Milestone anniversary

This season marks the 40th anniversary of BU’s first national championship. The '70-'71 Terriers posted a gaudy 28-1-1 record—outscoring its opponents 210 to 60—and won the NCAA title in Syracuse with a 4-2 victory of Minnesota. The architect of that title and the one that followed it in '71-'72 was legendary coach Jack Kelley. The Morning Sentinel in Maine, where Kelley lives, caught up with “the Mentor,” retracing his hockey coaching career (he also was an All-East defenseman for BU) and discussing his passion for horseracing.

Kelley was recently paid a visit by three former Terriers—goalie Tim Regan (left) (Most Outstanding Player of the 1972 NCAA tournament), forward John Grady (right) and team manager and blog contributor Chris Henes (photo).

Throughout this season, we’ll post some features about the ’70-’71 team and its achievements. Like the current Terrier squad, that team began its season with a pair of wins in St. Louis, but with a shorter scheduled, they didn’t play their first game until Nov. 27. Check out our THIS DATE IN TERRIER HOCKEY page for highlights of that championship season.

• USCHO’s Scott Weighart talked with Coach Jack Parker about his continuing recovery from summer bypass surgery and also the Terrier’s 6-0-1 start to the season.

• In USA Today’s ranking of American-born 2011 draft rankings, Adam Clendening is #6 and Matt Nieto is #9.

• The Daily Free Press comments on the performance of BU’s blueline corps, which turned in a strong performance over the final two periods against Lowell Saturday, when down to just five skaters.

Looking back
Mike Grier, an All-American during BU's 1995 national championship season, will play his 1,000th NHL game tonight against the Bruins in Buffalo. Said Grier of his 14-year NHL career, “My first few years in the league I was a little bit more of an offensive guy, a power play guy, working the front of the net. As I’ve gone along I’ve had to kind of take a little bit more of a defensive role, be on the checking line and be responsible defensively and kill penalties.”
• College Hockey Inc. coverage

Former Terrier Nick Bonino is expected to be in the Anaheim Ducks lineup tonight against Tampa Bay, following his call-up from AHL Syracuse. According to Ducks' assistant GM David McNab: "He definitely got here by deserving it. It's not 'a bunch of injuries, let's call Bonino up.' The guys who have come up earned their way up."

Former BU MVP John Curry and and ex-Northeastern star Brad Thiessen of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were named co-winners of the Reebok/AHL Goaltender of the Month award for October. They split the goaltending chores and combined to go 8-0-0 with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.

2009 All-American forward Colin Wilson blogs about the Predators' current road trip on Tennessean.com

Looking ahead

Cedar Rapids' center Cason Hohmann’s four-goal game on Friday and five points overall for the weekend earned him recognition as the USHL player of the week. Hohmann will be in Penticton, B.C. this week with the U.S. Junior Selects for the World Junior A. Challenge. 2012 recruit Robert Polesello of the OPJHL Vaughan Vipers is on the the Canada East roster for the event.

Women's team
Freshman Marie-Philip Poulin was named Pro Ambitions' Hockey East Rookie of the Month for October. Poulin who leads the fifth-ranked Terriers and Hockey East in scoring with 16 points, is tied for second in goals with nine and tied a program record with four goals in the Oct. 15 game against Wayne State.
• Daily Free Press coverage.