Banquet Notes

It was certainly nice to be back in a hockey setting after getting absolutely smoked on the course this weekend at my home club. My record there used to be like 300-0 but I seemingly can't hit a tee ball right now and it's killing me.

The Pikes Peak Club honored the 2014-15 Eagles this afternoon at the 66th annual hockey banquet. I know the players took a couple minutes to thank all of the members of the club but I want to say thanks to the board, particularly Mr. Fred Kinsman who invited me to the festivities this afternoon. I can't say enough about how much they do for the BC Hockey program, it's certainly an asset that no other program in the country has. 

The awards and all that were fantastic but the real highlight for me was Mike Sit's speech in which he thanked the club, the staff, and his parents. About halfway through, he got pretty emotional and I wouldn't be lying if I didn't sit back and think about what he was saying for a second. Here's a kid who has been somewhat criticized by me and other fans for his performance on the ice but when it comes to the things off the ice, the things that really matter, he is the best of the best. Not only did he have a 4.0 GPA, he (and other members of the team) helped deliver toys to sick kids at Children's Hospital and held numerous events to benefit the kids at St Columbkille School in Brighton. I know, I wasn't always jumping up and down about how things were going on the ice for Mike but today I realized a couple things about our alternate captain. I've always known he was one of the hardest workers on the ice, he kills penalties, blocks shots, finishes checks, does all the things a third or fourth line grinder should do but the biggest takeaway for me was that this kid absolutely loved playing hockey at Boston College and in the mind of this fanatic blogger, that matters more than anything. Did he score a ton of big time goals like a Johnny G or a Kevin Hayes? No but he took more pride in playing hockey at Boston College than anything in his life and for that, I want to thank him and the rest of the senior class.  I wish them nothing but the absolute best in whatever challenges lie ahead and as a lot of people talked about today, the BC Hockey community is always here for you. 

I thought the coolest part of the presentation was when a couple members from the 1965 team came up to the podium to speak to the guys for a second and said something along the lines of there is nothing in his life that makes them more proud than to be an alumnus of Boston College, in particular, it's hockey program. Everyone wants to talk about Michigan grads and Stanford grads and Harvard grads, but all I will say is this, there is no group of people in this entire world that oozes with pride more so than graduates of Boston College do and that could not have been more evident today. I don't care who the heck puts that jersey on next year, if they're beaming with affection and love for Boston College such as people like Mike Sit, Quinn Smith, Mike Matheson, Coach Brown, and Coach York did in today's banquet, I know we will be in a good spot. 

Let Operation Tampa begin. 

Go Eagles. 

Updates

It feels like it's been a year since I last posted on this thing since golf season has finally commenced after a brutal winter. I'm starting to get better day by day but once every four or five holes I seem to block a drive way right and it is  driving me absolutely bananas.

Anyways, the US U18 team is out in Switzerland competing for a world championship. They are currently 3-1 (lost to Russia). BC recruits Colin White (4 points), Jeremy Bracco (7 points), and Casey Fitzgerald (3 points) are all taking part in the tournament. The United States will play the Czech Republic on Thursday.

Many have asked about the schedule for next year and while I don't have it, I do know that we will be playing Wisconsin, Michigan State, Denver, Army (road), RPI (road), and Colorado College (road). The Eagles will also be in the Florida Christmas tournament, I don't know who else is in it.

As for recruiting updates, I don't have much. Do not expect Auston Matthews or Matthew Tkachuck to end up at BC or any other college, they will both end up in the CHL. I would keep an eye on Canadian prospect Dante Fabbro. It appears that BC is right in the hunt for his services along with Wisconsin, who appears to be the main competition.

I do not, unlike some fans, expect the staff to bring in another forward for the upcoming season although they almost certainly have the money to do so. The biggest recruit they can land between now and October is Jeremy Bracco. In talking to some people who know much more about the situation than I do, I think there is a solid chance that he ends up at BC but unfortunately, it is not a forgone conclusion.

As for Noah Hanifin, I would say that the odds are 60-40 in favor of him staying but it really depends on whether or not Phoenix selects him with that #3 pick. I've talked to him a couple of times over the course of the year and he had nothing good to things to say about the school, the program, and the staff. Obviously I want him to stay but I will never knock a kid for pursuing his dream.

Anyways, hit em straight and get ready to see Phil make a big run at Chambers Bay!!

Time To Strike Back

Before I start, I want to congratulate Providence on their National Title last night, their first in program history. I've got a good friend who loves PC and and I've always been able to give him crap about BC beating PC every single year and how the Friars were always irrelevant but the tables have turned, at least for now. Nate Leaman's coaching performance is one of the greatest I have ever seen. Yes, he had Jon Gilles but he didn't have a Johnny Gaudreau or a Jack Eichel to turn things around in a split second. He did it through a lot of hard work on the recruiting trail and for that, I give him and his staff all the credit in the world. They're no longer just a poodle fighting against the two Bulldogs anymore, they're one of the top programs in college hockey.

Outside of BC winning the whole thing, there really is nothing better than seeing BU lose a game, especially in that fashion but I want to say that what Dave Quinn and his staff have done over there in such a short amount of time is really something that we will have to reckon with for a long time. They're back, whether you want to admit it or not, we aren't going to steamroll these guys on a year to year basis anymore, like we have done all so often in the past (except for maybe this upcoming year we will). Despite my utmost respect for Coach Quinn and his team, I still love seeing them lose more than anything in the world because if they had won last night, it would have been the start of the longest offseason in the history of BC Hockey but fortunately, we were able to dodge a huge bullet.

While BU losing is great and all, it has got to be a wake up call for the Eagles. We spent all season in the rearview mirror because the college hockey media decided to chalk #9 up like he was the second coming of the Messiah. Well, all I'm saying is Johnny Gaudreau played his best game of his career in his only National Title appearance, Jack Eichel played very mediocre. It's time for BC to step up and make sure BU takes a back seat in the Boston colligate hockey scene but give them credit, they were able to attract a world class talent that will undoubtedly help their recruiting down the road but it's up to BC to make sure it's just a one hit wonder. I'm not saying BU isn't going to be a factor at all for the next couple years, like they have been all too often as of late, but BC has an opportunity this upcoming season to really take what they gave us this season and shove it right back in their faces. If and when Eichel leaves, we should be able to go in there and beat them by 5 or 6 goals next season with the type of talent we have returning and coming in. I remember the Terriers did this campaign last season where they printed out shirts that had "Never Again" scripted on the back. If I was the staff, I would take a copy of the all the articles I could find that were written about BU and post them on the wall as bulletin board material to ensure that the players coming in next season know that while we obviously want to win a National Title, the most important goal is making sure we don't have another season in which we are a step behind BU and if all goes according to plan, we should be able to take that mantle back quite easily next season.

Once again, congrats to the Friars on their title and to BU on a terrific season but let's take what happened last night in stride and come out firing on all cylinders next season.

The big three era commences

Go Eagles !

Matheson Signs With Florida

Photo from BC Athletics/John Quackenbos 

In the least shocking news of the week, junior defenseman Michael Matheson has signed a deal with the Florida Panthers, who used their first selection on him in the 2012 draft. He will report to San Antonio for an amateur tryout. 

I think it's awesome to see Mike getting closer and closer to achieving his life long dream of playing NHL hockey. He is a terrific kid that has represented Boston College with nothing but class throughout his three years here. I wish him nothing but the best in Florida, where he has a chance to be a really special player. 

Thanks for all your hard work and dedication, Mike. 

Go Eagles !