John Dodds
Induction Year: 2016
Birthday: October 10, 2016
City/Town: Philadelphia, PA
In 11 seasons as coach of the girls hockey team at Hanover High School, Dodds has built the state’s preeminent program and will be inducted into the New Hampshire Legends of Hockey Hall of Fame as a coach.
A native of Philadelphia, Dodds has long been involved with coaching hockey in the Upper Valley area, recently concluding his 22nd season. He began in 1994 with the Valley Mites of the Hanover Hockey Association. He was an assistant coach on a Hanover Mites team that won the NH Tier I championship and continued to coach Hanover Youth Hockey through 2003, winning multiple state tournaments and making New England regionals.
He joined the Hanover High School program as an assistant coach in 2003, serving in that capacity for three seasons. He took over as head coach in 2006 and has compiled a record of 20829-8 since then.
In 2007-08, the fi rst season the NHIAA sponsored girls hockey, the Marauders won the championship with a 20-2 record. The team went 11-8 the next year, and starting with the 2009-10 season, has won the last seven state championships. Dodds was named Coach of the Year in 2014-15.
This past season, the Marauders finished in second place in the regular season behind Berlin-Gorham, but earned the right to play that team in the championship game at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Tied 0-0 after two periods, the Marauders got goals from Julia Montgomery, Cate Wagner and Matti Hartman in the opening fi ve minutes of the third period on their way to a 4-1 win and seventh straight championship.
Only Barney LaRoche, with 12 titles at Notre Dame, has won more boys or girls high school state championships than the eight won by Dodds, who has also coached in three Make-a-Wish All-Star games against Vermont, either as the head coach or an assistant.
Several of his players at Hanover have gone or, or are going on, to play Division 1 college hockey, including this season’s state MVP Hartman, who is now playing at Northeastern.
“John’s legacy will be dominated by victories and state titles, but what made him so successful at every level he has coached is his passion for the game, his preparation for games and practices, and his overall commitment to his teams,” said Dick Dodds, the boys hockey coach at Hanover High School and his brother. Dick Dodds was inducted into the N.H. Legends of Hockey Hall of Fame as a coach in 2012.”He has touched the lives of many, many hockey players in the Upper Valley, and each and every one of them is important to John. He has developed/ coached Division 1 and Division 3 college hockey players and also helped turn girls and boys into terrific young ladies and young men.”