Paul Vincent, a Beverly native, has cast a long shadow over hockey in Massachusetts and throughout North America as a renowned skating instructor.
Vincent has been working with players developing speed and skills for over 35 years. There aren’t many - if any - men who can claim to have won a Stanley Cup championship (with the Chicago Blackhawks), an NCAA national championship (with RPI), a New England Prep School title (with Cushing Academy) and a Massachusetts state high school championship (with St. John’s Prep).
Coach Paul Vincent stands by the saying, “There is always room for player development.” He has coached players such as Patrick Kane, Jonathon Toews, Patrick Sharp, Dustin Byfuglien, Adam Oates, Keith Yandle, Brent Sopel, Lee Stempniak and many more.
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Early Career and Development
Vincent began his career helping young hockey players develop their skating skills right around the time hockey was taking off on the North Shore.“It was the perfect storm,” he said. “It kept growing from there and expanded to the point where I needed a lot of help.
He has never forgotten what his own Beverly High coach, the legendary George Kinnally, did for him.
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“It started with them, my first students,” Vincent said. “Ian went on to play defense at Providence College, Johnny a forward at Babson, and Jeff at Princeton.
One of the areas that we at Paul Vincent Hockey (PV Hockey) focus on is what we call “taking ownership of your game”. Being accountable to not only your team and teammates, but also to yourself.
Collegiate and NHL Coaching
No stranger to the college game, Vincent spent much of the 1980s and early 1990s working with both Boston College and Rensselaer. Vincent has served as a consultant for many colleges including Boston College, Harvard, Northeastern, Providence, Brown, Dartmouth and UMass.
Paul Vincent has worked as a skills and skating coach in hockey for more than four decades, pioneering the role at Boston College and RPI, and eventually bringing it to the NHL with the Lightning, Panthers, Bruins and Blackhawks.
Vincent began his NHL career in Tampa Bay (1999-01), before moving over to the Panthers (2002-04) for his first stint with the team, followed by Boston (2004-08), Chicago (2008-2011), and finally back to South Florida (2011-20).
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Skating coach Paul Vincent (left) of Beverly and head coach Joel Quenneville (right) helped the Chicago Blackhawks end a 49-year Stanley Cup drought in 2010.
Prior to spending the last nine seasons with the Florida Panthers, Vincent worked for the Chicago Blackhawks for three years and was part of the staff that won the 2010 Stanley Cup, ending the franchise’s 49-year drought.
As the head skills coach with the Chicago Blackhawks 2008-2011, Vincent was a part of their Stanley Cup run in 2010.
“I’ve been very fortunate, really lucky to be with the right teams at the right times,” said Vincent.
“It’s quite a journey from being a Beverly police officer to part of a Stanley Cup championship. It’s been a lot of work, but also a lot of fun for me.
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According to sources, “When it comes to what Vincent brought to the table in Chicago, it’s simple. They do not raise the cup in 2010 without him."
Return to College Hockey
Longtime skating and skills coach Paul Vincent will join Koenig Family Head Coach of Dartmouth Men’s Hockey Reid Cashman‘s staff as a volunteer assistant coach.
“Paul Vincent is one of the top skill coaches in North America. His resume speaks for itself,” Cashman said. “No one in the industry has done it longer and with more results than him. Both the teams and the individuals he works with have improved at every stop. He has developed the best in the world for the last 20 years working in the NHL.
“Our program’s mission is to maximize the full potential of every student-athlete who enters Thompson Arena,” Dartmouth’s head coach continued. “By hiring Mr. V, our players will have every opportunity to fulfill that mission. We are grateful that he has chosen to be a part of our program, and I am excited that our players and staff will get a chance to learn from a Stanley Cup-winning skills coach.”
Legacy and Impact
“I know I’ve got the reputation for being tough - and I am - but I’m also fair. I care about every kid getting better, and when they say ‘Mr. Vincent said one of the biggest rewards for him is seeing the youngsters he helps go on to have great hockey careers and be successful in life.
“Hockey is big, but it’s really a small community,” added Vincent.
“One of the proudest moments of my life was having Adam Oates (whom Vincent coached at RPI) mention me in his Hockey Hall of Fame speech.
“The name Paul Vincent has always been synonymous with excellence in skating and instruction in the hockey world.
“Coach V, just as an FYI in speaking with my son Kevin he said that your program was the best on-ice program he has ever participated in all his years of hockey.
Paul Vincent owns Paul Vincent Hockey, a development program held all over Massachusetts that has been working with young, talented hockey players since 1972.
There is a camp for everyone from an aspiring JR. high players to high school elite and college level. Paul Vincent Hockey instructors are the best of the best.
We are very excited to announce that we have partnered with Allain Mental Performance. Julia Allain | Mental Skills Coach Bio: As a former Division I athlete and current NEPSAC soccer coach, Julia has always been innately curious about human motivation and performance.