Ben Lovejoy
Undrafted defenseman who won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins.
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Benjamin N. Lovejoy (born February 20, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils, and Dallas Stars. Undrafted, he rose from the minor leagues to become a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Penguins, winning his first ring in 2009 and a second in 2016. He is also known for his nickname 'The Reverend,' derived from the character Reverend Lovejoy on The Simpsons.
Lore & Background
Lovejoy began his collegiate career at Boston College before transferring to Dartmouth College, where he played three years of hockey and also earned All-Ivy honors in lacrosse in 2006. Undrafted by an NHL team, he was offered a professional contract by the Montreal Canadiens during his third year but declined to finish his degree and develop further. He graduated from Dartmouth in 2006.
After turning professional, Lovejoy signed an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2007. He made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 8, 2008, in a 4–3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. During the 2008–09 AHL season, he led the league in plus-minus (+42) and was named to the AHL Second All-Star Team as the league's top defenseman. He was called up during the 2009 playoffs as a spare player, did not play, but received a Stanley Cup ring.
Lovejoy was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in February 2013 and later re-signed with them as a free agent. In January 2014, he set a Ducks franchise record for defensemen by scoring two goals less than three minutes apart in the first period against the Edmonton Oilers. He was traded back to the Penguins in March 2015 and played in all 24 postseason games during the 2016 Stanley Cup run, becoming the first New Hampshire native to win the trophy.
Reader's Guide
Ben Lovejoy's career is notable for its trajectory from an undrafted college player to a reliable NHL defenseman and two-time Stanley Cup champion. His path included a detour through the AHL, where he led the league in plus-minus and earned top defenseman honors, before establishing himself in the NHL. Lovejoy's two stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins bookended his most significant achievements: he was part of the 2009 championship team as a spare player and a core contributor to the 2016 title team, playing all 24 postseason games.
His nickname 'The Reverend' and his decision to donate his brain to concussion research—the first active NHL player to do so—added personal dimensions to his public profile. After retiring in 2019, he moved into broadcasting with NHL on NBC. His career illustrates how persistence and development in the minors can lead to sustained NHL success.
Career statistics and honours
Career statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2000–01 | Deerfield Academy | HS-Prep | 6 | 12 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Deerfield Academy | HS-Prep | 11 | 19 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Boston College | HE | 22 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004–05 | Dartmouth College | ECAC | 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 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007–08 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 72 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 63 | 23 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 18 |
| 2008–09 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 76 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 84 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| 2008–09 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2009–10 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 65 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 92 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2009–10 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2010–11 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 47 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 48 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2011–12 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 34 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012–13 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 32 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 29 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013–14 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 78 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 39 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 2014–15 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 40 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014–15 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 20 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2015–16 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 66 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 30 | 24 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 |
| 2016–17 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017–18 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 57 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2018–19 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 51 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018–19 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 20 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 544 | 20 | 81 | 101 | 287 | 76 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 26 | ||
Awards and honours
| Awards | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-ECAC Hockey Third Team | 2006–07 | |
| NHL | ||
| Stanley Cup champion | 2016 | |
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Ben Lovejoy (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
More in Pittsburgh Penguins Players
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Ben Lovejoy (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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