Brown University dedicates Bennett Family Suite, honors 1976 Ivy League Championship team

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — This past weekend, Brown University unveiled the Bennett Family Suite at Meehan Auditorium while also honoring the Class of 2026 and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Ivy League Championship hockey team.

The Brown Hockey Locker Room Center now bears the name of Curt Bennett ’70, John Bennett ’72, and James Bennett ’79, recognizing a family deeply rooted in hockey tradition.

The legacy began with Harvey Bennett Sr., a former goaltender who played for the Boston Bruins in the mid-1940s. He later spent 12 seasons, from 1947 to 1959, with the Providence Reds. During that time, he and his wife, Diana, made their home in Cranston.

Hockey quickly became a family tradition. Harvey Sr.’s sons — Curt, Harvey Jr., John, Bill, and Jim — all starred at Cranston East High School before moving on to professional careers. Harvey Jr., Curt, and Bill all went on to play in the NHL, while John played in the World Hockey Association (WHA), and Jim in the International Hockey League (IHL).

The Bennett hockey legacy now spans a third generation. Several of Harvey Sr.’s grandchildren have remained active in the sport, including Jim’s son, Mac Bennett, a Montreal Canadiens draft pick who played in the American Hockey League in the 2010s.