Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

[ericredaxe]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

Interesting he is wearing a BU t-shirt during the video connected with the article. That at least suggests the separation was amicable.

Losing your strength coach may have been a bigger deal 15 to 20 years ago. I'm sure he is a great coach, but that industry has come a long way and there are so many qualified strength coaches out there today that this loss is almost not newsworthy.

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

Interesting he is wearing a BU t-shirt during the video connected with the article. That at least suggests the separation was amicable.

It's probable that the video was filmed while he was still on the BU staff. It was a bit of a coup that BU was able to hire him from the Ducks, using his local ties to its advantage. However, if he's presumably the new S&C coach for the Wild, he also has MN ties (was S&C coach for the Gophers prior to the NHL) and obviously worked under the Wild's new HC Bruce Boudreau in Anaheim for many years.

[Sean Pickett]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

The first time I met Sully was at Captain Nemo's in Kenmore, when he was a gawky skinny freshman newly arrived on Comm Ave. We had a pretty stacked team that year (though they were ultimately disappointing), but he stuck with the team, played a prominent role, and was obviously a high quality player from the start. If he hadn't badly injured his ankle in the series against Michigan State in '90 (and despite this, still carried the team on his back), who knows what might have happened in those final two games.

Perhaps, my memory has failed me again, but I think Sullivan was the 3rd line center on the 1989-90 team. McEachern centered the 1st line, Dave Tomlinson the 2nd. Now, that was a team that was stacked.

Actually, Sullivan only played 14 games at center in 1989-90. He started the season as the 1st line center for 12 games, then he was moved to the left wing, where he played 23 of 24 games, 20 on the 2nd line, 1 on the 3rd and 2 on the 4th (the other game he played 1st line right wing). He finished up playing his final 2 games at center again, this time on the 4th line. He did not play in 6 games, all during the postseason.

The regular centers were McEachern (31 games: all on the first line), Tomlinson (43 games: 1 on the first line, 25 on the 2nd line, 7 on the 3rd line and 10 on the 4th line), Koskimaki (40 games: 18 on the 2nd line, 16 on the 3rd line and 6 on the 4th line) and Mark Bavis (40 games: 1 on the 2nd line, 21 on the 3rd line and 18 on the 4th line).

The 1986-87 team, Sullivan's freshman season, was supposed to be good and I believe it was the pre-season #1 ranked team. It was lead by John Cullen and included Clark Donatelli, Ed Lowney and Scott Young. That season the centers were John Cullen (36 games: all 1st line), Mike Kelfer (30 games: 29 on the 2nd line and 1 on the 3rd line) and Jeff Sveen (34 games: 3 on the 2nd line, 25 on the 3rd line and 6 on the 4th line). The fourth line had no regular center as John Preston (13 games), Sullivan (8 games), Brian Foreman (4 games), Ville Kentala (3 games), and Ian Wood (1 game) all took turns along with Sveen centering the line.

Sean

[wysi]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

Perhaps, my memory has failed me again, but I think Sullivan was the 3rd line center on the 1989-90 team. McEachern centered the 1st line, Dave Tomlinson the 2nd. Now, that was a team that was stacked.

One of my fondest memories of BU hockey is Sullivan leading the team back onto the ice surface from the locker room after they'd knocked off NoDak in the 1990 NCAA QF's.

That '89-'90 team was definitely stacked, but Sullivan came into a team ('86-'87) as a freshman who were the consensus pre-season #1 and got a starting spot. The team immediately failed to live up to their billing, however, despite being a very strong team on paper. Maine came into WBA for the first weekend series in November and swept us (this was when Maine was just starting to get good) and we knew it was going to be a long season. It was nice to win the Beanpot that year, at least.

I'll never forget that NoDak series either. I'm pretty sure I still have the ticket stubs.

[Sean Pickett]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

That '89-'90 team was definitely stacked, but Sullivan came into a team ('86-'87) as a freshman who were the consensus pre-season #1 and got a starting spot. The team immediately failed to live up to their billing, however, despite being a very strong team on paper. Maine came into WBA for the first weekend series in November and swept us (this was when Maine was just starting to get good) and we knew it was going to be a long season. It was nice to win the Beanpot that year, at least.

I'll never forget that NoDak series either. I'm pretty sure I still have the ticket stubs.

I recall some talk that the pressue on John Cullen going for the all-time BU goals (tied), assists (failed) and points (passed) records, as well as being the team captain may have had an adverse affect on the team overall. No idea if it was true, but I believe his having to handle all that pressure paid off for him during the 1990-91 NHL season when he was the Penguins leading scorer and captain while Mario Lemieux was out. I still hold it against the Penguins for trading him once Lemieux returned.

I still have the ticket stubs for every BU hockey game (men's and women's) that my family has attended. I have so many now that I'm planning to get go throughtema nd only keep one from each game.

Sean

[defkit]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

One of my fondest memories of BU hockey is Sullivan leading the team back onto the ice surface from the locker room after they'd knocked off NoDak in the 1990 NCAA QF's.

Did this happen in that series? I was there, and maybe forgot that he did that, but wasn't there a similar curtain call the next year after the sweep of Michigan? I had to miss that series and remember reading that they and all come out of the locker room (I think there was even a picture in the Freep of that).

[wysi]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

Did this happen in that series? I was there, and maybe forgot that he did that, but wasn't there a similar curtain call the next year after the sweep of Michigan? I had to miss that series and remember reading that they and all come out of the locker room (I think there was even a picture in the Freep of that).

I seem to recall it happened then, too. The best part of the '91 series was when Dave Tomlinson scored what was his final goal in WBA, and the announcer reported the goal as being scored by "Sniper Tomlinson". The place went nuts.

[buoldtimer]

Did this happen in that series? I was there, and maybe forgot that he did that, but wasn't there a similar curtain call the next year after the sweep of Michigan? I had to miss that series and remember reading that they and all come out of the locker room (I think there was even a picture in the Freep of that).

The team took several curtain calls. The first was in March 1990 after the NoDak series.

[Rogie21]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

Boston Hockey Blog @BOShockeyblog 20h20 hours ago Fall River, MA

Ahti Oksanen is rumored to have signed a 1-year deal with @WolfPackAHL. The Finland native finished his @TerrierHockey career w/ 115 points.

[Bomber]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

It looks like an Eichel-Vesey tandom in Buffalo. Perhaps with ERod? They should be fun to watch.

[DLG]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

It looks like an Eichel-Vesey tandom in Buffalo. Perhaps with ERod? They should be fun to watch.

Not so fast

UPDATE: Peter Donatelli, one of Vesey's agents, informed ESPN's Joe McDonald that his client still plans to explore unrestricted free agency:

"In our opinion, the only thing that has happened is now the Sabres have stepped into the shoes of Nashville for exclusive rights [to negotiate] until Aug. 15. However, at this time, it doesn't change Jimmy Vesey's intention to become a free agent on Aug. 15."

[Rogie21]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

Six Terriers (2 current, 4 frosh) named to US Junior National Team evaluation camp. Greenway, McAvoy, Bellows, Keller, Krys, Oettinger.
And Fabbro should be a lock for Team Canada. WJC Gold Medal game is Thursday, Jan. 5, same date as scheduled home game vs. Union. That needs to be changed.
http://teamusa.usahockey.com/page/sh...-s-camp-roster
http://teamusa.usahockey.com/page/sh...by-the-numbers

[defkit]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

Six Terriers (2 current, 4 frosh) named to US Junior National Team evaluation camp. Greenway, McAvoy, Bellows, Keller, Krys, Oettinger.
And Fabbro should be a lock for Team Canada. WJC Gold Medal game is Thursday, Jan. 5, same date as scheduled home game vs. Union. That needs to be changed.
http://teamusa.usahockey.com/page/sh...-s-camp-roster
http://teamusa.usahockey.com/page/sh...by-the-numbers

Will JFK still be eligible to play for Sweden? If so, we could be 8 players short for the Union game! Yikes! Me thinks that if the USA doesn't make the Gold Medal game, there won't be a whole lot of "we're going to let them rest" like there was with Eichel. Of course, we don't know how many guys will actually make the team, but you have to figure we'll be at least 4 guys short.

[DLG]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

Six Terriers (2 current, 4 frosh) named to US Junior National Team evaluation camp. Greenway, McAvoy, Bellows, Keller, Krys, Oettinger.
And Fabbro should be a lock for Team Canada. WJC Gold Medal game is Thursday, Jan. 5, same date as scheduled home game vs. Union. That needs to be changed.
http://teamusa.usahockey.com/page/sh...-s-camp-roster
http://teamusa.usahockey.com/page/sh...by-the-numbers

That date made no sense when the schedule was announced. Both teams do not have a game between Jan 5th and Jan 13th. Mid week games draw badly enough and without students there it will be a very small crowd. Also Bu has avoided holiday tourneys the past few years so are well aware of world junior dates
Since it is in Canada a shift of 2 days would not be a problem

[Rogie21]

Re: Boston University off-season thread (preparing for 16/17).

Will JFK still be eligible to play for Sweden? If so, we could be 8 players short for the Union game! Yikes! Me thinks that if the USA doesn't make the Gold Medal game, there won't be a whole lot of "we're going to let them rest" like there was with Eichel. Of course, we don't know how many guys will actually make the team, but you have to figure we'll be at least 4 guys short.

JFK is a '96. Too old for a U20 tournament.