While this weekend’s slate of Hockey East games contains several key matchups, plenty of attention is already being cast toward Monday, when the 60th edition of the Beanpot will be contested at the TD Garden in downtown Boston. And despite being the new guy on the block in terms of serving as a head coach in the event for the first time, Northeastern head coach Jim Madigan is certainly no stranger to the event, arguably having seen the event from more different angles than any of his coaching counterparts.
Madigan played at Northeastern from 1981 to 1985 and won two Beanpots during that span. He was also behind the bench as an assistant coach for the Huskies’ last win in the tournament in 1988, and has been in the Northeastern administration since 1993. Through the years, Madigan has had a front-row seat in watching the tournament’s evolution.
Jim Madigan won two Beanpot titles as a Northeastern player; This month, Steve Quailer and the Huskies will try to get him his first as a coach.
“One of the biggest changes in the Beanpot has just been the venue itself,” Madigan said. “The old Garden was great, but it was time to get a new building, and the Bruins did a great job with the current Garden. But with the old one, you could really touch everyone inside the venue; it had more of an intimate feeling about it, just because of the way it was built.
“Athletically, in the ’80s, when you had different teams winning, it was great,” Madigan added. “When two teams haven’t had success, it takes away from the flavor of it a little bit – it’s healthier when other teams are winning the tournament. But it’s still that same cachet event that carries significance in the city, from hockey fans to businesses to the schools to the alumni and administration. It’s still very popular, and has a huge appeal in the city, and it’s still difficult to get tickets for.”
Another part of the tournament’s evolution has come with the makeup of the teams. Years ago, when the four Boston-area schools had rosters composed mainly of local players, the casual fan often knew the players for years, having followed their career through youth hockey, then to the high school and prep school ranks, and into college. Similarly, the players grew up playing with and against each other, breeding a level of familiarity and a sense of getting bragging rights over friends and neighbors.
Today, the teams recruit players from far and wide; indeed, among the three Hockey East schools in the tournament, only 20 players call Massachusetts home. Yet, as Madigan points out, a different kind of familiarity exists among players and between the teams and the the passionate fans who fill the Garden.
“Recruiting has spread out nationally, and while the players might not be from the same area anymore, they’re all familiar with each other,” Madigan said. “They play with and against each other at national team programs, national team camps, the USHL… they’ve played against each other enough and still know each other, so they still have that desire to beat their friends at the other schools. They’re representing their school, and that means an awful lot.
“As far as the fans, school pride overrides; our alumni follow Northeastern,” he added. “Because of the internet and websites that do a good job of covering hockey, our alumni follow players who verbally commit to our program earlier and earlier, and they know the kids earlier. Our hardcore fans are watching our future players on video, and calling after having watched players who have verbally committed. They still follow the players, but in a different way — they’re not watching them in high school and prep schools at a tournament at the Garden, but through a different forum and a different venue.”
While the tournament may have its detractors, especially outside of New England, the fact remains that it’s still an integral part of the tradition that makes college hockey what it is.
“I think the appeal is still there, and the reason why is because of the teams themselves,” Madigan said. “Every year, you have some of the top teams in the country playing, and the results go toward playing in the stretch drive. They’re also important when you’re playing toward the national picture, so it has that significance. The players want to win this not only for themselves, but also your part of the city, and also create a memory for the rest of their lives. For the players and the alumni, it still carries that same importance.”
As far as his club is concerned, Madigan first has his team focused on Friday night’s matchup with Massachusetts, trying to continue momentum after last weekend’s sweep at Vermont. Northeastern currently holds a precarious one-point lead over New Hampshire for the eighth and final spot in the playoffs, with eight league games remaining for the Huskies and nine for the Wildcats.
But once the final horn sounds after game with the Minutemen, the attention shifts to Monday night’s matchup with Boston College, without focusing on snapping the school’s Beanpot drought.
“We don’t want our guys to wear the burden of not having won it,” Madigan said. “Last year’s kids played their hearts out; they played for their current team, for their school.
“This time of year, the focus is on the last month of the schedule,” he continued. “Everyone’s playing for playoff contention, whether they’re trying to get into the tournament or to improve their seed. The Beanpot aligns well with the run to the playoffs and playoff hockey. Every game is sudden death in the Beanpot, just as it is for us right now — we have to win to solidify a playoff spot.
“The Beanpot, though, shouldn’t need any additional motivation. If I have to motivate a player on Monday night, then I’ve got the wrong player.”
