Dan Henningson has joined the Princeton men’s hockey team as an assistant coach.
Henningson replaces assistant coach Tommy Davis, who has stepped away from collegiate coaching to pursue other professional opportunities.
“I am excited to welcome Dan to the Princeton hockey coaching staff,” Tigers head coach Ben Syer said in a statement. “I have watched him grow as a hockey mind from his time as a recruit, through his playing days inside the ECAC and as a professional, and over the past 13 years as a coach. He’s got a passion for coaching and teaching the game and connects with the current player at an elite level. He is no stranger to New Jersey’s hockey scene and will quickly acclimate to his new role on our coaching staff and within our university.
“I am grateful to Tommy Davis for his one year on staff with me, and I know I speak for everyone with Princeton hockey when I thank him for his dedication to his alma mater over the past six years as a coach. I wish him and his family well, and I know they will still be a consistent presence at Baker Rink and will always have a home with our group.”
Henningson and Syer’s relationship goes back almost two decades as Henningson was recruited by Syer while on staff at Quinnipiac. A steady, two-way defenseman, Henningson appeared in 150 games for the Bobcats from 2005 to 2009, recording 67 points (12 goals, 55 assists). He was twice named team MVP and served as an alternate captain his junior year and team captain his senior year. Following the Bobcats’ 2008-09 season, Henningson signed an ATO with Colorado’s AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters. At the time, he was the fifth Quinnipiac hockey player to sign with an AHL club in program history and he went on to a four-year professional hockey career that included stops in the AHL and ECHL.
In 2009-10, Henningson signed with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He spent time in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers, where he was named team captain and MVP, and posted a plus-19 rating. He also played for the Chicago Express and had AHL call-ups with Rockford and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Henningson ended his professional career in the AHL with the Binghamton Senators in 2012.
“I am excited to be joining Princeton as an assistant coach,” said Henningson. “I want to thank Ben Syer for giving me the opportunity and I look forward to working with the coaching staff. It is a privilege to be part of a hockey program with such rich tradition and a commitment to excellence both on and off the ice. I look forward to helping build on the proud legacy of Princeton hockey and working with our student-athletes to achieve success.”
Following his playing career, Henningson transitioned into coaching, joining the Jersey Hitmen organization. Since 2017, he has served as a head coach and skills director within the organization, including coaching the 16U and 18U teams that consistently rank in the top 25 in the nation.
