** Richard "Duke" Kumpel **


	Wakefield's Duke Kumpel gave a lot of himself for over 40 years, as a union pipe fitter while raising 5 children with wife Martha, and gave equally to the growth of hockey in Massachusetts. Duke helped to get Massachusetts Hockey of the ground as a Charter Member in 1974, and worked tirelessly over the past 25 years to help build up the organization to where it is today. He is the longtime Massachusetts Hockey Tournament Coordinator and served as USA Hockey Director - at - Large for 15 years. A member of Mass Hockey's Executive Board, Duke was recently elected USA Hockey Director Emeritus for Massachusetts Hockey.


	Duke's son, Mark Kumpel has begun his second season as Portland's assistant coach. Last year he helped Head Coach Glen Hanlon guide the club to a 46-24-10 record and an AHL-best 48-point turnaround. During the 1998-99 season, Kumpel served as the Pirates' head coach - the third in team history. This past summer, Kumpel served as head coach of the United States Under-17 Select Team that participated in the 2000 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic. In August 1999, he guided the U.S. Under-18 Select Team to a silver medal. Earlier that year, Kumpel worked as an assistant coach with the United States National Team at the World Hockey Championships. Kumpel, 39, came to Portland after two seasons as head coach of the East Coast Hockey League's Dayton Bombers. He guided the club to a combined 72-52-16 record (36-26-8 both seasons) and two playoff appearances in that span. Prior to Dayton, he coached for two years the old Nashville Knights of the ECHL, reaching the Riley Cup Finals in his first season. Kumpel is a veteran of six NHL seasons, playing with the Quebec Nordiques, Detroit Red Wings and Winnipeg Jets from 1984-1991. In 288 career regular season games, he recorded 38 goals and 46 assists for 84 points. In 39 career playoff games, he posted 6-4=10 totals. He turned professional after playing for the United States at the 1984 Olympic games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Prior to that, he played three years of college hockey for the University of Lowell (MA) Chiefs. A native of Wakefield, Massachusetts, Kumpel and his wife, Helene, and his daughter, Chloe, live year-round in Scarborough, Maine.