Boston College’s proud hockey tradition boasts eight Hockey East championships, 11 Beanpot titles and three of the winningest college hockey coaches in NCAA history. This tradition certainly extends itself into NCAA tournament play, where the Eagles are fourth in the country in tournament appearances (21) and third in Frozen Four appearances (16).
But since the tournament’s inception in 1948, BC has laid claim to a lone national championship, which came in 1949. Consequently, when the Eagles face off against the Saints of St. Lawrence, they will look to put history on their side.
BC’s Frozen Four woes began in 1948, the inaugural year of the tournament. The Eagles, then coached by BC legend John “Snooks” Kelley, skated to a 6-4 first round overtime loss to Michigan, which ranks among the longest played games in the event’s history. In the following year, however, Kelley returned to the tournament with an improved team including two-time All-American Ed “Butch” Songin and future Eagle coach Len Ceglarski. That year, Kelley’s squad easily defeated Colorado College, 7-3, and then captured their first and only national championship in Colorado with a 4-3 victory over Dartmouth.
In the 20 years following the championship season, BC returned to the Frozen Four seven times, in ’50, ’54, ’56, ’59, ’63, ’65 and ’68. But only the 1965 team was able to advance to the finals, where they ultimately were defeated 8-2 by Michigan Tech. Kelley retired in 1972, after 36 years at the helm of BC Hockey. Former Eagle Len Ceglarski abandoned his coaching responsibilities at Clarkson to assume Kelley’s post at his alma mater, where he was a member of the ’49 hockey team and captain of the baseball team.
Under Ceglarski, the Eagles returned to the Frozen Four in 1973 as a second seed in the East, only to be defeated by first seeded Denver in the semifinal round. Five years later, BC made their 11th Frozen Four appearance, this time as a number one seed. The Eagles coasted through the tournament and into their first championship game in 13 years. This time, they faced off against third-seeded Comm. Ave. rival BU, against whom BC suffered a 5-3 loss.
It would be 20 years before the Eagles would get that close to a championship again.
In 1985, BC came into the Frozen Four as a two seed and faced off against a fourth-seeded Cinderella Providence team in a game that took three overtimes before the Friars emerged victorious.
The Eagles were again upset in the first round in 1990, their 13th Frozen Four appearance and 11th first round loss. Four seasons later, former national championship coach Jerry York returned to the Heights and in his six seasons (including the current season) has affirmed his coaching ability by leading the Eagles to three Frozen Fours and the school’s third championship game, a heartbreaking overtime loss to Michigan in 1998.
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