Richard Clarence Dudley (born January 31, 1949) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive, former coach and former player.
Dudley has previously served as an executive with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes.
After retiring as a player, Dudley received a call from Dave Gusky who he knew from his playing days in Cincinnati.
[2] After his time with the Thunderbirds Dudley moved up to become the head coach of the Flint Spirits in the International Hockey League.
Two years later, he was let go once more and joined the Blackhawks organization as a hockey consultant before rising to the level of assistant general manager in 2006.
Shortly after settling into his new position, when free agency began on July 1, 2010, Dudley aggressively pursued and obtained four players, including Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, and an assistant coach, John Torchetti, from the 2010 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.
[7] Prior to the 2014-15 NHL Season, Dudley moved to the position of senior vice president of hockey operations with Montreal.
In May 2018, Dudley joined the Carolina Hurricanes management team as a senior vice president of hockey operations, working once again with Don Waddell.