Harvard’s Ted Donato enters the seventieth Beanpot Hockey Tournament because the Dean of Coaches.
Donato is in his 18th season at his alma mater and can lead the Crimson in opposition to Boston College within the opening sport of the Beanpot twinbill at 5 p.m. Monday on the TD Garden. Defending champion Boston University will tackle Northeastern within the 8 p.m. nightcap.
Donato grew to become the Beanpot’s elder statesman when BC coach Jerry York retired final April after 28 seasons behind the Eagles’ bench. The coaches and diverse gamers from the 4 packages assembled on Monday for the Beanpot luncheon within the Legends room on the TD Garden for the primary time since 2020.
“I kind of just focus on the here and now but I do remember when I was the young kid,” mentioned Donato. “I assume it’s an indication of the instances that there have been adjustments.
“But they were all great coaches and great people and I’ve known them for quite a long time.”
The Old Guard
BU’s Jack Parker ascended to the Dean’s position when BC’s Len Ceglarski retired in 1992 after 20 seasons. Parker would get pleasure from essentially the most profitable run as each a participant (1965-1968) and head coach (1973-2013) within the annals of the Beanpot.
Parker was 3-for-3 as a participant underneath the legendary Jack Kelley and gained 21 because the Terriers’ head coach that included a file six straight from 1995 to 2000. The institute of upper studying on the decrease finish of Commonwealth Ave. grew to become generally known as “Beanpot University” on Parker’s watch.
York, the winningest coach in NCAA Division 1 hockey historical past, assumed the Dean’s position when Parker retired after the 2012-2013 season. York gained a Beanpot as a participant in 1965 and 9 behind the BC bench that included 5 straight from 2010-2014.
Four of BC’s wins within the Beanpot (2001, 2008, 2010 and 2012) preluded the Eagles’ 4 NCAA championship runs throughout York’s tenure. The Eagles additionally claimed Hockey East titles in 2001, 2008 and 2012. York famously dubbed profitable the Beanpot as “the start of Trophy Season.”
Northeastern brings up the rear with seven wins, however present Huskies’ athletic director Jim Madigan had his fingerprints on 5 of them as a participant and a coach.
Madigan gained back-to-back titles as a ahead in 1984 and 1985 and three straight behind the bench from 2018-2020. Madigan handed the job over to his succesful chief assistant, Jerry Keefe, when he joined higher sports activities administration group on Huntington Ave. after the 2020-2021 season.
Donato gained the Beanpot as a participant in 1989 and Harvard went on to win the nationwide championship. He gained his first Beanpot as a coach in 2017 with a 6-3 victory over BU.
Parker, York and Madigan had been the three most profitable participant/coaches at their respective establishments. Donato needed to put together the Crimson to face all three from 2011 to 2013 and Madigan and York till final February.
“That was what was unique, you had great people that were players and coaches that felt a great connection to their university,” mentioned Donato.
The New Guard
Keefe is the one one of many 4 coaches who didn’t compete within the Beanpot as a participant. But Keefe was schooled within the methods and technique of Hockey East as a four-year participant at Providence College. Keefe is second in seniority though he has been a head coach for simply two Beanpot video games.
BC and BU have first-year coaches who performed for his or her respective colleges. Greg Brown performed 4 seasons at BC and was York’s assistant for 14 extra after an NHL profession. Jay Pandolfo gained two Beanpots as a participant (1995-1996) and was an assistant at BU for the Terriers win final season. After an intensive NHL profession primarily with the New Jersey Devils, Pandolfo was a member of Bruce Cassidy’s workers with the Bruins from 2016 to 2021.
“I grew up going to the Beanpot but I never thought of myself standing behind the bench one day, let alone being a head coach,” mentioned Keefe. “It is fairly neat that Brownie and Jay are of their first years and never like I’m a veteran, that is my second yr.
“But it’s pretty neat and once in a while it’s good to put it into perspective just how fortunate you are to be a head coach at a Beanpot school.”
A Garden Party
The story of the Beanpot is damaged down into two testaments, the Old Garden and the New Garden. Harvard beat BU 7-4 within the first Beanpot title sport on Dec. 26, 1952, however that sport was performed at Boston Arena, which is at present Northeastern’s Matthews Arena.
BC beat Harvard 4-1 on Jan. 11, 1953, within the first title sport at Boston Garden. The Beanpot run would proceed unabated till 2021, when the match was cancelled due to the worldwide pandemic. The Beanpot transitioned from the previous Garden to the brand new Garden when the present venue went on-line on Sept. 30, 1995.
No Beanpot participant of any era had an even bigger footprint in each the previous and new Gardens than Donato, who would compete in each venues for Catholic Memorial High School, Harvard and the Boston Bruins.
Donato took his place on the pantheon of elite Mass. highschool hockey gamers whereas profitable state titles at CM underneath Hall of Fame coach William “Wild Bill” Hanson, a bombastic son of South Boston who performed scholastically at Boston Technical.
After ending up at Harvard and representing the United States within the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, Donato started his 13-year professional profession with the Bruins. Donato, a Boston child from Hyde Park, was taken by the Bruins with the 87th total decide within the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. Donato would play eight seasons with the Bruins and he wore the Spoked B in each Gardens.
“I played in the last game at the old Garden and the first game in the new Garden,” mentioned Donato. “Being a Boston child, whether or not it was highschool or faculty it was all about attending to the Garden.
“Getting to the Garden was the time period you heard and we nonetheless use it with our group now. The purpose is to get to the Garden and play for a Beanpot championship. With the Beanpot it’s a little totally different since you are taking part in within the Garden yearly and it by no means will get previous.
“Even the seniors, when they step out onto the Garden ice on Monday, they will look like little kids when they take it all in. Then you’ll see the freshman and for them it’s ‘wow’ this is what it is really like.”
Keefe performed on the previous Garden for Matignon High School and within the new Garden within the Hockey East match semifinals with Providence College. Keefe was at Madigan’s aspect on the Beanpot from 2011 to 2021.
Pandolfo participated within the Garden crossover within the mid 90s. He performed his first three seasons within the previous home and took part within the first Beanpot on the new home. The Garden was generally known as the Fleet Center when it first opened. Pandolfo’s consecutive victories, one within the previous and one within the new, had been the start of BU’s historic run of six straight.
“It was fun playing in both,” mentioned Pandolfo. “But the environment within the previous Garden was unimaginable and it might be powerful to copy the way in which that place was arrange.
“The followers had been proper on high of you with the balcony being over the ice. But to have the ability to open a brand new constructing with the Beanpot was fairly thrilling for us.
“The first time taking part in the Beanpot on the new Garden was lots of enjoyable and I’ve good reminiscences. It was fairly cool to be a part of the final one on the previous Garden and the primary one on the new Garden. “
Source: www.bostonherald.com