Louis A.R. Pieri

A long-time contributor to the American Hockey League as general manager and owner of the Providence Reds, Louis A.R. Pieri had a prolific career at the helm of one of the league’s most fabled franchises.

A graduate of Providence’s prestigious Brown University, Pieri became general manager of the Rhode Island Auditorium and its primary tenant, the Providence Reds, in 1929, and helped guide the team into the American Hockey League as one of its charter members in 1936.

The Pieri family soon took over ownership of the arena and of the Reds and helped build an AHL tradition for generations of Rhode Islanders to come.

Under Pieri’s watch, the Reds won a total of eight AHL division titles and four Calder Cup championships (1938, 1940, 1949, 1956). Pieri also served as a co-owner of the NBA’s Providence Steamrollers and later of the Boston Celtics.

Following Pieri’s death in 1967, the American Hockey League established the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award, which is presented each year to the league’s outstanding coach.

Louis A.R. Pieri