of the city of Springfield.Deerfield includes the...
. The program has turned out numerous Division 1 standouts over the past two decades, many of whom have gone on to continue their playing careers in the NHL.
Ben Lovejoy was offered an NHL contract by Montreal
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
during his third year of college. Lovejoy turned down the offer so that he could finish school and grow more as a player. Undrafted, Lovejoy played one year for Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
and three years for Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
of the NCAA. Lovejoy also played lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
at Dartmouth, earning All-Ivy honors in 2006. He graduated from Dartmouth with the class of 2007. He began his professional career a few days after graduation and played five games with the Norfolk Admirals
Norfolk Admirals
The Norfolk Admirals are a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Admirals play in Norfolk, Virginia, at the Norfolk Scope.-History:...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
to end the 2006–07
2006–07 AHL season
The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals....
season. That summer, Lovejoy signed an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza...
. Ben Lovejoy scored his first pro goal at home during the Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
game. Lovejoy ended the season with 20 points (2 goals, 18 assists) appearing in 72 games and a plus-16 rating.
On July 7, 2008, Lovejoy signed an NHL contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. On December 7, 2008, when a replacement was needed for Pittsburgh blueliner Hal Gill, Lovejoy received his first recall to the Penguins. At the time of his recall, Ben was ranked in the top ten among the AHL defensemen with 14 points (4+10) and placed in the top ten among all AHL players with a plus/-14 rating in 24 games. He made his NHL debut on December 8, 2008, in a 4-3 loss against the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
.
Ben Lovejoy was named to the PlanetUSA squad for the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic, which was held January 25-26th, 2009 at the DCU Center
DCU Center
The DCU Center is an indoor arena and convention center complex, located in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts....
in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. During the Skills Competition, Ben took part in the hardest shot and breakaway.
On April 11, 2009, Ben Lovejoy received the 2nd team AHL All-Star award along with Most Valuable Defenseman. Lovejoy ended the regular 2008–09 campaign leading the entire AHL with a Plus/Minus rating of 42
Lovejoy earned his first NHL point with an assist during a 6-5 Penguins win over the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
on November 14, 2009. His first NHL goal was scored on December 22, 2010 against Scott Clemmensen
Scott Clemmensen
Scott Lee Clemmensen is an American professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently playing with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League .-Playing career:...
of the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2002–03 | Boston College Boston College Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early... |
HE Hockey East Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference.... |
22 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Dartmouth College Dartmouth College Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences... |
ECAC Eastern College Athletic Conference The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois... |
32 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Dartmouth College | ECAC | 32 | 2 | 16 | 18 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Dartmouth College | ECAC | 32 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 2006–07 AHL season The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals.... |
Norfolk Admirals Norfolk Admirals The Norfolk Admirals are a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Admirals play in Norfolk, Virginia, at the Norfolk Scope.-History:... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 2007–08 AHL season The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:... |
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza... |
AHL | 72 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 63 | 23 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 18 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 AHL season The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:... |
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 76 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 84 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 AHL season The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11... |
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 65 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 92 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 47 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 48 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 61 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 50 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||
| AHL totals | 218 | 18 | 62 | 80 | 245 | 37 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 34 | ||||