BBS Awards: Jack Eichel wins Agganis-Flutie Award for College Athlete of the Year

The Boston Blood Sox Awards (or Bloodies) are awarded for great success and/or pitiful failure in the 2014-15 sports year.

In years past, this was known the Doug Flutie Award. I think with BU freshman hockey player Jack Eichel winning it, it's a perfect time to add Harry Agganis' name to this honor. Agganis was an All-American quarterback at BU, and also played baseball and basketball. He was drafted by the Browns in 1952, but decided to play baseball for the Red Sox instead. He died tragically in 1955 at the age of 26.

BU's hockey arena is named after Harry Agganis, and that's where Jack Eichel dominated Hockey East opponents in the 2014-15 season. In 40 games he scored 26 goals and added 41 assists. He won the Hobey Baker (college hockey's Heisman), becoming only the second freshman to do so. He was also drafted 2nd overall in in the NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.

Not a bad freshman year. My freshman year was all about D.P. Dough calzones and playing Madden.

BC Splits Weekend Series With BU

BC coach Jerry York could have tied and broken the all-time wins record for college hockey coaches this weekend. It would have required beating BU twice, and beating BU coach Jack Parker, who is #3 on the all-time wins list. That's a tall order.

BC lost 4-2 on BU's ice Friday night in a chippy, physical game. Saturday night at BC, the Eagles won 5-2 and made sure their coach was able to at least celebrate tying Ron Mason's win record on home ice.

Boston College won thanks to their Power Play. They scored 4 times with a man advantage, and amassed a 4-1 lead after 2 periods. Their 5th goal was the only goal of the game by either team to be scored even-strengthed.

BC's leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau didn't have a point in the 5-2 win. His teammates had to step up on offense and they did. Bill Arnold scored twice. Kevin Whitney had 3 assists. Defensemen Michael Matheson and Teddy Doherty each scored Power Play goals.

Johnny Gaudreau has been driving BC's success this season. But they need offense from other sources to step up when he and his line cool off.

Jerry York will likely break the wins record on the road. The Eagles are in Providence Friday night, then play a tournament in Minnesota.

And despite being 9-2-0 in Hockey East, BC is only 1 point ahead of UNH. And UNH has a game in hand. Those teams meet on January 11th.

Photo:
Rich Gagnon

BU to Join Patriot League

Boston University will leave the America East Conference and join the Patriot League, effective on July 1, 2013. The men's and women's hockey teams will remain in the hockey-only Hockey East Conference.

BU has done well in America East recently. In the last 7 years, they've won 40 conference titles in 14 sports. Most notably, they won the America East basketball tournament in 2011.

The Patriot League is slightly more competitive than America East. It's also less New York/New England centric. BU will join Holy Cross as the only other New England member. Colgate and Army are in New York. Lehigh, Lafayette, and Bucknell are in Pennsylvania. American University is in Washington, DC. And the Naval Academy is in Maryland.

Fordham and Georgetown are football-only members of the Patriot League. Army and Navy are independents in Division I-A. American does not have a football team.

So maybe, just maybe, BU might consider playing football again. I know that's doubtful, and pure speculation on my part. But it'd be nice.

Anyway, BU is now in a broader-based conference. They'll be playing across the northeast. They're in a better basketball conference. Seems like a solid move.