Ben Syer Named Head Men's Ice Hockey Coach
4/25/2024
Ben Syer has been named the 18th head coach of men’s hockey at Princeton University as announced by Ford Family Director of Athletics John Mack ‘00.
A 25-year veteran behind the bench of Division I college hockey programs, Syer takes the reins of the program after recently concluding his 13th season overall at Cornell and his 12th as Associate Head Coach of the Big Red. His previous 12 seasons as a college coach came while serving as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Quinnipiac from 1999-2011.
In 2018, Syer was the recipient of the Terry Flanagan Award which is presented annually by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) to an assistant coach in recognition of his superior body of work over a career.
“I am thrilled to welcome Ben and his family to Princeton and the men’s hockey program,” said Mack. “He has a proven track record of recruiting and developing student-athletes and positioning them for success on the ice and in the classroom. He has been part of championship teams throughout his entire coaching career, navigating one of the toughest conferences in college hockey year-in, year-out. Throughout this process, it was evident that Ben possesses the qualities we are looking for in a head men’s ice hockey coach at Princeton. He is a passionate recruiter, an innovative tactician and a commanding leader inside the locker room. Under his guidance, I am confident that Princeton’s best days on the ice are ahead of us.”
Syer’s 13 seasons at Cornell included seven Ivy League championships, three ECAC regular season titles and one ECAC Championships postseason title which came this past March. Overall, he was part of a Big Red program that qualified for seven NCAA Tournaments and reached four Regional Finals.
Before joining the Big Red, he was on staff during Quinnipiac’s rise into Division I hockey where the Bobcats won the 2002 MAAC championship and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time. In addition, he coached a pair of conference regular season championship teams at Quinnipiac – one in the MAAC (1998-99) and one in Atlantic Hockey (2004-05). He was on staff with the Bobcats during their move to the ECAC which included a run to the ECAC Final in their second season of conference membership in 2006-07.
“It is a privilege to represent Princeton University and Princeton Athletics while we collectively build upon the strong culture of support and success the institution and its passionate staff and alumni base provide to student-athletes,” Syer said. ““I would like to thank John Mack and the search committee for allowing me the opportunity to lead the next chapter of the men’s ice hockey program at Princeton. I also must extend my sincere gratitude to my family for their unconditional support, and also have the greatest appreciation and thanks to Mike Schafer and Rand Pecknold for their mentorship and guidance throughout my career. I look forward to getting started at my new home while building strong relationships with the players, staff and alumni to prepare for this new era of Tiger hockey.”
In addition to his plethora of team success over his coaching career, Syer has coached seven All-Americans and three Hobey Baker Finalists while also helping guide his players to 42 All-Conference honors and 43 All-Ivy selections.
In terms of professional hockey aspirations, Syer has helped coach 23 NHL Draft Picks and currently has nine former players who have appeared in NHL games. Overall during his time in Ithaca, two-thirds of his Cornell players have graduated and signed professional hockey contracts.
The hallmark of Syer’s teams at Cornell has been defense. Over his 13 years behind the bench with the Big Red, his teams have averaged 2.21 goals allowed-per-game which ranks No. 3 among all Division I programs over the past 13 seasons. This past season, the Big Red led the country in Scoring Defense, allowing 1.86 goals-per-game as the lone team to average fewer than two goals allowed each night. In his 13 years with the Big Red, Syer has mentored teams to a Top-10 ranking in Scoring Defense nine times and twice has led the country in that statistic (2017-18, 2023-24).
The Big Red have won 20+ games in six of their last seven seasons on the ice, including back-to-back seasons with 20 or more wins through this past campaign.
Syer has experience leading behind the bench as well, having served as acting head coach for over 20+ games at Cornell and Quinnipiac during his career while the sitting head coach was unavailable. His teams were successful when Syer stepped into the lead role, posting an unofficial 13-6-4 record while he was serving as head coach during games.
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Syer served as head coach at USA Hockey Select Festivals since 2016 where he has worked with the top age-group players in the United States. The past two years, he has served as head coach of Team New York at USA Hockey events.
He also has been a guest coach at USA Hockey’s World Junior training camp in 2022, and was a guest coach at Development Camp with the Washington Capitals in 2018.
Syer has extensive skill development experience at camps and clinics around the country, including S&B Hockey Camps which he co-founded in Ithaca and has run since 2019. He has served as guest lecturer at coaching symposiums run by the AHCA Convention, NCAA Frozen Four, USA Hockey and Washington Capitals.
Off the ice, he is actively involved in his communities where he has volunteered with Salvation Army and Ithaca Youth Hockey. Since 2013, he has participated in the “Racker Rivals” game which annually raises over $100,000 in support of the Racker Center in Ithaca which provides strength-based support for individuals with disabilities and their families in Tompkins, Cortland and Tioga counties.
A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Syer graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 1998 with an honors degree in Urban Development. In 2000, he earned a Master’s in Physical Education from Ohio University while also serving as an assistant coach with the club men’s ice hockey team.
Ben and his wife, Laura, are the parents of two daughters, Mckenna and Elly.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT BEN SYER
“Ben’s career of success speaks for itself. He is an outstanding coach, leader and person. He has not only established himself as one of the most respected recruiters in college hockey, he recruits the right young men. Princeton is in great hands with Ben Syer."
Derek Lalonde; Detroit Red Wings Head Coach
“I truly believe Ben Syer will be an outstanding head coach at Princeton University. I have known Ben personally and professionally for over fifteen years and always admired the way he competed fiercely yet always has done so with class and character. Ben is a smart hockey guy, an excellent teacher, a hard working recruiter but above all that he is a rock solid human being.”
Keith Allain; Yale Head Coach
“Ben is a phenomenal coach and an even better person. His attention to detail and enthusiastic personality are infectious, and helped establish a winning culture during my time with him at Cornell. He genuinely cares for his players, staff and community, and I know he’ll continue to positively impact their lives at Princeton, just as he has mine.”
Morgan Barron - Winnipeg Jets
“Benny is easily the most detailed coach I've had. There are so many little details that he taught me throughout my four years under his wing that made my transition to professional hockey much easier. The importance of stick detail, gaps, and communication are what he focused on the most. He allowed me to use my skill to make plays while also teaching me when to make the simple play. A lot of Cornell's success is a credit to Benny. He did a great job teaching us the systems and getting us to play smart and structured hockey. It was easy to see how much he cared about us and wanted to win. We are lucky to have played for him as he's made us all better players and people.”
Sam Malinski - Colorado Avalanche
"I had the privilege of being coached by Ben Syer for the entirety of my college career, and the passion he brings to the rink every day along with his acute attention to detail creates a culture that breeds success and character. He invests in his student-athletes and cares about their development as players and as people. We are all extremely excited for Benny to embark on this new chapter of his career and can’t wait to see the incredible impact he will have on Princeton’s historic program."
Jeff Malott – Manitoba Moose
