Drury, Whitney continue BU Olympic tradition

Olympic men’s ice hockey has begun with both Chris Drury and Ryan Whitney (video) (photo) skating for Team USA. Whitney, who was a late replacement for an injured defenseman, becomes the 30th former Terrier to play in the Olympics Games. While the vast majority have been Americans, ex-BU players have represented Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Japan and France.

The largest Terrier contingent on one team—six--was in 1992 when Clark Donatelli, Scott Lachance, Shawn McEachern, Joe Sacco, Keith Tkachuk and Scott Young were on the Team USA roster.

There were six Terrier Olympians in 1980. Along with the Terriers Four (Jim Craig, Mike Eruzione, Jack O’Callahan and Dave Silk) on the gold-medal winning U.S. squad, Dick Decloe skated for the Netherlands and two-time All-American Herb Wakabayahsi made his third appearance for Japan.

With his appearance in this year’s games, Drury joins Wakabayashi and Young as three-time Olympians. Drury feature Young feature

Whitney is blogging during the Olympics for the Orange County Register.

BU Hall of Famer Dick Rodenheiser, a member of the “first miracle” U.S. team in 1960 is the only two-time medal winner, having won a silver in 1956 and then the gold in 1960. Coach Jack Riley contends that a Czech penalty on a vicious hit to Rodenheiser in the gold-medal game was the key to the U.S. victory in 1960.


A documentary DVD, "The Forgotten Miracle", has been made about the 1960 team and it was the subject of a a recent "Morning Skate" column (with video) in the New York Times. Documentary maker Andrew Sherburne discussed the project with On Frozen Blog.




The Bleacher Report provides an update on members of the 1980 gold-medal winning U.S. squad, which earned Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsmen of the Year” designation that year.

Looking ahead
2010 recruit Charlie Coyle scored a hattrick and added an assist in the South Shore Kings’ 6-5 overtime loss to the Junior Bruins on Monday. It was Coyle’s second hattrick of the season and gives him a total of 60 points (21-39 in 39 games), third best in the EJHL. The loss was on the fourth of the season for the Kings.