Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Men's Ice Hockey

Vines is in his second season as an assistant coach at Rensselaer. In 2009-10, he helped the team to third in ECAC Hockey in scoring defense, allowing just 2.77 goals per game as well as the fourth-best penalty kill in the league at 82.1%. A four-year letterwinner on defense at the University of Denver, he focuses his attention to the Engineers' defensive and penalty killing units. Vines comes to Troy after serving as assistant general manager and assistant coach with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the British Columbia Hockey League. Prior to joining the Bulldogs, he was a volunteer assistant coach with Miami (Ohio), where he helped in all aspects of practice, including planning and on-ice instruction, for the national runner-up RedHawks. He worked extensively with the defensemen and forwards in skill development and video teaching sessions. He also directed community service activities and taught four courses. Vines spent three years with the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL as a video coach. In that role he was responsible for video analysis, creating scouting reports, producing instructional videos and providing on-ice support. As a student-athlete with the Pioneers, Vines captained the team in the 2001-02 season when they won the WCHA regular season championship, the playoff championship and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. He was the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award the third of his career as well as the Most Inspirational Player Award and the Strength & Conditioning Athlete of the Year for all DU student-athletes. A multiple WCHA All-Academic selection, Vines graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism with an emphasis in public relations. He went on to play in both the WCHL and the ECHL, winning a title in the former.

Graham joined the men's hockey staff as an assistant coach prior to the 2010-11 season. Prior to returning to Troy, Graham spent a season as the general manager and head coach of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs Junior A Hockey Club in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) in Canada. In addition to managing the operations of the team, he led it to a regular season conference championship with a franchise single season record 45 wins (45-12-2-1) and its best playoff finish ever, advancing to the third round. He was named the BCHL Coach of the Year. In his one season with Alberni Valley, Graham developed nine Division I student-athletes, including incoming RPI forward Johnny Rogic, the Bulldogs first-ever National Hockey League (NHL) draft pick in Mark MacMillen (113th overall by the Montreal Canadiens) and an NHL free agent signee. Before to being hired by the Bulldogs, Graham spent three years with the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL as an assistant coach and director of marketing. His assistant coach responsibilities included recruiting, practice planning, on-ice instruction and player evaluations. In that role he helped the team to regular season championships in 2007 & 2008 and the 2007 playoff title. Graham played collegiately for RPI from 1999-03, totaling 77 points (27 goals, 50 assists) and 130 penalty minutes in 140 games. His best season statistically came in 2000-01 when he scored 11 goals with 14 assists in 29 games. He helped the Engineers to two 20-win seasons and two appearances in the ECAC Final Five in Lake Placid, including the 2000 championship game. A native of Nanaimo, B.C., Graham went on to play three years of professional hockey, spending time in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), the Australian Ice Hockey League and the Central Hockey League (CHL). He was the team most valuable player for Newcastle, who he led to the 2005 National Championship in Australia, and the CHL All-Star Game MVP in 2006. Graham earned a Bachelor of Science in Management from Rensselaer in 2003.

Appert Seth Appert took over the mens hockey program prior to the 2006-07 season and has produced a 144-193-47 record in that span while consistently having one of the toughest schedules in the nation. The Engineers are coming off a season in which they went 18-15-7 overall and 8-7-7 in ECAC Hockey play, which was good for seventh place. Rensselaer defeated then-nationally first ranked Boston College, 2-1, in its home opener, before sweeping the season series with area-rival Union College, including a 5-2 win in the fourth annual Mayor's Cup at the Times Union Center. The Engineers swept a playoff series against Brown at the Houston Field House, before falling at Harvard. Senior goaltender Jason Kasdorf earned All-ECAC Hockey Second Team, while freshman Cam Hackett was named to the All-Rookie Team. Kasdorf signed with the Buffalo Sabres and made his NHL debut in the final week of regular season. Junior Riley Bourbonnais (15-11-26) led a balanced scoring attack that saw 13 players notch double-digit point totals. In 2014-15, Rensselaer posted a 12-26-3 mark, including 8-12-2 in ECAC Hockey. The Engineers opened the season with a 3-2 win at Notre Dame, before sweeping Union College in conference play for the first time since 2003-04. RPI took a best-of-three series at Clarkson University in the First Round of the conference tournament, before bowing out at St. Lawrence University. Freshman Drew Melanson earned ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team honors after leading the team in scoring with nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points.  During the 2013-14 campaign, RPI went 15-16-6 overall and 8-9-5 in ECAC Hockey. The biggest highlight was a victory in the Mayors Cup Game at the Times Union Center, while the accomplishments of Ryan Haggerty, who ranked among the leaders in the nation in several offensive categories, including goals scored, were substantial. The junior forward was named a National All-America and subsequently signed a National Hockey League contract with the New York Rangers. Teammate Mike Zalewski, a sophomore, also moved onto the NHL following the season, playing two games with the Vancouver Canucks. He joined Jerry DAmigo (Toronto Maple Leafs) as former RPI players to make their major league debuts. In 2012-13, Appert led the Engineers to a second place finish in the ECAC Hockey standings the highest for Rensselaer since the 1992-93 team was also the runner-up. RPI had a 12-7-3 league mark and an 18-14-5 overall record, finishing the regular season with a 10-2-0 record, including a six-game winning streak. Appert, who had his contract extended in May 2013 and is now signed through 2020-21, was a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year Award, while two players earned year-end league accolades. Senior defenseman Nick Bailen was All-League First Team and National All-America First Team, while freshman Jason Kasdorf was the leagues Rookie of the Year and an All-ECAC Hockey Second Team honoree. Academically, the Engineers posted a fall 2012 grade point average of 3.54, which was the highest among all of Rensselaers mens teams and third overall. Twenty-six of 27 student-athletes earned Deans List (3.0 or better GPA), including four who had perfect 4.0 term GPAs. Bailen was selected as a National Academic All-America for the second time in his career. The Engineers went 12-24-3 under Appert during the 2011-12 season, including a 7-12-3 record in ECAC Hockey play. RPI shouldered a tough stretch to open the season, but battled to make a solid run in the playoffs. Led by Bailen, Rensselaer posted a 2 games to 1 series win at Clarkson in the First Round of the ECAC Hockey Playoffs.  The Engineers later fell in the Quarterfinals to area-rival Union. Additionally, goaltender Allen York made his NHL debut, playing numerous games for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 2010-11 season is Apperts most successful as he led the Engineers to 20-13-5 record, including an 11-9-2 mark in ECAC Hockey play.  RPI made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1995, facing North Dakota in the Midwest Regional. Thirteen players recorded 10 or more points that year with eight notching at least 15. Leading the way for the second straight season was Chase Polacek, who repeated as one of the Final 10 players up for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award. He also added to his impressive career by being named a National All-America First Team selection and he became the third player in conference history to earn consecutive ECAC Hockey Player of the Year awards. Bailen was a National All-America Second Team honoree, while York was a repeat finalist for Goaltender of the Year in ECAC Hockey. Appert guided the Engineers to an 18-17-4 overall record, including a 10-9-3 mark in ECAC Hockey in 2009-10. RPI earned home ice advantage in the First Round of the league playoffs for the first time since 2005-06 and eight players had 15 or more points. In addition to Polaceks accolades, DAmigo was the leagues Rookie of the Year, fellow freshman Brandon Pirri joined him on the All-Rookie Team and York was tabbed from his goaltenders crease. In 2008-09, the Engineers swept Dartmouth in the ECAC Hockey Playoffs on their way to the quarterfinals, where they were eliminated in a decisive third game. The teams top four scorers were either freshmen or sophomores and one of those first-year players, Patrick Cullen, was on the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team. Highlights during Apperts first two seasons include leading the Engineers to back-to-back titles in the Governors Cup Tournament Rensselaers first championships of any kind since 1998 and garnering points against six nationally-ranked opponents. RPI enjoyed numerous stints in the national polls, including eight straight weeks in 2007-08.  Individually, RPI student-athletes have earned All-League and All-Rookie status as well as having a Student-Athlete of the Year Award finalist and a Hockey Humanitarian Award finalist. Specifically in Apperts first season, the Engineers captured the inaugural Governors Cup Championship and won at nationally-ranked Denver   Apperts first career win, which came against his previous employer. Individually, senior Kirk MacDonald garnered the USCHO.coms Unsung Hero Award, as well as several national community service honors. In 2007-08, the Engineers captured the Governors Cup, senior forward Andrew Lord was a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Scholar-Athlete Award and Polacek was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team. In addition to his position at RPI, Appert served as an assistant coach for the 2007 U.S. Under-18 Select Team that competed in the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament and as the head coach of the team in 2008 and 2011.  He was also a coach in the 2008 NCAA Pontiac Skills Challenge and served as president of the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA), which has almost 1,400 members.  Appert, the 12th head mens hockey coach at RPI, spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at Denver, where he was responsible for recruiting, on-ice coaching, video breakdown and game analysis work. He also played a big role in the development of the Pioneers goaltenders. A collegiate netminder at Ferris State University, Appert individually coached one All-America, two All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) honorees, two WCHA Playoff Most Valuable Players and two Frozen Four Most Outstanding Players at Denver. Three goaltenders were NHL draft picks, including one Hobey Baker Award finalist. Each have played in the NHL in recent years. Appert helped Denver sign numerous nationally-ranked recruiting classes during his nine-year tenure with the Pioneers. Among those he coached or recruited at Denver were the 2006 Hobey Baker Award winner, eight All-Americas, a WCHA Player of the Year, 22 All-WCHA picks, three WCHA Defensive Players of the Year, two WCHA Student-Athletes of the Year and 17 NHL draft picks. The Pioneers averaged over 23 wins per year during his tenure as an assistant coach and captured two NCAA National Championships, three WCHA playoff championships and two WCHA regular-season titles. A four-year letterwinner at Ferris State from 1992-96, Appert and his wife, Jill, have two daughters, Addison and Campbell. Last updated: June 14, 2016 Seth Appert Head Coach Twitter: SethAppert Seth Appert took over the mens hockey program prior to the 2006-07 season and has produced a 144-193-47 record in that span while consistently having one of the toughest schedules in the nation. The Engineers are coming off a season in which they went 18-15-7 overall and 8-7-7 in ECAC Hockey play, which was good for seventh place. Rensselaer defeated then-nationally first ranked Boston College, 2-1, in its home opener, before sweeping the season series with area-rival Union College, including a 5-2 win in the fourth annual Mayor's Cup at the Times Union Center. The Engineers swept a playoff series against Brown at the Houston Field House, before falling at Harvard. Senior goaltender Jason Kasdorf earned All-ECAC Hockey Second Team, while freshman Cam Hackett was named to the All-Rookie Team. Kasdorf signed with the Buffalo Sabres and made his NHL debut in the final week of regular season. Junior Riley Bourbonnais (15-11-26) led a balanced scoring attack that saw 13 players notch double-digit point totals. In 2014-15, Rensselaer posted a 12-26-3 mark, including 8-12-2 in ECAC Hockey. The Engineers opened the season with a 3-2 win at Notre Dame, before sweeping Union College in conference play for the first time since 2003-04. RPI took a best-of-three series at Clarkson University in the First Round of the conference tournament, before bowing out at St. Lawrence University. Freshman Drew Melanson earned ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team honors after leading the team in scoring with nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points.  During the 2013-14 campaign, RPI went 15-16-6 overall and 8-9-5 in ECAC Hockey. The biggest highlight was a victory in the Mayors Cup Game at the Times Union Center, while the accomplishments of Ryan Haggerty, who ranked among the leaders in the nation in several offensive categories, including goals scored, were substantial. The junior forward was named a National All-America and subsequently signed a National Hockey League contract with the New York Rangers. Teammate Mike Zalewski, a sophomore, also moved onto the NHL following the season, playing two games with the Vancouver Canucks. He joined Jerry DAmigo (Toronto Maple Leafs) as former RPI players to make their major league debuts. In 2012-13, Appert led the Engineers to a second place finish in the ECAC Hockey standings the highest for Rensselaer since the 1992-93 team was also the runner-up. RPI had a 12-7-3 league mark and an 18-14-5 overall record, finishing the regular season with a 10-2-0 record, including a six-game winning streak. Appert, who had his contract extended in May 2013 and is now signed through 2020-21, was a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year Award, while two players earned year-end league accolades. Senior defenseman Nick Bailen was All-League First Team and National All-America First Team, while freshman Jason Kasdorf was the leagues Rookie of the Year and an All-ECAC Hockey Second Team honoree. Academically, the Engineers posted a fall 2012 grade point average of 3.54, which was the highest among all of Rensselaers mens teams and third overall. Twenty-six of 27 student-athletes earned Deans List (3.0 or better GPA), including four who had perfect 4.0 term GPAs. Bailen was selected as a National Academic All-America for the second time in his career. The Engineers went 12-24-3 under Appert during the 2011-12 season, including a 7-12-3 record in ECAC Hockey play. RPI shouldered a tough stretch to open the season, but battled to make a solid run in the playoffs. Led by Bailen, Rensselaer posted a 2 games to 1 series win at Clarkson in the First Round of the ECAC Hockey Playoffs.  The Engineers later fell in the Quarterfinals to area-rival Union. Additionally, goaltender Allen York made his NHL debut, playing numerous games for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 2010-11 season is Apperts most successful as he led the Engineers to 20-13-5 record, including an 11-9-2 mark in ECAC Hockey play.  RPI made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1995, facing North Dakota in the Midwest Regional. Thirteen players recorded 10 or more points that year with eight notching at least 15. Leading the way for the second straight season was Chase Polacek, who repeated as one of the Final 10 players up for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award. He also added to his impressive career by being named a National All-America First Team selection and he became the third player in conference history to earn consecutive ECAC Hockey Player of the Year awards. Bailen was a National All-America Second Team honoree, while York was a repeat finalist for Goaltender of the Year in ECAC Hockey. Appert guided the Engineers to an 18-17-4 overall record, including a 10-9-3 mark in ECAC Hockey in 2009-10. RPI earned home ice advantage in the First Round of the league playoffs for the first time since 2005-06 and eight players had 15 or more points. In addition to Polaceks accolades, DAmigo was the leagues Rookie of the Year, fellow freshman Brandon Pirri joined him on the All-Rookie Team and York was tabbed from his goaltenders crease. In 2008-09, the Engineers swept Dartmouth in the ECAC Hockey Playoffs on their way to the quarterfinals, where they were eliminated in a decisive third game. The teams top four scorers were either freshmen or sophomores and one of those first-year players, Patrick Cullen, was on the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team. Highlights during Apperts first two seasons include leading the Engineers to back-to-back titles in the Governors Cup Tournament Rensselaers first championships of any kind since 1998 and garnering points against six nationally-ranked opponents. RPI enjoyed numerous stints in the national polls, including eight straight weeks in 2007-08.  Individually, RPI student-athletes have earned All-League and All-Rookie status as well as having a Student-Athlete of the Year Award finalist and a Hockey Humanitarian Award finalist. Specifically in Apperts first season, the Engineers captured the inaugural Governors Cup Championship and won at nationally-ranked Denver   Apperts first career win, which came against his previous employer. Individually, senior Kirk MacDonald garnered the USCHO.coms Unsung Hero Award, as well as several national community service honors. In 2007-08, the Engineers captured the Governors Cup, senior forward Andrew Lord was a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Scholar-Athlete Award and Polacek was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team. In addition to his position at RPI, Appert served as an assistant coach for the 2007 U.S. Under-18 Select Team that competed in the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament and as the head coach of the team in 2008 and 2011.  He was also a coach in the 2008 NCAA Pontiac Skills Challenge and served as president of the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA), which has almost 1,400 members.  Appert, the 12th head mens hockey coach at RPI, spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at Denver, where he was responsible for recruiting, on-ice coaching, video breakdown and game analysis work. He also played a big role in the development of the Pioneers goaltenders. A collegiate netminder at Ferris State University, Appert individually coached one All-America, two All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) honorees, two WCHA Playoff Most Valuable Players and two Frozen Four Most Outstanding Players at Denver. Three goaltenders were NHL draft picks, including one Hobey Baker Award finalist. Each have played in the NHL in recent years. Appert helped Denver sign numerous nationally-ranked recruiting classes during his nine-year tenure with the Pioneers. Among those he coached or recruited at Denver were the 2006 Hobey Baker Award winner, eight All-Americas, a WCHA Player of the Year, 22 All-WCHA picks, three WCHA Defensive Players of the Year, two WCHA Student-Athletes of the Year and 17 NHL draft picks. The Pioneers averaged over 23 wins per year during his tenure as an assistant coach and captured two NCAA National Championships, three WCHA playoff championships and two WCHA regular-season titles. A four-year letterwinner at Ferris State from 1992-96, Appert and his wife, Jill, have two daughters, Addison and Campbell. Last updated: June 14, 2016