Friday, December 12, 2025

Finale at Matthews/Boston Arena; Knowling added to US Jr. National roster; McAvoy returns

 

    

Terriers and Huskies are set to play the final college game at Matthews Arena tomorrow night. We'll continue with the look back at Terrier hockey's first home, which we began in Wednesday's post. 

The lower left photo features two-time All-American Herb Wakabayashi and Eddie Wright, two-thirds of BU's famed "Pinball Line." 

While BU began playing at Boston Arena since Feb. 6, 1918, the first meeting with Northeastern wasn’t until exactly 13 years later, Feb. 6, 1931. A 4-3 Terrier win paced by two Paul Bergholtz goals, the game was part of the New England AAU’s tryouts for the 1932 Olympics. Gordon Smith, who played briefly for BU, made the Olympic squad that won Silver in the first Olympiad held in Lake Placid.

 


In early 1951, Life Magazine sent its photographers to Boston Arena to document Terrier games against Colorado College and Michigan, the schools BU had played in the 1950 NCAA tournament (beating the Wolverines before losing to the Tigers). Click here for more images. The Life article noted that 54 high school teams also played their games at The Arena.  

  
Medford High legend Jack Garrity ...  
Two-time All-American Jack Garrity (Life Magazine)
  

In 1960 BU hosted--and played in--the NCAA tournament, losing the semifinal to eventual champion Denver, then besting St. Lawrence in the consolation game. That BU squad was led by two-time All-American Bob Marquis. 

 


 

►►Our friend and invaluable contributor @BUHockeyStats takes a deep dive into the century-plus history of Terrier Hockey at The Arena. 

● Boston Hockey Blog Where Boston Hockey Was Born:Saying Goodbye to Historic Matthews Arena 

Corbett described the closing chapter of the arena as “pretty overwhelming.” For more than a century, Boston’s hockey community has gathered there — at what he calls “the Mecca,” “the absolute epicenter” and “the focal point” of Boston hockey.

Northeastern, BU and Hockey East alumni will join a sold-out crowd on Saturday to honor the closing of the oldest ice rink still in use.

 

►CHN's feature on Matthews/Boston Arena include a group photo of players and coaches including Jack Parker, Brian Durocher, Bill O'Neill and Bernie Corbett. 

● College Hockey News Time to Say Goodbye to Matthews 

“Back in the 1950s and ’60s, the ice surface at the arena was short, and it was shaped kind of like a football,” Ben Smith, former Northeastern head coach and Harvard alum, told the New York Times in 2009. “So we’d come in and play BU, back when they were using the arena as their home ice, and I’d go back to touch the puck for icing, and here comes little Jack Parker from BU chasing after me. And I’d get my stick stuck in the boards in those narrow corners, and it’d stab me in the stomach and knock the wind out of me. Everyone thought Jack, who weighed 150 pounds, had knocked me out. I weighed about 200.”

A free (outside the paywall) Boston Globe feature story on Matthews/Boston Arena includes photos of Jack Parker with Jerry York and one of Bill O'Neill, a defenseman on BU's 1978 champs and longtime Salem State head coach, with Harvard's Joe Bertagna

● Boston Globe Men’s hockey royalty say goodbye to historic Matthews Arena: ‘The best rink to play in, the best rink to coach in’  

Looking ahead 

2027 recruit Brady Knowling has been added to the preliminary roster for the U.S. Junior National Team that will defend the gold medal in the 2026 IIHF World Championships set for Minneapolis and St. Paul. The NTDP U18 netminder joins current Terriers Kamil Bednarik, Cole Eiserman and Cole Hutson on the roster.

A Toronto native with dual US/Canadian citizenship, the 6’5” Knowling is the only 2008 birthdate on Team USA. A highly-regard prospect who led the U.S. to gold in last summer’s Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, he saw his stock—and draft ranking—spike following a 42-save win in the CHL-USA Prospect Challenge last month.

Practice begins Monday in Duluth and will include exhibition games against Germany and Finland. The final roster will be announced on December 24 and the tournament begins December 26 with the U.S. facing off against Germany. NHL Network will air Team USA’s tournament games.

Knowling is expected to be in goal for the NTDP U18s this weekend either Friday at St. Lawrence or Saturday  at Clarkson.

2027 recruit Sam Pandolfo scored his fifth goal in the NTDP U17s' 7-2 win over Switzerland at the Vierumaki Cup in Finland.

2026 recruit Haoxi Wang assisted on a pair of goals and was +3 as Oshawa doubled up Sudbury, 6-3. The 6'5" defenseman who participated in San Jose's rookie camp, has a 2-10-12 scoring line in 22 games and is tied for the lead among Generals' blueliners. 

2026 recruit Caleb Malhotra scored his 14th goal and added a power-play assist at Brantford thumped Erie, 8-4. With 39 points in 28 games, the 6'2" center leads all OHL rookies in points and is second in goals.  

 Looking back 

In his first game back after missing 11 games with facial injuries, Charlie McAvoy recorded a power-play assist and was +4 in a Bruins 6-3 win over Winnipeg.

Lane Hutson collected his 18th and 19th assists  as Montreal defeated Pittsburgh, 4-2. Hutson, last season's Calder Trophy winner, saved a goal for the Habs, knocking away Sidney Crosby's shot and helping to secure the first NHL win for former Eagle Jacob Fowler.

Jack Eichel's puck recovery, stickhandle and perfect goalmouth pass gave Vegas a 3-2 overtime win over the Flyers.Trevor Zegras scored his 11th goal in the Flyers' to Vegas.  

Dante Fabbro scored his second goal in the Blue Jackets' 6-3 loss to Ottawa. 

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