Rich Preston

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| image = RichPreston.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Preston watching a Flames pre-game skate

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|5|22}}

| birth_place = Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 185

| position = Right Wing

| shoots = Right

| played_for = Houston Aeros (WHA)
Winnipeg Jets (WHA)
Chicago Black Hawks
New Jersey Devils

| draft = Undrafted

| career_start = 1974

| career_end = 1987

}}

Richard John "Rich" Preston (born May 22, 1952) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former forward. He played hockey for the Houston Aeros and Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association and the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League. He won the Avco World Trophy in 1975 with Houston and 1979 with Winnipeg, and his play in the 1979 WHA playoffs awarded him the WHA Playoff MVP, the last to be awarded by the league prior to the NHL-WHA merger.

Early life

Preston was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. He is the son of Ken Preston, general manager of the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1958–1977 and a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |url=https://leaderpost.com/sports/hockey/pats-hockey/Rich+Preston+returning/1772248/story.html |title=Regina Leader Post |access-date=2018-10-04 |archive-date=2020-06-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622183208/https://leaderpost.com/sports/hockey/pats-hockey/Rich+Preston+returning/1772248/story.html |url-status=dead }} He studied and played with the Denver Pioneers.

Playing career

His play with teammate Rob Palmer, who was drafted by the Chicago Black Hawks, had attracted them to put him on a negotiation list to maybe consider him. He mulled it over but when Bill Dineen of the upstart Houston Aeros (which had players such as Gordie Howe) inquired about his services, Preston went with Houston, which gave him $30,000 for his first season with a $25,000 signing bonus. https://duarchives.coalliance.org/agents/people/10166

Preston began his professional career in the World Hockey Association in the 1974-75 season with the Avco World Trophy champion Houston Aeros At one point, he played on the same line of Gordie Howe and Mark Howe that saw Preston play right wing that had teammates jokingly dub them "Howe, Howe and Who!"{{Cite news |title=Playing with Gordie Howe, dating Condoleezza Rice, WHA glory year: Q&A with Rich Preston |date=August 11, 2022|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3355540/2022/08/11/rich-preston-qa/ |access-date=2025-02-15 |language=en |last1= Duhatschek |first1=Eric}}

He then played three more years with the Aeros before the team folded. Preston, along with several players, was sold to the Winnipeg Jets before the start of the 1978-79 season. The Jets won the Avco World Trophy in 1979 (the league's final year) and Preston was named Most Valuable Player of the WHA playoffs.

Preston started his National Hockey League career with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1980. He also played for the New Jersey Devils. He left the NHL after the 1987 season.

Post career

Preston was an assistant coach for the Calgary Flames from the 2003-2004 NHL season until just after the 2008-2009 NHL season. Shortly after his dismissal from the Flames, Preston was hired as the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes head coach and general manager. After four years in Lethbridge without a single playoff game, Preston was fired from both roles before any team advanced past the first round of the 2013 WHL playoffs.[http://www.lethbridgehurricanes.com/article/rich-preston-relieved-of-his-duties "Rich Preston relieved of his duties"], Lethbridge Hurricanes website

He is currently serving as a scout for the Anaheim Ducks.