Boston College hockey 2021-2022

[mookie1995]

Someone has to have the final say, so ultimately it's unworkable. If you have two guys in charge ... well, it's like the saying in the NFL, if you have two starting QB's, then you have no starting QB. Think about it ... if your two guys disagree during the flow of the game, how do you hash that out in real time? If the two HC's disagree about program-wide issues, yeah, maybe the AD can become your tiebreaker, but that's going to get really old, really quickly for the AD. Also ... why would someone who aspires to be an HC ever want to share that role in the first place?

I can see some small-time program trying something like this out in a unique situation with two rising AC's, but why would an elite program like BC even consider it?

There are lots of reasons this hasn't been tried - often, if at all - at high level competitive sports.

Sounds like why with gay couples, one is always the pitcher and one is always the catcher…. Though both love to get a bj

[J.D.]

Your friends over on Huntington Ave. have an almost identical situation with Matthews although women's hoops doesn't play many games there. NU has done a nice job over the years modernizing Matthews but there's only so far you can go with a 103-yo facility. There's been talk about expanding the building footprint to include space for hockey and hoops practice facilities but the city hasn't exactly been accommodating and that's before the historic preservation people get involved.

Thanks. And even then BC is a P5 school so not exactly the same situation as NU but I can certainly understand NU looking to improve facilities.

[J.D.]

Retirement press conference at 11. Being carried by NESN and streamed on BC hockey twitter. The national coaches convention is this week. One thing I don't have a great handle on is what programs do if hiring someone from USHL/AHL as those seasons are still going on. If that's a hurdle and you want someone in place I suppose that increases the chances that it's going to be Cav. I'm guessing the party line from York today will be that it's Kraft's decision and he's just there to offer an opinion if Kraft wants it (which he obviously should).

Maybe a BU fan recalls how this went down when they hired Quinn.

[Chuck Murray]

Sounds like why with gay couples, one is always the pitcher and one is always the catcher…. Though both love to get a bj

I never cease to be amazed at the accrued knowledge on this board. And on a York/BC thread yet.

I'll just have to take your word for it ...

[Chuck Murray]

Retirement press conference at 11. Being carried by NESN and streamed on BC hockey twitter. The national coaches convention is this week. One thing I don't have a great handle on is what programs do if hiring someone from USHL/AHL as those seasons are still going on. If that's a hurdle and you want someone in place I suppose that increases the chances that it's going to be Cav. I'm guessing the party line from York today will be that it's Kraft's decision and he's just there to offer an opinion if Kraft wants it (which he obviously should).

Maybe a BU fan recalls how this went down when they hired Quinn.

UNH got more than "just here to offer an opinion" from Umile, and look where they are now as a result. UMaine did it the right way. York is a great coach who knew enough to stay in his lane, and let others do their jobs. If your AD wants to use him as a resource on how things used to work with Luce, then no harm there. Somehow, I doubt York would want to choose between his various assistants over the years, even if asked. You guys certainly don't need a reminder what happened when the last retiring long-term BC Hockey coach had some say over his replacement ...

[theprofromdover]

Retirement press conference at 11. Being carried by NESN and streamed on BC hockey twitter. The national coaches convention is this week. One thing I don't have a great handle on is what programs do if hiring someone from USHL/AHL as those seasons are still going on. If that's a hurdle and you want someone in place I suppose that increases the chances that it's going to be Cav. I'm guessing the party line from York today will be that it's Kraft's decision and he's just there to offer an opinion if Kraft wants it (which he obviously should).

Maybe a BU fan recalls how this went down when they hired Quinn.

They’re not interviewing anyone until after the meetings.

[sigx15]

Did Father Leahy really not show up for the ceremony?

[J.D.]

Did Father Leahy really not show up for the ceremony?

Yep. What a stiff (yes I know he's a man of the cloth). Jack Dunn said "on behalf of Fr. Leahy". Thankfully Fr. Leahy was not at BC when York was hired and Fr. Monan finally decided to pull the trigger on Jerry.

[theprofromdover]

Yep. What a stiff (yes I know he's a man of the cloth). Jack Dunn said "on behalf of Fr. Leahy". Thankfully Fr. Leahy was not at BC when York was hired and Fr. Monan finally decided to pull the trigger on Jerry.

Leahy didn’t show for the jerry’s 1,000 win either. I haven’t made a contribution since.

[J.D.]

York mentioned he was approached two times about coaching in NHL. Both times were when guys he coached were in mgmt positions. Dave Taylor with the Kings and George McPhee with the Capitals. Taylor was hired in '97 and the coaching vacancy didn't come until '99. I have to believe that was the timing on that one. Before he even won his first title at BC. York stayed at BC and Andy Murray got the job in LA.

McPhee was also in charge of the Capitals in '97. They went to Cup finals that year under Ron Wilson. The job didn't open till 2002 where the job went to Bruce Cassidy (York tried to recruit him to Bowling Green) who only lasted over a year. The Caps had a few openings during McPhee's tenure but 2002 would have been first time McPhee would have approached York about the job. McPhee was in charge till 2014 and they went through 5 coaches in his tenure.

With that and the Mike Milbury fiasco, oh how things could have ended so differently.

[Chuck Murray]

Did Father Leahy really not show up for the ceremony?

Yep. What a stiff (yes I know he's a man of the cloth). Jack Dunn said "on behalf of Fr. Leahy". Thankfully Fr. Leahy was not at BC when York was hired and Fr. Monan finally decided to pull the trigger on Jerry.

Leahy didn’t show for the jerry’s 1,000 win either. I haven’t made a contribution since.

I think you guys will have to agree that sending Dunn was a little more subtle than having Chancellor Shea skating out into the presser with his vertical striped HEA ref's jersey, no? ;-)

Seriously though ... I've always been amazed at the expectations that BC alums foist upon their clerical leaders, whether it be the purported "powah brokah" that was Father Monan, or now the supposedly-distant Father Leahy. Gents, as J.D. points out, these are men of the cloth, first and foremost. Their foremost duty is to honor God, not to intervene in building tunnels or stadiums, hiring a hockey coach, or to honor said hockey coach reaching two impressive yet very mortal milestones here on Earth. No one is saying that Monan couldn't also be a hockey fan (as he apparently was, seeing him numerous times at the Beanpot - good for him). But it would probably be seen as counter to Leahy's primary mission if he were to show up at either of York's ceremonies, which in God's eyes could be seen as trivial, when so much else of importance demands his attention?

Sorry for the "sermon", guys. Keep it up, though, and the Chancellor's gonna hand out some DQ's ...

[J.D.]

He's still the President of the school. I'm not expecting him to be present for every athletic hire/retirement but I don't think it's too much to ask for him to be present at something like this for the greatest coach in BC athletics history and truly one of the great ambassadors for the school itself. I came across this years ago but he really was more than just a hockey coach in the BC community.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svFs2h92hCE

[The Sicatoka]

I don't know BC politics, but might Father Leahy* have chosen to not attend to keep the focus on York.
From what you all are saying, his attendance may have ended up being a distraction.
Then again, you never know what any Jesuit is up to.


*PS -- Father? Not Monsignor? He's 75 so he's qualified (>65) for the title under Francis. Apparently he hasn't earned it in the eyes of the Church. Ouch.

[J.D.]

I don't think it would have been a distraction. There isn't a lot of love for him from BC fans but all he had to do was deliver a few words and then disappear back into obscurity or go work the afternoon mass.

[Chuck Murray]

I don't think it would have been a distraction. There isn't a lot of love for him from BC fans but all he had to do was deliver a few words and then disappear back into obscurity or go work the afternoon mass.

Respectfully disagree. Yes, he is President of BC, but that doesn't obligate him to attend every last retirement ceremony of every last teacher, coach, or employee on campus. That is what he has his non-clerical full-time staff around to handle. I'm assuming the AD was in attendance, who is York's boss, and if Fr. Leahy sent a representative on his behalf, that's more than sufficient.

You also know well enough that even if Fr. Leahy did make an appearance, there would be some BC alums griping about why York was "snubbed" by Cardinal O'Malley, or even the Pope himself. It's college hockey, folks. Important to us USCHO plebeians, but microscopically insignificant otherwise.