New England Hockey Journal - December 2015 - 8

Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images (Fenway); Dave Arnold/New England Hockey Journal

XX
Now iN our 20TH yEAr

By Brion O'Connor

OCKEY PLAYERS
in New England
are a fortunate lot,
because they live
in a region where
the game resonates. People care
about hockey. So the chore of
selecting just 10 "great moments"
is pretty much impossible. But as
a fan of the game, and not simply
the Bruins, or a college program,
or a high school team, I think I
can be objective (proof being that
I ignored my beloved UNH Wildcats). So here are my top 10 totally
subjective moments from the past
20 years. Let the debate begin.

Top 1996-2015
MoMENTS

10 | Friars rule | The latest shall be first. Full props to the Providence College Friars, who stunned the

Boston University Terriers in the 2015 Frozen Four finals to capture their first NCAA championship, 30 years after an acrobatic Chris Terreri led them to the finals in 1985 (a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Rensselaer). The Friars'
2015 championship came close by, at Boston's TD Garden, and happened in dramatic fashion. Down 3-2 in the
third, the Friars caught a huge break when BU goalie Matt O'Connor misplayed a dump-in from PC's Tom Parisi
to tie the game. The Friars' Brandon Tanev then put PC up 4-3 moments later with a bullet over O'Connor's
shoulder, and Jon Gillies held the fort to deliver the title to Providence.

9 | BC back on top | Despite a long, decorated history, the Boston College Eagles hadn't captured an NCAA
hockey crown since 1949 when they took the ice against the North Dakota Fighting Sioux in 2001. It was a rematch of
the 2000 title match, which North Dakota won, 4-2. This time would be different, as Krys Kolanos erased a half-century
of frustration with a lightning overtime strike, giving the Eagles a 3-2 victory and coach Jerry York, a BC graduate (and
now the all-time NCAA wins leader), his second NCAA title. The title was particular sweet for the Eagles, who beat the
three teams - Maine, Michigan and North Dakota - that had eliminated BC from the prior three tournaments.
8 | Patrice Bergeron sends the Maple Leafs packing | While the rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins trumps any local grudge match (with the possible exception of the BC-BU
contretemps), the B's knockout of the Maple Leafs during the 2013 Stanley Cup quarterfinals was rare theater.
The Bruins were on life support in Game 7, down 4-2 with less than 90 seconds to go. Milan Lucic and Bergeron
scored 31 seconds apart to send the game into sudden death. When Bergeron capped off the comeback with
6:05 gone in overtime, he sent the TD Garden crowd into hysterics. It was the first time in NHL history that a team
won a Game 7 after trailing by three goals in the third period. The Bruins would ultimately lose to the Chicago
Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup final, but Bergeron and the B's gave fans a moment for the ages.

7 | Boston University's 'Burn the Boats' season | How many of you gave the star-studded BU
Terriers a puncher's chance in the 2009 NCAA title game when they trailed the Miami Redhawks, 3-1, with 60 seconds
to go and freshman goaltender Kieran Millan stapled to the bench. But last-minute strikes by Zach Cohen and Nick
Bonino (on a superb pass from Hobey Baker winner Matt Gilroy) gave the Terriers new life. When Terriers defender Colby Cohen's deflected shot fluttered over the left shoulder of Miami goaltender Cody Reichard
at 11:47 of overtime, BU's dream season was complete. It was a roller-coaster finish to a tour Colin
Blackwell
de force campaign, culminating in coach Jack Parker's third and final NCAA crown.
6 | Tara Mounsey, Player of the Year | The pride of Concord, N.H., was
considered the best player in the Granite State in 1996. Not just the best "female" player.
The best player, period. Mounsey was a captain of the Concord High School Crimson boys'
team that captured the state's Class L championship her senior year. Mounsey would go on
to win Olympic gold in 1998 and Olympic silver in 2002, was named to the all-world team
following both, and had a great college career at Brown. Even more important, however,
was that Mounsey inspired thousands of young girls to play hockey (including my daughter
Brynne). I was lucky enough to see Mounsey play, and trust me, there was nothing remotely
patronizing about her "Player of the Year" award. Tara Lynn Mounsey was the real deal.

5 | Travis Roy | Not all memorable moments are positive. It's been 20 years
since Boston University freshman Travis Roy careened into the boards just 11 seconds
into his collegiate career. A cracked fourth vertebra left him paralyzed from the neck
8 NEw ENGLAND HOCKEY JOURNAL December 2015

down. It was a devastating moment, shattering a young man's life and testing the fiber of the Terriers hockey
program. In the ensuing 20 years, Roy and BU coach Jack Parker developed a remarkable bond, and the Travis
Roy Foundation is evolving into a formidable player in the field of spinal cord research and assistance for the
handicapped. Roy is proof that good things can emerge from even the most tragic circumstances.

4 | Winter Classic, Fenway Park, 2010 | The NHL's Winter Classic has become a marketing juggernaut, but few, if any, venues can match Boston's parochial Fenway Park. This was a moment truly captured
in time. Subsequent college and high school games at Fenway have re-created a sliver of that magic, but
nothing compares to the Bruins 'scintillating 2-1 overtime win over Philadelphia's Broadstreet Bullies before a
packed house (thank you, Mark Recchi and Marco Sturm). Yes, the Canadiens-Bruins "Winter Classic" in January
will draw more fans, which will give the NHL execs reason to celebrate, but Gillette Stadium is no Fenway Park.
It's not even in Boston. I'll take the 2010 Winter Classic any day.
3 | The pond hockey renaissance | New England has a rich history with pond hockey, from local
pick-up skates to organized competitions, led by the venerable New England Pond Hockey Festival in Rangeley,
Maine. But the movement really hit critical mass in 2010, when Mother Nature smiled on the inaugural New
England Pond Hockey Classic on New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee with pristine conditions. The next year, the
1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Tournament at White Park in Concord, N.H. - a wonderful homage to the legendary
Hobey Baker of St. Paul School - launched. Both events are still running strong, as are a handful of other tournaments dotting the region. If you play hockey, you owe it to yourself to participate in one of these tourneys.

2 | The 2011 Stanley Cup | Bottom line, Boston is a pro sports town, and the Bruins are the region's
top pro hockey team (we won't mention the former NHL franchise from Hartford). While the Bruins' championship drought paled in comparison to the 86-year "curse" endured by Red Sox fans, 39 years is still a long,
long time. But this was a magical run, featuring three seven-game series victories (including ousting the
Canadiens, and coming back against Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks) and outstanding performances from David Krejci, Bergeron (Cup-winning goal), captain Zdeno Chara, Brad Marchand and the dearly
departed, including MVP Tim Thomas, Andrew Ference, Nathan Horton, Tyler Seguin, Michael Ryder, Mark
Recchi, Johnny Boychuk and Milan Lucic. The image of a wild-eyed, bearded Chara hoisting the Stanley Cup on
enemy ice is indelible for Bruins fans. And rightly so.
1 | Colin Blackwell, St. John's Prep captain | This story still gives
me chills, which admittedly doesn't happen often. Yes, Malden Catholic won the 2011
Massachusetts Elite 8 championship at TD Garden, edging St. John's Prep, 4-3, in overtime. But Blackwell, in a brilliant moment of sportsmanship and humility, won the
undying respect of sports fans everywhere with a simple, glorious gesture. After MC
junior Brendan Collier buried the game-winner to give the Lancers the crown, Blackwell noticed that nobody claimed the puck. So, as MC players celebrated, Blackwell
retrieved the puck and quietly gave it to the parents of MC's captain, Mike Vecchione,
to relay to Collier. How many of us would have done that? "I just knew that if I had
scored that goal, I would have loved to have that puck," said Blackwell afterward.
"You can be enemies on the ice, but once the game is over, I've always been taught to
respect your opponents." Blackwell was taught well. At its best, hockey teaches those
transcendent life lessons, lessons that are bigger than the game.
feedback@hockeyjournal.com

Free digital subscription at hockeyjournal.com/free

New England Hockey Journal - December 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of New England Hockey Journal - December 2015