Column: Special Night At Kelley Rink

I was all set to write about the men's basketball team's upset of No. 5 Duke last night in Conte Forum, but it was not meant to be. There will be a time and place for that column, because I do believe the Eagles will be shocking opponents often next season. They have turned heads this season with their exciting play, but Boston College was just not ready to keep up with the Blue Devils for a full 40 minutes last night.

Instead, I want to write about a more important, historic event that occurred in the same building this weekend. Friday night, of course, was head coach Jerry York's 900th win. The milestone win put York in an incredible class of just two coaches who have hit the 900-mark. I think Tommy Cross said it best, when asked about getting the win for his coach.

"That's a lot of wins," the captain candidly said with a grin.

That is a lot of wins. That's nearly 40 years of coaching, 40 years of getting the best out of his players, on and off the ice.

It was a special night to be at Kelley Rink, to see the Eagles get another W, to hear the chants of "Jerry! Jerry!" as the final minutes drained off the clock. Following the game, BC had set up a small ceremony for York on the ice, but he wanted no part of it. And for people who know his personality, that was really no surprise. But it wasn't for any negative reason. It was because York prefers not to bask in the spotlight, even if he truly deserves it, like he did on Friday night. He thanked the crowd for their applause and support, even though what he wanted was to get off the ice as quickly as possible.

That humility continued at the press conference following the game, when York knew that all the reporters in the room just wanted to know his thoughts on No. 900.

"I'll address it real early, and then we'll leave it behind," York said with a smile, before talking momentarily about the historic win.

Just a minute later, York moved on to talking about the game and how his team played, because to the humble coach, that is what truly mattered. He'd rather talk about how hard his team worked and what they did well, while also noting the strong play of the opponent, a staple of his postgame press conferences. It was all talk about how important the two points were for the Hockey East standings with the regular season winding down.

Later on in the press conference, a reporter got York to take a few seconds to again think about No. 900 and some special wins along the way. But again, within the minute, he was back on the subject of his players, and talking about the most notable players he's had the privilege of coaching at each school.

If only those players had the chance to voice their support for their former coach. I can only imagine the great things they would have to say about York. Maybe that chance will arise next year (let's hope) when York breaks the record, which stands at 924.

When deciding on the picture to use for the front cover of today's sports section, we decided that the photo we used was most fitting. There was another one with York by himself and the "In Jerry We Trust" banner waving in the background, a great artistic shot. But that photo would not be representative of York's coaching style. Instead, we chose the picture with York behind his players, an appropriate illustration of where he likes to be. He's behind his players on the bench, but he's behind them outside Kelley Rink as well. It's easy to see that he really cares about each of his players, past and present, which translates into the team's success year in and year out.

So congratulations, Coach York, on No. 900 and 901 this weekend. Here's to chasing 925, and more importantly, the trophies that may come on the way.