Hockey Banter, Week VII: Happy Thanksgiving

Joseph Gravellese: After last week's mixed results -- a 5-1 win at Harvard, followed by a 5-1 loss at Maine -- BC stands at 8-3-2 heading into Thanksgiving. I think we can all agree that's a record to be happy about.

So in honor of Thanksgiving, I'd like to use this week's tl;dr digest to allow us to honor some people, places, things, and events in BC hockey that we've been thankful for over the past year. I'll start by saying, of course, that I'm thankful to have witnessed another historic year in the career of Sir Jerry York.

I'm extremely thankful to have been there in person to see him get win 924 to tie the record, an absolutely electrifying home win against BU last December. It really was a magical day -- there was a great alumni event at Cadigan Hall; we met Brad Bates; there was a great crowd; BC won; Jerry tied the record.

I wish he'd gotten to 925 at home, but that was a great moment.

Grant Salzano: I'm thankful for reinforcements. Last year was disappointing and it felt like we didn't HAVE PEOPLE. The big time recruiting class was just the shot in the arm we needed and BC has the pieces once again to compete for the title.

JG: Indeed. They've really been spectacular to watch all over the ice.

I'm thankful that a "bad year" included a year where BC won their fourth straight Beanpot and went to the NCAA tournament. I'd love for that to continue to be our standard for a "bad year."

GS: I'm thankful for Haley Skarupa. The last time we lost an Olympian from the women's hockey team it was a rough year. But Skarupa has picked up where Alex Carpenter left off, keeping BC in the race for a berth in the national tournament.

JG: I'm thankful to have Brad Bates, an athletic director who cares about hockey (men's AND women's). The teams did just fine under the old regime but the difference in marketing, gameday experience and responsiveness to fans is noticeable. It's also just nice to see the AD engaged with the programs and attending games.

GS: Yes. I am definitely thankful for Brad Bates. He has brought about a culture change at BC.

I'm thankful that BC's video streams now have a DVR feature, because now every time Johnny Gaudreau does something that my eyes do not believe, I can rewind and see that yes, he did indeed just do that thing he did.

JG: On a similar note, I'm thankful for the sports pack on Comcast. Sure, the quality of the broadcasts is sometimes Aggievision levels, but between FCS and the Big Ten Network I've seen four extra BC games this year, plus all of Minnesota's games, and a few other Hockey East teams in action. It's a great time to be a college hockey fan in terms of TV offerings.

I know DirecTV has a lot of those channels available in HD, but something tells me getting a dish up on my apartment building in the North End is probably a non-starter.

GS: Lastly -- I'm just thankful for BC. Now that the Sox have wrapped up their year and the Giants are out of the playoff hunt already (and with the NHL playoffs not until the freaking summer), what better way to get through the doldrums of winter then with weekly doses of Jerry & Co.?

JG: I can't call winter the doldrums. Winter is my favorite time of year, because there's nothing I enjoy more than weekly trips either to Conte or other rinks around New England to support the Eagles.

I'm thankful for my friends and former BC classmates who I travel with to hockey games -- and thankful to the BCI community for the fun hockey discussions we have here each week.

GS: Oh winter is definitely the best time of year -- Thank You, BC Hockey.

We'll keep it short this week. What are you thankful for? Feel free to drop a comment, and have a very happy and safe Thankgiving, everyone!