Ric Seiling

Richard James Seiling (born December 15, 1957) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He spent the majority of his 738-game National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Buffalo Sabres, but also played one season for the Detroit Red Wings. After his retirement he became a successful harness racer, coach, and broadcaster.

Junior career Seiling, at 16, joined the Hamilton Fincups of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League at the start of the 1974–75 season. He spent three seasons with the franchise, which moved to St. Catharines in 1976, amassing 117 goals and 142 assists in 189 regular season games. The Fincups played in the 1976 Memorial Cup, where Seiling posted three goals and nine points in three appearances, leading all players in scoring and earning a berth on the Memorial Cup all-star team.

The following season, his last in junior, Seiling was selected to play for Canada's national junior squad, winning a silver medal while scoring three goals and three assists in seven games. Teammates on the Canadian roster that year included future number one draft picks Dale McCourt and Rob Ramage, as well as Ron Duguay, John Anderson, Dave Hunter and Al Secord.

NHL career

Seiling was drafted 14th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1977 NHL amateur draft. Seiling played all 80 games during his rookie season of 1977–78, scoring 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points. His goal total increased for the next three seasons, when he peaked with a career-high 30 in 1980–81. He spent five more seasons with the Sabres, but was dealt to the Detroit Red Wings on October 7, 1986, where he played his final year in the NHL. He totaled 179 goals and 208 assists for 387 points in his career. He also picked up 573 penalty minutes. In 62 playoff games he had 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points.

Seiling was sent to the American Hockey League's Adirondack Red Wings in 1987–88, and retired after a season spent as a player-assistant coach.

Coaching career He returned to coaching in 1994 with the Utica Blizzard of the Colonial Hockey League, leading the team to a 31–38–5 record and an eventual first round loss in the postseason. Seiling also played as a replacement player in one game, as an emergency replacement of a replaced player in the lineup that required replacing.

The following year he took the reins of the Ontario Hockey League's Owen Sound Platers, but was replaced midway through the year.

He spent parts of the next three seasons behind the bench in the Central Hockey League, first with San Antonio and later with the Tulsa Oilers.

During the inaugural season of the NWHL's Buffalo Beauts, Seiling was the co-coach along with Shelley Looney. For the 2016–17 Buffalo Beauts season, Seiling was named the general manager. He was fired on December 7, 2018.

Broadcasting Seiling is a color analyst for the Rochester Americans broadcasts on MSG Western New York and WROC.

Personal life Seiling has four children: Melody, Krystal, Zachary and Jeremy. He is the younger brother of fellow long-time NHL player Rod Seiling.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1974–75 Hamilton Fincups OMJHL 68 33 30 63 74 17 13 5 18 25 1975–76 Hamilton Fincups OMJHL 59 35 51 86 49 14 14 13 27 19 1976–77 St. Catharines Fincups OMJHL 62 50 61 111 103 14 6 6 12 36 1977–78 Buffalo Sabres NHL 80 19 19 38 33 8 0 2 2 7 1978–79 Buffalo Sabres NHL 78 20 22 42 56 3 0 1 1 2 1979–80 Buffalo Sabres NHL 80 25 35 60 54 14 5 4 9 6 1980–81 Buffalo Sabres NHL 74 30 27 57 80 8 2 2 4 2 1981–82 Buffalo Sabres NHL 57 22 25 47 58 4 1 1 2 2 1982–83 Buffalo Sabres NHL 75 19 22 41 41 10 2 3 5 6 1983–84 Buffalo Sabres NHL 78 13 22 35 42 3 0 0 0 2 1984–85 Buffalo Sabres NHL 73 16 15 31 86 5 4 1 5 4 1985–86 Buffalo Sabres NHL 69 12 13 25 74 — — — — — 1986–87 Detroit Red Wings NHL 74 3 8 11 49 — — — — — 1987–88 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 70 16 13 29 34 9 2 2 4 4 1994–95 Utica Blizzard CoHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — NHL totals 738 179 208 387 573 62 14 14 28 36

International Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 1977 Canada WJC 7 3 1 4 10 Junior totals 7 3 1 4 10