Friday, October 05, 2007

Take me to The Garden


NY Rangers game 1- Chris Drury: game-winning goal, two assists, first star---ho, hum. Another night at the [off]ICE for one of the NHL's most dependable performers. Centering for Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka, Drury reminded his new teammates and Ranger fans that clutch goals are his trademark, scoring the 53rd game-winner (video)of his professionial career. As the Associated Press game recap put it, "Third period, tie game. Just call it Chris Drury Time."

Earlier in the week, Drury participated with Jack Parker, Cornell Coach Mike Schafer and ex-Big Red and NHL star Joe Nieuwendyk in a media call to promote the upcoming Red Hot Hockey game between the Terriers and Cornell on November 24.

Some notes from the media call:
--The idea for the game was Coach Parker’s. The university was seeking a “splashy event” to wrap around new BU President Robert Brown’s visit to New York. Jack, who had played in Madison Square Garden in 1966 during the three-game Holiday Festival, suggested that event should be a hockey game, with the caveat that Cornell, another Div. 1 school with a strong alumni presence in the New York City area. Both Cornell and Madison Square Garden quickly came onboard and the game promotions began.
--BU and Cornell will play once in the 2008-2009 season and once the following year with games in Boston and Ithaca.
--Drury pointed out that the Rangers’ schedule had him at home on the 24th and that he and his extended family would join Terrier fans at the game.
--Coach Parker revealed his most memorable BU-Cornell games as both a player and coach. As a player, it was a 4-3 loss to the Big Red in the 1967 ECAC semi-final game, despite the Terriers outshooting Cornell by a wide margin. As a coach, he cited the ECAC semi-final in 1974, his first year behind the BU bench. BU won that one 7-3, sparked by “an unbelievable goal by Vic Stanfield.” (Prior to the Nov. 24, game, we’ll post a series of recollections from former BU players and coaches of the BU-Cornell rivalry.)
--Drury's played just one game against Cornell while a Terrier. The 7-1 win in November 1995 was the 500th of Parker's coaching career.

For Drury fans, another interview, some mutual admiration between Chris and Brian Leetch and a profile from the UConn student daily.

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