Former Boston College men’s hockey head coach Jerry York was named the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation’s 2023 Legend of College Hockey honoree on Thursday.
The annual award honors a player, coach, or administrator who has made outstanding and historic contributions to college hockey. It’s presented alongside the Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the most outstanding NCAA men’s hockey player each year.
York will be honored at the Hobey Baker Award Banquet and golf outing in St. Paul, Minn. on Aug. 2.
The Watertown, Mass. native is the third BC head coach to receive the award and is the 43rd recipient of the award all time. John “Snooks” Kelley received the honor in 1981 as the first-ever honoree, and Len Celgarski was honored in 1996. York played under Kelley from 1963–67 as a member of the Eagles.
York himself has coached four Hobey Baker Award winners—George McPhee, Brian Holzinger, Mike Mottau, and Johnny Gaudreau—who won the award in 1980, 1995, 2000, and 2014, respectively.
Prior to his 28-year coaching career in Chestnut Hill, York coached Bowling Green for 15 years and Clarkson for seven years. York retired from coaching at the conclusion of the 2021–22 season.
York is the only Division I head coach to win over 1,000 games, making him the winningest coach in college hockey history. He holds a 1,123–682–128 career record, and in his 28 years at BC, York led the Eagles to 11 Hockey East regular season titles, nine Hockey East Tournament titles, nine Beanpot titles, 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, 12 Frozen Four appearances, and four national titles, which came in 2001, 2008, 2010, and 2012. He also won a national title with Bowling Green in 1984.
On Nov. 18, 2019, York was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, making him the fifth NCAA coach to be inducted. On Dec. 9, 2021, he was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
