Spring 2012 Friends of Men's Hockey Newsletter

FACING OFF May 2012 Friends of Dartmouth Men’s Hockey Dartmouth College • 6083 Alumni Gym Chalk Talk With Coach Gaudet One of the recurring themes that I have leaned on throughout my career comes from coaching legend Eddie Jeremiah ’30. The iconic Dartmouth coach’s famous “Look up and keep fighting” quote was an appropriate one for our team this season as we needed to rely on the fight and perseverance of our entire roster to help our team battle through an injury-plagued season and ultimately play our best hockey down the stretch. We won our first-ever road playoff series by sweeping a highlyskilled St Lawrence team 2-0 in Canton, N.Y. before heading to Ithaca for an epic battle with archrival Cornell. The first game of the series, a double-overtime classic, was one of the finest college hockey games that I have ever been a part of. Although we ultimately lost the series, I believe the seeds of our future success were planted by the fierce manner in which our team competed each and every shift.

The future of our program is very bright as we return a talented group of players, including the highest-scoring freshman class in ECAC Hockey.

We also return an excellent group of upperclassmen: Dustin Walsh ’13 has had a great spring and looks to be back at full strength next season; likewise, Matt Lindblad ’14 returns as one of the top players in the league; Eric Robinson ’14 had a breakout year as a sophomore and looks to build on that momentum for the upcoming season; Cab Morris ’14 gained valuable experience and confidence in goal and senior captain Mike Keenan ’13 is looking forward to being back at full strength after a series of nagging injuries impacted him throughout 2011-12. Our entire group of returning players has had an outstanding spring of off-ice training and skill development under the guidance of our fine strength and conditioning coach, Bob Miller.

I want to thank our graduating seniors: Paul Lee, Troy Mattila, James Mello, Dan Nycholat, Jody O’Neill, Kyle Schussler, Nick Walsh, Jim Gaudet, Connor Goggin and Doug Jones for all that they have given to Dartmouth Hockey throughout their careers. They have been together through thick and thin for each other and for our team. It’s amazing how time flies…during their freshman year, they travelled to Sweden and Denmark with the team for an extraordinary hockey experience – talk about the ultimate road trip! Another highpoint for all of us that season was the overtime win against Cornell in front of 5,000 fans during Winter Carnival weekend. Junior year provided more highlights including back-to-back wins over Harvard and then the opportunity to beat them again, for a third and fourth time in the playoffs on a sheet of Thompson ice that was quickly melting beneath their skates due to a

ruptured pipe. For more fun, they led us to a RiverStone Cup win over UNH, scoring the game-winning goal with one minute to go in front of more than 8,000 fans in Manchester. The season culminated with a trip to the first-ever ECAC Final Four at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Once again, this year the group’s resilience has shown with memorable comeback wins over Quinnipiac and Colgate and with the entire class of ten players providing leadership and inspiration down the stretch and into the playoffs. From setbacks and injuries to the glow of games well played and huge team victories; from the many laughs in the locker room to heart-to-heart talks on campus - it is and has been an honor to work with this group and to proudly watch them grow into the men that they have become.

We welcome another group of talented freshmen into the “Dartmouth Hockey Family” as members of the class of 2016. I want to thank associate head coach, Dave Peters, and assistant John Rose for their tireless efforts in attracting another outstanding class of student-hockey players. I look forward to the special contributions each will make next season and throughout their careers.

In closing, I would be remiss to not mention the wonderful Eddie Jeremiah Era Celebration this winter when many of Jerry’s former players returned “home” to Hanover to celebrate their legacy and legendary coach. With the tradition of Dartmouth hockey spanning over 100 years, I believe it is extremely important for us to be reminded that we represent something much bigger than we are. It was an honor for us to have so many of our greats back on campus to attend the celebration in February (including our own Friends of Men’s Hockey Executive Board members, Seaver Peters ’54 and Mike Choukas ’51). Having a pregame talk from legendary Jack Riley ’44 before the Brown game was a highlight for our players and staff. Taking part in the various festivities over the course of the weekend, you would be hard pressed to not feel the tangible bond that these men have to their College and our hockey program.

On behalf of the entire Dartmouth men’s hockey program please know how much we sincerely appreciate your support. I join our players and staff in wishing you and yours a most enjoyable and relaxing off-season.

We hope to see you this fall at our annual golf outing at the Hanover Country Club on Friday, September 7.

Go Green!

Bob Gaudet ’81 Head Men’s Hockey Coach

Facing Off • May 2012

2011-12 Men’s Hockey Recap What began on Oct. 28 in Thompson Arena, ended March 10 in Lynah Rink with everything in between making up the 2011-12 Dartmouth men’s hockey season.

Sophomore Eric Robinson (Foxboro, Mass.) finished the season with a team-leading 12 goals, four times as many as he had in his first season in Hanover.

A Game 2 loss in the quarterfinals of the ECAC Hockey Championships to No. 13 Cornell concluded a season of ups and downs for the Big Green.

Senior Doug Jones (Marietta, Ga.) and freshman Tyler Sikura (Aurora, Ontario) each had 11 goals and 14 assists to tie for the lead in scoring with 25 points.

And despite being one of those players to miss time throughout the season with injury, sophomore Matt Lindblad (Winnetka, Ill.) had a Dartmouth-best 18 assists in just 26 games.

Just the night before, the two teams battled until nearly the 100th minute of play before a goal from the Big Red’s Sean Whitney 17:40 into the second overtime ended the second-longest game in program history.

Senior Jody O’Neill (Nepean, Ontario) stopped 45 shots that night, the most by a Dartmouth goaltender in a postseason game in nine seasons.

However, the 2011-12 campaign should not be measured or gauged by the final outcome in the postseason or the team’s place in the standings, rather it should be seen as one of the Big Green’s most resilient efforts in recent memory.

Injuries cost the team 67 man-games lost to several players. Despite the challenges of an ever-changing lineup, Dartmouth managed to finish the season with 13 wins and a berth into the second round of play in the league’s postseason tournament.

Against eighth-seeded St. Lawrence in the first round, the Big Green did what no other team in program history was able to do: it went on the road and won a playoff series, taking down the Saints in a two-game sweep, 6-3 and 4-1. St. Lawrence had never been swept at home in the playoffs and had not been on the losing end of a home playoff series in nearly two decades before the Big Green came into Appleton and put on an offensive display to come out victorious.

The road taken to that point included an 11-14-4 overall record and a mark of 8-11-3 against ECAC Hockey foes in the regular season.

Sikura’s 25 points his freshman season rank tied for 11th at Dartmouth for a first-year player.

Even though there will be considerable turnover this offseason as 10 seniors are gone to graduation, the future is incredibly bright for the Big Green.

Dartmouth’s freshman class had a conference-best 25 goals at the end of the regular season, a figure that grew in early March as a rookie scored once in all four of the team’s playoff games.

The coaching staff has also expressed a great deal of excitement over the talent of the incoming group of players who should continue to help the program develop in the coming seasons.

In the days that followed the conclusion of the 106th season of hockey at Dartmouth, several of the players began their professional careers. O’Neill signed with the Stockton Thunder (ECHL) where he saw classmate Dan Nycholat (Calgary, Alberta) as an opponent with the Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL) within a week. Connor Goggin (Glen Ellyn. Ill.) signed on to play with the Rockford IceHogs (AHL) following a senior season that saw the defenseman earn AllIvy Second Team honors.

Nick Walsh (Shannonville, Ontario) became the fifth member to sign after the season, doing so with the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL).

And, as always, there is just six months until they get to do it all over again in 201213.

(Pat Salvas)

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Facing Off • May 2012

Reunion of Jerry’s Teams The weekend in January was built with great memories and stories that never grow old; a gathering of about 45 players from teams coached by Eddie Jeremiah, Dartmouth’s hall of fame hockey coach from 1937 until his death in 1967.

They watched Dartmouth play Brown and Yale on the Thompson Arena ice on January 27-28 but mostly they returned to Hanover to remember their coach whose credo, “Look up and keep fighting,” set the tone for 26 seasons as Dartmouth won over 300 games, 10 Ivy League titles that were won during four decades, and finished second in the first two NCAA hockey tournaments in 1948 and 1949.

The three-day reunion included players who competed with Olympic and U.S. National teams as well as earning All-America and All-Ivy honors.

Leading the Big Green legends during the weekend was Jack Riley, one of the three brothers (with Bill ’46 and Joe ’49) who, with Jeremiah, are among nine from this great era of Dartmouth hockey who are enshrined in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

Jack Riley, who went on to coach the United States skaters to a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics and had a long career as the hockey coach at West Point, was one of three former players who shared stories at a reunion brunch on January 29. Riley was joined by John Titus ’54 and Warren Cook ’67, the captain of Jerry’s last team.

Jeremiah, who succumbed to cancer in June 1967 (three months after coaching his last game on the old Davis US Hockey Hall of Famer and former Dartmouth great Jack Riley talks about his time Rink ice), was an All-America playing for Coach Jeremiah at Sunday’s brunch in front of a photo of the Riley brothers. Perhaps the most poignant on Dartmouth’s 1930 hockey words during the weekend (from left to right) Joe ’49, Jack ’44 and Bill ’46 team. He won seven letters in came from the last “speaker” hockey, football and baseball at Dartmouth and then was a professional at the Sunday brunch. Shortly before his last game at Davis Rink, player (including a year in the National Hockey League) and coach Jeremiah was interviewed by David Sicher ’67 of WDCR. Highlights of before returning to Dartmouth as hockey coach in 1937. that interview, accompanied by photos from the Jeremiah years, left the gathering with thoughts of “days gone by” and memories that will His first team posted an 18-4 record and won the Quadrangular League never be replaced. (forerunner to the Ivy League) title. Jerry’s 1941-42 team, featuring the “Bomber Line” of sophomores Jack Riley ’44, Dick Rondeau ’44 and Bill “Jerry was an old style coach,” said Cook.“He was as interested in the Harrison ’44, posted a 21-2 record and was recognized as the national kid as he was about winning and losing.” champion (before the NCAA tournament began). That team launched an undefeated streak (45-0-1) that continued for four seasons.

(Jack DeGange)

The Eddie Jeremiah Celebration saw one of the largest crowds ever at Thompson Arena as 4,469 were in attendance to honor the Dartmouth coaching legend and the players that played for him.

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Facing Off • May 2012

Talented Group of Newcomers Set to Join Big Green for 2012-13 Thanks to the recruiting work of associate head coach Dave Peters and assistant coach John Rose, Dartmouth will welcome in another outstanding group of freshmen this fall. In all, 10 players will don the Big Green uniform for the first time next season, including two goaltenders, two defensemen and six forwards.They come to Hanover from five different states and two Canadian provinces and will add depth, size and skill to a team that has advanced in the ECAC Hockey Tournament each of the last two seasons.

Nick Bligh Hometown: Milton, Mass.

Forward • South Shore (EJHL) 6-0 • 180 The coaches think Bligh is a big-time offensive player. He was one of the top players in New England prep school hockey last season at Dexter, has outstanding hockey sense and is extremely competitive.

Bligh had an outstanding season in the EJHL and was named Rookie of the Year for his efforts. He led the league in assists and was second overall in points.

Brett Patterson Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minn.

Forward • Sioux City (USHL) 6-0 • 185 Patterson played two years in the USHL. He is an excellent offensive player and very reliable in the defensive zone. Last season, despite battling through various injuries that limited his games played, he averaged close to a point a game.

Ryan Bullock Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minn.

Defense • Muskegon (USHL) 6-0 • 180 Bullock is a very talented defenseman. He is skilled, skates very well and competes at a high level. That skill set made him one of the top defensemen in Minnesota high school hockey at The Blake School as well as in junior hockey.

James Kruger Hometown: Minnetonka, Minn.

Goalie • Langley (BCJHL) 6-3 • 200 Kruger proved to be one of the top goalies in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League. He is very athletic, plays his angles very well and was outstanding for a young Langley team this year. He won 25 games in the North American Junior Hockey league two seasons ago after finishing his outstanding high school career.

Tim O’Brien Hometown: Winnetka, Ill. Forward • Sioux City (USHL) 5-10 • 180 O’Brien played two seasons in the USHL. He is one of the fastest players in the league and plays with an edge. With his speed and style of play, O’Brien is capable of playing in every situation.

Connor Dempsey Hometown: Winthrop, Mass.

Forward • Westside (BCJHL) 5-9 • 175 Dempsey had an excellent year for Rivers and took his talents to the BCJHL. He has excellent speed and hockey sense and is a versatile forward that can play in all situations. Connor was his team’s leading scorer and most reliable player in key situations.

Geoff Ferguson Hometown: Hanwell, New Brunswick Defense • Sioux City (USHL) 6-2 • 200 Ferguson is an excellent defender who plays a physical game and sacrifices his body to block shots. He sees the ice very well and is one of the most intelligent players in junior hockey. He spent five years at the nationally-prominent Shattuck St Mary’s School in Minnesota and played two seasons of junior hockey.

Charles Grant Hometown: Berwick, Nova Scotia Goalie • Yarmouth (MJHL) 6-2 • 190 Grant is one of the top goalies in the Maritime Junior Hockey League.

He has excellent quickness for a bigger goalie and had an outstanding junior career, including leading his team into the league finals with a shutout win in Game 7 of the semifinals.

Jack Barre Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.

Forward • New Jersey (EJHL) 6-2 • 190 Barre had an excellent season for Salisbury last year. He is a big, skilled player with outstanding hockey sense. He has great offensive instincts and makes his teammates better. An outstanding season in the EJHL, Jack was one of the league’s top players down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Brad Schierhorn Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska Forward • Tri City (USHL) 6- 3 • 200 Schierhorn is an excellent offensive player and very reliable in the defensive zone. He is a smart player who can play both center and wing. This season, he played the point on the power play and has the ability to step in and fill roles in all situations on the ice.

Eddie Jeremiah Golf Classic Set for September 7 The annual Eddie Jeremiah Hockey Golf Classic will return to Hanover Country Club this fall. The date of the popular event is Friday, September 7, 2012.

The golf outing provides a great opportunity to support Dartmouth hockey and stay connected with the Big Green as Coach Gaudet and a number of current players will be on hand to chat about the upcoming season.

The shotgun start is at 1:00 p.m. and will be followed by a cookout and an awards presentation. The Eddie Jeremiah Hockey

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Golf Classic has become a very popular and well-attended event so please mark your calendars and reserve your foursome early. Don’t miss this opportunity to support Big Green men’s hockey and enjoy a fun-filled day of golf and camaraderie at Hanover Country Club.

Information and a sign-up form will be mailed out later this summer. For more information or if you or your company have an interest in any of our sponsorship opportunities or prize donations, please contact Bob Gaudet at 603-646-2469.

Facing Off • May 2012

Men’s Hockey Hits Milestones, Alumni Score NHL Success This academic year brought a season of milestones for Dartmouth men’s hockey. Head Coach Bob Gaudet ’81 earned his 300th win on October 28, and the program—founded in 1905-06—earned its 1,000th win on December 30.

part of their development.

“Before college I had never done much Olympic lifting,” says Jones, a right wing for the Avalanche. “He definitely had a big impact on increasing my size and overall strength.”

The Big Green also currently has more alumni NHL players than any other ECAC Hockey team, and all seven have scored goals this season. Leading the Big Green charge are Lee Stempniak ’05, Ben Lovejoy ’06, Tanner Glass ’07, Nick Johnson ’08, David Jones ’08, J.T. Wyman ’08, and T.J. Galiardi ’10. Johnson also participated in the NHL All-Star weekend in late January.

Three current Big Green players were also drafted by NHL teams prior to matriculating at Dartmouth—Troy Mattila ’12, Mark Goggin ’13, and Dustin Walsh ’13. Overall, 14 Dartmouth players have made it to the NHL, including former Boston Bruin Eddie Jeremiah ’30, who went on to become Dartmouth’s all-time winningest hockey coach.

“I think it’s great that our players can get a world-class Dartmouth education, play a top Division I schedule, and go on to the pros,” says Gaudet, who has sent nine players to the NHL during his 15 seasons as head coach. “There’s a commonality in terms of work ethic among these guys. They worked hard at their games before and after practice, and they worked hard academically.”

Stempniak, who plays for the Calgary Flames, credits Gaudet with preparing him for the NHL. “He used practices as a time for individual skill development, which made me a better Once teammates,Tanner Glass ’07 (left) and Ben Lovejoy ’07 (right) now battle for a offensive player,” says Stempniak, an economics major. “Most puck in the NHL several times a year alongside several other former Dartmouth players. coaches only practice systems and the team game, but once a week we had a practice devoted entirely to skill development.”

Adds Tanner Glass ’07, a history major who plays for the Winnipeg “Dartmouth had a great combination of academics and hockey,” Jets, “Bob Miller was instrumental in my success at Dartmouth as well says the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Ben Lovejoy ’06, who transferred from as through today. He was adept at tailoring each athlete’s program to Boston College after his freshman year. best suit the individual and was a great teacher in the weight room.”

While Dartmouth had no NHL players at that time, Lovejoy says Stempniak inspired everyone when he signed with the St. Louis Blues in 2005. “I think a lot of us hoped that we would be able to make it, too,” recalls the history major, whose brother Nick Lovejoy ’14 is a Big Green defenseman.

In addition to Gaudet and the coaching staff, Dartmouth’s NHL players cite Bob Miller, the Holekamp Family Former captain Lee Stempniak ’05 now suits Strength and Conditioning up for the Calgary Flames.

Coach, as an important

But for all the players, it always comes back to Gaudet and the hockey and life lessons he imparts.

“Coach G demands accountability and a good attitude,” says Johnson, a psychology major whose mother Ann VanCuran Johnson ’77 was a Dartmouth alpine skier and father Kevin Johnson ’77 was the hockey team’s leading scorer in 1977. “I had a bad habit of getting frustrated if things weren’t going my way, but he taught me to always stay with it every shift even if things don’t seem to be going right.”

“Coach G was great at instilling in us [the need] to have an extreme passion when we played, and to bring a consistent effort every night,” adds the Tampa Bay Lightning’s J.T. Wyman ’08, an economics major.

“I’m in my fourth year of professional hockey and consistency is one of the hardest skill sets to master. And it’s the players who are the most consistent who end up playing at the highest level.” (Bonnie Barber) EDITOR’S NOTE: This was written for Dartmouth Now and posted to its website on March 7.

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Facing Off • May 2012

2011-12 Team Awards Announced in April In a gathering on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 4, the 2011-12 Dartmouth men’s hockey team came together one final time to hand out its annual team awards.

All but one award is voted on and chosen by the 27 members of the Big Green and the three coaches.

Senior Doug Jones (Marietta, Ga.) was named the recipient of the Phelan Award, given to the team’s most valuable player. Jones finished the season with 25 points on 11 goals and 14 assists, becoming the 36th player in program history to reach the century mark in points, eventually finishing with 107 to sit 23rd in the all-time record books. His 14 assists this season helped him wrap up his career with 78 to rank eighth in Dartmouth history.

The Phelan Award is presented to the individual who, by demonstrating outstanding skill at his position, continued aggressiveness and team spirit, deserves to be named the “Most Valuable Player of the Year”. The award is given in honor of ardent Dartmouth hockey supporter Martha C. Phelan, wife of John Phelan ‘28 and mother of John Phelan, Jr. ‘63, captain of the 1962-63 team.

Jones shares the Friends of Dartmouth Hockey Award as the team’s leading scorer with freshman Tyler Sikura (Aurora, Ontario) as both had 25 points in 2011-12. In his first season, Sikura matched Jones with 11 goals and 14 assists, while leading the team with three game-winning tallies.

For his play in his first season in the Upper Valley, Sikura was also recognized as the winner of the Booma Award as the team’s Rookie of the Year. Sikura was one of just five players to suit up in all 33 games this season for the Big Green and the only freshman to do so. The award is presented to the player who, through determination, desire, dedication and ability earns the title “Rookie of the Year” and is named in honor of Ronald C. Booma ‘30.

Jones 6

Sikura

Senior Kyle Schussler (Winnipeg, Manitoba) was presented with two awards as voted by his teammates. Schussler was named the recipient of both the Smoyer and McInnis Awards as the team’s unsung hero and sportsman of the year.

Schussler played in six games this season and nine in his career, but proved to be one of the most beloved teammates during his four seasons in Hanover. When he finally cracked the lineup the final three weeks of the year, including the postseason, Schussler was a high-energy player that gave his team a noticeable spark. His first career goal came midway through the first game against Cornell in the teams’ ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal match-up, energizing the entire team the rest of the night.

The Smoyer Award is presented to the player who has made the most unusual contribution to the team during the season; a contribution that is measured more by intangible factors rather than statistics. It is named in honor of Bill Smoyer ‘67. A former captain of the 1966-67 team and an outstanding soccer player at Dartmouth, Smoyer was killed in action in Vietnam. The McInnis Award is presented to the player who best reflects spirit, camaraderie, loyalty, and dedication to the program and the College. It is named for Philip McInnis ’36, a man who reflected those same characteristics throughout his lifetime, including his time as the President of the Friends of Men’s Hockey from 1979-84.

The John Manser Award for Most Improved Player was presented to sophomore forward Eric Robinson (Foxboro, Mass.). In his second season in a Big Green sweater, Robinson made considerable strides offensively.

He led the team in goals with 12, while adding 12 assists to rank second on the team in scoring with 24 points, one back of Jones and Sikura.

His 12 goals quadrupled his output as a freshman in 2010-11 when he finished with three goals and 11 points.

The award is named for George “Johnny” Manser ‘26, a captain of the 1925-26 team and the first President of Friends of Men’s Hockey.

Robinson

Schussler

Facing Off • May 2012

My Childhood Memories of Thompson Arena

By Adrian Dater If I’m going to do some lovely reminiscing here about some of my childhood watching Dartmouth hockey, the venue itself brings as much a smile as anything beloved Big Green heroes Tom Fleming or Ross Brownridge ever did.

The ’76-77 team under Crowe slipped back to .500, but newcomer Brownridge was a thrill to watch. Even though I lived in Hanover and my stepfather went to Dartmouth, he and my mom decided to move in the fall of ‘78 to Enfield, N.H. It was like moving to the moon, for as far away to Hanover and Thompson Arena as it seemed.

Believe me when I tell you that Rupert C. Thompson Arena was something out of the Jetsons to a 10-year-old Hanover kid like me and many others. It may seem ridiculous to those who still trek to Thompson for Big Green hockey games, but in 1975, when the work of renowned Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi was complete, nobody could believe it when we walked in. All that big concrete, all those windows, that great scoreboard over center ice - and for many years, when it housed the basketball teams - the hardwood.

Going to the games pretty much stopped there, and I’d never been back....until a couple years ago, one wonderful night near Thanksgiving while visiting the area for a friend’s wedding.

There is new car smell and there is new arena smell, and that brand new smell of Thompson Arena was something I still haven’t forgotten.

Dartmouth hockey in the mid-1970s, in the brand new arena, formed some of my most cherished memories. For one thing, it cost only one dollar to get a general admission ticket and guess what?

You could sit anywhere you wanted! Get there early, and get yourself a front-row seat right on the glass. I did it all the time.

The 1975-77 seasons were my prime Dartmouth hockey viewing years, and I always had the same seats it seemed - front row, off to the side of one net. It was a tremendous view and, man, did I pound that glass a lot screaming for the Big Green. I mean, constant screaming and trash-talking and glass-pounding from a 10-year-old know-it-all kid with fire-engine red hair. I’m sure I drove more than a few people around me crazy.

The ’75-76 team was led by Fleming, who for his time was kind of the Ivy League Bo Jackson. He played football as well, and if memory serves some baseball too. He was definitely my favorite player, because he was not only skilled, but really, really tough. Guys would just beat on him, but he’d just keep plowing ahead, scoring goals and inspiring the team.

That ’75-76 team went 16-11-0 under new coach George Crowe, a genuinely good team after many years of poor-to-mediocre squads that all played at Davis Rink. The new building seemed to bring out a new feeling of enthusiasm to the team. After years of playing in, frankly, a poorly-lit, grimy eyesore, suddenly the Dartmouth hockey and basketball teams had this state-of-the-art Shangri-La for a home building.

On the way back from the Lebanon area to Concord, I drove through Hanover and saw people walking toward Thompson. So I pulled over the car and parked (illegally I believe) at the Dartmouth Co-op, and walked over to see what was going on. A hockey game! I just had to get in now. So I bought a ticket and, swear on a stack of bibles, the faint smell of those ’70s days in the building was still there.

Wow, did that ever weird me out. Suddenly, I was 10 again. I loved that some of the old fonts for letters on the ticket windows and other areas were still intact.

I mostly just walked around during the game for a period or so, just staring at pictures on the wall. There was the one of Rupert C. just like I’d always remembered it, and the concession stands - those awesome concession stands to a 10-year-old - were in the same spots.

There was also the shock of seeing a life size picture of David Jones right there on a wall, a guy whom I’d seen plenty of the previous couple years in my job as beat writer of the Colorado Avalanche for the Denver Post.

First thing I did when I got back to Denver and got into the Avs locker room was tell Jones I’d been back for a Dartmouth game. His eyes lit up too, and I told him all about it. He missed the building too, and everything about school - especially late-night runs to Everything But Anchovies.

Walking out into the freezing cold with thousands of others after a thrilling Dartmouth win encapsulate my very best memories of those days. My mom would always be there, with a warming car waiting to drive us back home to a former apartment complex on Lyme Road called Rivercrest.

“How’d they do?” mom would ask. I’d talk about it all the way home.

NOTE: Adrian Dater, a former resident of Hanover, is a sports writer with the Denver Post and SI.com, primarily covering hockey.

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Facing Off • May 2012

Former Big Green Assistant Honored for Dedication to Amateur Hockey

2012-13 SCHEDULE (Tentative) OCTOBER 20 Sat. MCGILL (Exhibition) 21 Sun. NORWICH (Scrimmage) 26 Fri. Ivy Shootout (at Brown) 27 Sat. Ivy Shootout (at Brown)

NOVEMBER 2 Fri. YALE*^ 3 Sat. BROWN*^ 9 Fri. RENSSELAER* 10 Sat. UNION* 16 Fri. at Colgate* 17 Sat. at Cornell*^ 24 Sat. at Boston College

4:00 PM 4:00 PM TBA TBA 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM

DECEMBER 1 Sat. BENTLEY 7:00 PM 5 Wed. VERMONT 7:00 PM

LEDYARD BANK CLASSIC 30 Sun. UMass vs. Bemidji % 4:00 PM

DARTMOUTH vs. UNH% 7:00 PM 31 Mon. Consolation/Championship% 4/7 PM

JANUARY 4 Fri. at Quinnipiac* 7:00 PM 5 Sat. at Princeton*^ 4:00 PM 12 Sat. HARVARD*^ 7:30 PM 18 Fri. at Brown*^ 7:00 PM 19 Sat. at Yale*^ 7:00 PM 25 Fri. ST. LAWRENCE* 7:00 PM 26 Sat. CLARKSON* 7:00 PM FEBRUARY 1 Fri. 2 Sat. 9 Sat. 15 Fri. 16 Sat. 22 Fri. 23 Sat.

at Union* at Rensselaer* at Harvard*^ CORNELL*^ COLGATE* at Clarkson* at St. Lawrence*

MARCH 1 Fri. 2 Sat. 8-10 Fri.-Sun. 15-17 Fri.-Sun. 22 Fri. 23 Sat.

PRINCETON*^ 7:00 PM QUINNIPIAC* 7:00 PM ECAC First Round (Campus Sites) TBA ECAC Quarters (Campus Sites) TBA ECAC Semis TBA ECAC Finals TBA

7:00 PM 7:00 PM TBA 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM

The Officers and Governors of the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) have announced their major award winners for 2012. All honorees were presented their awards at the 2012 AHCA Convention in Naples, Fla., in late April.

Former Dartmouth assistant Phil Grady was one of those honorees, as he was named the recipient of the John MacInnes Award.

THE JOHN MACINNES AWARD: Established by the AHCA in 1982 to honor former Michigan Tech coach, John MacInnes, this award recognizes those people who have shown a great concern for amateur hockey and youth programs. The recipients have had high winning percentages, as well as outstanding graduating percentages among their former players. The winners of this award have helped young men grow not only as hockey players, but more importantly, as men.

2012 Recipient: Phil Grady, Hamilton College Grady’s Career Highlights: • 304-260-34 career record at 24 years (1984-2008) as Head Coach at Hamilton (.537%) • 16 winning seasons, 18 seasons in the playoffs, 1998 ECAC East Champions • Recruited and coached four of Hamilton’s six All-Americans, including NHL All-Star and US Olympic Goaltender Guy Hebert ’89 • 100% graduation rate of his players at Hamilton Prior to coming to Hamilton, Grady served three years (1980-1983) as an assistant to George Crowe at Dartmouth College, including two seasons working with current Big Green head coach Bob Gaudet ’81.

“I was thrilled to see Phil at the AHCA banquet in Naples and honored to be in attendance as he received his well-earned recognition with the MacInnes Award,” Gaudet said. “Phil is a wonderful person and coach and I greatly respect and admire him.”

* - ECAC Hockey Game ^ - Ivy League Game % - Ledyard Nation Bank Classic HOME GAMES IN BOLD Phil Grady (left) recieves the 2012 John MacInnes Award from the 2012 American Hockey Coaches Association in April.

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