By Annie Maroon/DFP Staff
As the Boston University men’s hockey team gathered at the blue line to watch a video tribute to retiring coach Jack Parker, senior defenseman Sean Escobedo began tapping his stick on the ice, the on-ice version of applause. Within seconds, his teammates joined in, adding to the growing roar of approval for Parker after his last game at Agganis Arena.
Parker won his final home game, 5-3 over Merrimack College, in front of a spring-break-depleted crowd of just 3,043. By the time he picked up a microphone to say a few words to the fans, though, everyone left in the stands was on their feet.
“You people make it great,” Parker said, turning as he spoke to address everyone in the arena. Their cheers drowned out much of his impromptu speech, but his gratitude was clear, even though he hadn’t known he might have to speak until the microphone was in his hands.
The montage on the Agganis video board spanned Parker’s entire career, including the celebration after BU’s 2009 national championship win. After stick-saluting the fans at the other end of the ice, BU’s players returned to center ice to watch the video, faces upturned to take in the tribute to their coach.
“Personally, I was getting pretty emotional about it,” senior forward Ben Rosen said. “You really start to realize who you’re playing for and the organization you’re in, and the kind of guy that’s behind your bench every day. It just kind of gives you some extra boost and some pride in the jersey you’re wearing.”
The Terriers earned Parker at least one more game with their win Saturday, finishing off their Hockey East quarterfinal series against Merrimack, 2-0. They’ll face Boston College on Friday, March 22, at 8 p.m. in the conference semifinals at TD Garden.
From here on out, though, Parker’s career could be 60 minutes from its end on any given game day. BU has yet to secure an NCAA playoff berth, and would likely have to win the Hockey East tournament to do so.
Merrimack coach Mark Dennehy went out of his way to acknowledge Parker in his postgame press conference, despite the disappointment of seeing his own team’s season end.
“I’d like to start by just saying what an honor it was to coach against Jack Parker,” Dennehy said. “The game will take an absolute hit with his departure. Pretty big shoes to fill.”
During his conference, Parker reflected on his time at BU with characteristic humor. “All good things must come to an end,” he said, and paused, appearing to grow serious.
Then he continued, “Oscar Wilde once said that, ‘Some people cause joy wherever they go. Others, whenever they go.’ So I might be – my guys might be cheering when I finish up here. You never know.”
Judging by his players’ reactions to the video tribute, though, that’s clearly not the case. Freshman forward Sam Kurker, who scored his third goal of the year Saturday, said Parker has helped him maintain his confidence during a demanding rookie season.
“I just feel so blessed and lucky to be able to play at least a year under his wing here,” Kurker said. “I get to play for a legend, and it’s too bad he is going next year, but I feel very lucky. … This year, I haven’t produced how I wanted to. He’s been here a long time and seen it happen before. He’s helped me along the way, and it’s paying off.”
No matter what has been said of Parker recently, including this blogger, only he could have turned this rag tag group of hockey players into a winner. Win or lose next week this is, I believe, Parker’s best job of coaching by far. Have a good rest. I have watched you from the mid sixties when you were a player. I have been married, had two beautiful girls and a grandaughter and been retired in this time. Farewell to the friend I never knew.
i have heard that Hynes is the likely guy. Quinn is a solid candiidate, but Hynes with Albie O’Connor as his top assistant seems to be the direction this team is going to go.
I think Michael Grier is a FANTASTIC choice. He comes from a coaching family (although the family is a football coaching family and not a hockey coaching family, his Dad held a Coaching job in every Patriot regime from I think it was Chuck Fairbanks in 1978 through Bill Parcells. That means Bobby Grier maintained a job within the Patriots through seven different head coaches, including head of scouting and player personnel. I do not know of another Coach so respected in any sport that a Coach is kept on through seven Head Coaches and three ownership groups, but it is a testament to Bobby NOT TO MENTION that he was almost always on the sidelines at Michael’s St Sebastian’s and BU hockey games.
Mike shortly after retirement was thought highly enough by NHL players that he was asked by Bruin players to lead workouts at Agganis this past winter as Coaches were still involved in the lockout and thus could not be at player only workouts SO a Bruin Captain asked Mike to lead the workouts and the fact the Bruins got out to such a good start is very much a testament to how Grier got these guys doing more than just skating drills, but working on Hockey while other teams were waiting on half their guys to return from Europe.
Some say Grier has a better reputation among pro hockey front offices than NCAA Athletic Departments. That is simply a testament to the fact that Grier is SO WELL THOUGHT OF BY PROFESSIONAL TEAMS whereas only BU knows what a possible star of a young coach Grier in waiting may be. If someone says he does not know enough Xs and Os I will laugh as he has been a professional in multiple organizations AND he played on several national teams, so he has heard jargon and vernacular specific to organizations and knows his Whiteboard breakouts and Power Plays as well as any young Coach possibly can. This is just an excuse.
The one person I would float BESIDES Grier who I think would bring Tremendous ROCK STAR cache and would need a Top Assistant like Grier (so the two would have to be sympatico) would be — if he showed any serious interest — former Hobey winner and Chinese Tai Pei conquerer Christopher Drury. If we could get Drury and his Olympic hero status (topped only by his National Title hero status Topped only by his single-handedly conquering of Chinese Tai Pei back when Tai Pei TRULY cheated and chose from 3 million and not 30,000 as the rehabbed Tai Pei does today).
I would LOVE for Drury whose name and personality alone SO LONG AS HE SHOWED UP and was his same, humble but confident self BY CONTRAST really would and could learn on the job, and a guy like Mike Grier if NOT named our next head coach should AT A MINIMUM be named the next Top Assistant so that BU continues to be associated with the NHL, big hits, and fantastic highlight reel plays. On top of that, Grier is class personified and honestly has taken the torch from Eruzione and is now the face of the modern BU hockey alum and it would be both smart and savvy for Grier and for BU to have Grier EITHER as the next head coach or Top Assistant when Coach Parker retires.
Hynes would be my second choice behind Quinn. He knows the Jr’s as he is in USA Hockey. Grier would be a solid choice and O connor? would be also. Don’t you mean O’Connell though? I think that is how you spell it. Bringing ENERGY is the most important factor behind recruiting and I have never seen Hynes coach. Getting Quinn would be difficult as he is under contract although his team has not been doing very well of late and most likely could get out of his contract. Choice should be made soon as we need a lot of players for next year and all of the ’13 recruits have to be contacted.
To the BU selection committee and to Jack as one of them.
Please, get it done and get it done quickly. As the late and wonderful John Simpson said, as AD he always had successor coaches in mind just in case someone left BU. Lynch, Parker et al must have a short list. Guys, let’s not fake it.
No need for a “national search.” That is a farce. Only former BU players should be considered. Why even think about anyone else! And, be honest. Confirm what everyone has said for as long as most of us can remember. BU Hockey is a family. Only former BU players need apply. Just get it done.