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College Hockey

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
Northeastern tonight, & there on Sunday. Most people have no idea how close the Hockey East schools are. Only UConn (2 hours), Vermont (4 hours), & Maine (2.5 hours) are more than an hour's drive from Boston. BC and BU are on the same street, and Northeastern is a 10 minute walk from BU. Tremendous rivalries in Boston/New England. It's like Minnesota high school hockey in that regard.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
I was a little ticked off that the NCHC pod wasn't televised nationally at all. tremendous hockey and no one saw it. I don't know what's happened to their TV contracts but I used to see several NCHC games on one or another regional Fox sports channel each weekend. But this year, nothing. Then to learn that CBS dumped Ben Holden- to my mind he is a top notch PxP announcer. Either way, I miss seeing NCHC. All we get here are B1G games. I think that's the idea, actually. The B1G is bad for college hockey, overall.
 
One of my pleasant surprises is UNO.
Nebraska Omaha.
Folks are discovering hockey in eastern Nebraska. With UNO hockey and Creighton basketball Omaha had it going in the winter.
 
I was a little ticked off that the NCHC pod wasn't televised nationally at all. tremendous hockey and no one saw it. I don't know what's happened to their TV contracts but I used to see several NCHC games on one or another regional Fox sports channel each weekend. But this year, nothing. Then to learn that CBS dumped Ben Holden- to my mind he is a top notch PxP announcer. Either way, I miss seeing NCHC. All we get here are B1G games. I think that's the idea, actually. The B1G is bad for college hockey, overall.

I miss the NCHC too.
I would love to see more college hockey on tv.
In Colorado we have DU, Colorado Colllege, and Air Force Academy.
CC and Air Force are in Colorado Springs. Air Force games are a blast 💥 and could be better attended.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
I miss the NCHC too.
I would love to see more college hockey on tv.
In Colorado we have DU, Colorado Colllege, and Air Force Academy.
CC and Air Force are in Colorado Springs. Air Force games are a blast 💥 and could be better attended.
I know the Army coach, Brian Riley. His brother Rob (who also coached at West Point) was my classmate (and hockey captain) at BC, and of course their father Jack Riley coached at West Point for over 30 years and coached the US Olympic teams to gold at Squaw Valley in 60 and silver at Sapporo in 68. Combined, the Riley family has coached Army to 1000 victories, a mark reached just last weekend. A tremendous hockey legacy, and a legacy of service to our country.

 
My only experience with college hockey was back when I was in college. I was visiting a friend who was going to Harvard, and was in the Harvard band. I ended up sitting in playing sousaphone as a ringer with the Harvard pep band at a hockey game, which was fun, if a bit awkward; they had all these chants and things they would do that I had zero knowledge of. Though the other sousaphone player they had was kind of amazed at how easily I read down all the tunes (I was 3/4 of the way through a music degree at the time). A fun and unique experience, for sure.


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Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
My only experience with college hockey was back when I was in college. I was visiting a friend who was going to Harvard, and was in the Harvard band. I ended up sitting in playing sousaphone as a ringer with the Harvard pep band at a hockey game, which was fun, if a bit awkward; they had all these chants and things they would do that I had zero knowledge of. Though the other sousaphone player they had was kind of amazed at how easily I read down all the tunes (I was 3/4 of the way through a music degree at the time). A fun and unique experience, for sure.


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This is the marching rather than the pep band, but "10,000 Men of Harvard" might be my fave fight song.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
The male lead in 'Love Story' was a Harvard hockey player played by Ryan O'Neal. 1960 US Olympian and legendary Harvard coach Bill Cleary was in the film, as was future Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna. Here they reminisce:
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
If you've watched the film 'Miracle' you'll remember that Herb Brooks was the last man cut from the 1960 team that went on to win Gold at Squaw Valley. The film suggests that being cut is what motivated Brooks to push the kids in 1979-80 so hard. A subplot of that is Brooks' pain when he has to cut the University of New Hampshire's Ralph Cox- the last man cut, just as Brooks had been in 1960. Brooks had one of the greatest coaching careers in college hockey history at the University of Minnesota, of course. Below is the team picture that Brooks' character carried around with him in the film, taken before coach Jack Riley cut him from the team. Jack Riley was the patriarch of the Riley family of hockey coaches at West Point. The next generation of Rileys is working its way up the ranks now- Jack's grandson, Brett, is this year the inaugural coach at Long Island University's brand new program. Brett's father Rob was the 1978 captain at Boston College and followed his father as head coach at West Point.

Here's the 1960 US Olympic Team. Herb Brooks, front row, 2nd from left. Coach Jack Riley, 2nd row, far right. Additionally, the Christian brothers- Bill and Roger were on the team. Roger's son Dave was on the 1980 Miracle team. Bill and Roger started the Christian Brothers hockey stick company. I just noticed that future Harvard coaching legend Bill Cleary and his brother Bob are missing from the photo- no idea why. Finally, Tommy Williams was on the team. Williams was for many years the only American in the NHL. Times certainly have changed...

1960 USA hockey.jpg
 
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Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
Now I'm replying to myself... I just learned why the Cleary brothers weren't in the photo- I didn't know this, and it adds another layer to the plot of Miracle where a similar thing happened. From the wikipedia entry for Jack Kirrane, another member of the team from Boston:

Leading up to the 1960 Winter Olympics Kirrane had an opportunity to play for Team USA once more. In order to play for the team he had to take an unpaid leave from the fire department. He also needed to sell his pickup truck in order to afford a plane ticket, as at the time players who tried out for the national teams paid their own way. The 1960 team was hastily put together and a few days before the tournament was set to begin head coach Jack Riley planned to add brothers Bill and Bob Cleary. Their late addition caused players to threaten a boycott. However, Kirrane opposed the idea, and stated that he was going to play even if it meant going on the ice alone, after which the talk of a boycott ended. Twelve years after being the youngest player on his first Olympic team Kirrane, the oldest player in 1960, was named team captain.

Kirrane's story is really interesting:
 
If you've watched the film 'Miracle' you'll remember that Herb Brooks was the last man cut from the 1960 team that went on to win Gold at Squaw Valley. The film suggests that being cut is what motivated Brooks to push the kids in 1979-80 so hard. A subplot of that is Brooks' pain when he has to cut the University of New Hampshire's Ralph Cox- the last man cut, just as Brooks had been in 1960. Brooks had one of the greatest coaching careers in college hockey history at the University of Minnesota, of course. Below is the team picture that Brooks' character carried around with him in the film, taken before coach Jack Riley cut him from the team. Jack Riley was the patriarch of the Riley family of hockey coaches at West Point. The next generation of Rileys is working its way up the ranks now- Jack's grandson, Brett, is this year the inaugural coach at Long Island University's brand new program. Brett's father Rob was the 1978 captain at Boston College and followed his father as head coach at West Point.

Here's the 1960 US Olympic Team. Herb Brooks, front row, 2nd from left. Coach Jack Riley, 2nd row, far right. Additionally, the Christian brothers- Bill and Roger were on the team. Roger's son Dave was on the 1980 Miracle team. Bill and Roger started the Christian Brothers hockey stick company. I just noticed that future Harvard coaching legend Bill Cleary and his brother Bob are missing from the photo- no idea why. Finally, Tommy Williams was on the team. Williams was for many years the only American in the NHL. Times certainly have changed...

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I loved watching Brooks teams.
Both Minnesota and Wisconsin were fun to watch. Good skaters who could make plays. Watching Wisconsin on the big ice in Madison was like watching the old Russian teams tha dominated hockey. Wisconsin used to spread the ice and come at you like a blitzkrieg. DU’s arena used to be one of the smaller arenas and a little easier to defend. Minnesota was a tough checking team. Big hits against the boards. Fun hockey!
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
I loved watching Brooks teams.
Both Minnesota and Wisconsin were fun to watch. Good skaters who could make plays. Watching Wisconsin on the big ice in Madison was like watching the old Russian teams tha dominated hockey. Wisconsin used to spread the ice and come at you like a blitzkrieg. DU’s arena used to be one of the smaller arenas and a little easier to defend. Minnesota was a tough checking team. Big hits against the boards. Fun hockey!
Both Minnesota and Wisconsin had big sheets in those days. Mike Eaves got rid of the big sheet after UW moved to the Kohl Center, and I think Minnesota is getting rid of theirs as well. UNH might be the only school which still has an Olympic size rink. I like the Olympic size sheet- more open play. Badger Bob Johnson and Herb Brooks brought that Russian style to college hockey.

BC and Northeastern were called off last night, btw. Covid at NU. BC hastily scheduled a home & home with Merrimack for tonight and tomorrow. Pick-up hockey in Division 1!
 
BU is having a tough time getting through the schedule, too. This weekend's series against UMass was postponed.

I love college hockey. The most exciting event I ever attended was the Beanpot at the old Boston Garden. Unfortunately, the tournament won't be played this year.

My son gifted me a BU cycling jersey for Christmas. My first ride with it, I passed a couple with two small children. "BC fans here!" Really?! In SWFL?! On my first ride repping the Terriers?! Ugh.

Every once in awhile I will pull up the last couple minutes of the BU-Miami Frozen Four Final on Youtube. Great team and great finish to the season. That team won every tournament it entered.

I really think BU should have a 6th title, but Providence beat them with a little goalie help a few years ago.

We've been down the last couple of years, but hopefully the program gets back to winning National Championships soon. We still have players contributing to Team USA, just like 1980.
 
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