A True Class Act.

A lot has been said about the leadership of Coach York and his staff as of late and don't get me wrong, Coach deserves a BOATLOAD of credit for what he did this year as I think it is his best coaching job of all time. There is however another person who I think played a huge role in the turn around of this team not just on the ice but off it as well. Tommy Cross. There have been a lot of amazing captains over the last couple years here at BC (Price, Brennan, Whitney) but none in my mind, top Tommy Cross. He is the essential leader, he is someone on the team that the younger guys like a Johnny Gaudreau, Quinn Smith or Mike Sit look up to. He is a winner, a great hockey player, a great leader, and fantastic human being. I don't think he has gotten enough credit for what he did with this team this season. On the bus ride back from Orono, Coach York loves to talk about how Tommy told the guys that they are not going to let this season slip away and they must work harder to be successful. His leadership not only on the ice but off of it as well is something that is rarely seen from a senior in college. Not to mention, he should have been an All American for his play on the ice this season. If you look at who are the best defenseman in Hockey East, I would say Tommy Cross could be second on that list behind fellow teammate Brian Dumoulin. Unfortunately for Tommy, much of his BC career was plagued with bad knee injuries. If it wasn't for those injuries, I think we would be talking about one of the great defenseman in the history of the program in terms of raw talent and ability. To be a great leader, you first of all, need to be tough in the big stages and be a role model for the others on your team. I think if you ever listin to what Tommy says to the guys during the games, in between periods, and after the games, you would clearly see that he is the all around leader that any team in any sport would wish to have.

Put it this way, without Tommy's leadership this season, I don't think BC would have won a National Title. I mean how many guys before they say anything to the media about the actual game say "I would like to thank all of you for covering us this year". That's exactly what Tommy did after the win over Ferris State on Saturday. I personally, don't know anyone else that has ever done that. A real class act in everything he does on and off the ice. He has certainly set the standerd of what this coaching staff is looking for in a true leader within their hockey program. Congratulations to Tommy on a fantastic career at Boston College and I wish him the best of luck in whatever he does in or out of hockey.