| Robert (Bob) Perani | |
| Position: | Goaltender |
| Catches: | Left |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 9 |
| Weight Lb: | 180 |
| League: | IHL |
| Team: | Flint Generals |
| Birth Date: | 7 August 1942 |
| Birth Place: | Rome, Italy |
| Death Place: | in flight/en route from Detroit to Tokyo |
| Relations: | Lahna Ward (daughter) Robert Perani Jr. (son) |
| Career Start: | 1969 |
| Career End: | 1974 |
Robert "Bob" F. Perani (August 7, 1942 – April 15, 2012) was a professional ice hockey goaltender for the Flint Generals in the International Hockey League. He was also the founder of Perani's Hockey World sports retail chain in 1976,[1] and owned the naming rights for the Perani Arena and Event Center. Perani died on April 15, 2012, while traveling on an international flight from Detroit to Tokyo.[2] [3]
Perani was born in Italy in 1942 and moved to Canada with his family in 1953, settling near Toronto.[4] He attended St. Lawrence University where he was a member of Sigma Pi fraternity.[5] He played for a number of leagues in Michigan and Ontario. He and his wife Kris moved to Flint in the late 1960s and never left. Kris died from cancer in 2006.The following year, as part of the 'Perani Group', he bought the Flint Generals. He retired as a player after the 1974 season and went into the pizza business and in 1976 started "Bob Perani's Sports Shop".[6]
Perani retired to Thailand and died on a flight from Detroit to Tokyo en route to Thailand.[7]
ECAC Hockey - Division I (NCAA)
Source:[8]
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| All-ECAC Hockey First Team | 1963–64 |
| AHCA East All-American | 1963–64 |
| ECAC Hockey All-Tournament First Team | 1964 |