 Collins, who dreamed of playing for BC back in high school, has dedicated much of his life to hockey and this season will be looked to to fill the scoring lost with last year´s senior class.
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Some people still don't know who Chris Collins is.
Not everybody knows that Collins started playing hockey when he was three and since then has had the ice of the hockey rink flowing through his veins. People don't realize he grew up in the hockey town of Fairport, N.Y., just outside of Rochester, playing against his brother on a rink built by their father, Glenn. Some may not be aware that Collins has wanted to play hockey at Boston College since he witnessed the heartbreaking loss to Michigan in the '98 title game. Some fans might not even know that the assistant captain is one of only three seniors on the BC hockey team this season (the other two are Stephen Gionta and Peter Harrold) and that he has played in 120 games in his BC career. And those Superfans out there who might not realize Collins' talent both on and off the ice will find out soon enough.
Collins is sitting in one of the luxury boxes overlooking Kelley Rink. He's wearing the usual pre-practice garb - the Nike dry-fit shirt and BC shorts. For Collins it always seems like he's either going or coming from practice or a game.
"We usually start [practice] two weeks after the season ends," said the senior forward. "The season ends in April and we'll start in late April. We'll start with spring lifts in the morning and a lot of guys stay during the summer to lift and take classes. It's pretty much a year-round thing. We have three weeks off at the most."
One gets the sense it would be anathema for Chris Collins to be away from hockey for more than three weeks. Ever since he was three he has loved hockey and there hasn't been anything else, save for a few years on the lacrosse field at Taft. The New York native didn't even follow baseball until he came to Chestnut Hill; he's now a Red Sox fan.
Hockey is ingrained in the lifestyle of the Collins family. Glenn's father built him a backyard rink, and Glenn did the same for Chris and his brothers. That lifestyle is what got Collins to where he is today.
"Hockey's such a big part of my life and my family's lives that I've always thought, 'Hockey, hockey, hockey, and everything else second," said Collins.
Spring Break
