How BU's Jack Parker made the Hockey Hall of Fame: A yearlong pursuit by an old friend results in much-deserved nod

Boston Globe

2 days ago

But it turned out Hockey Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald was calling to deliver some good, and to Parker at least, unexpected news: He had 30 minutes to tell his friends to tune in to NHL Network, where
'I had no inclination,' said Parker. 'I was flabbergasted.'
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The news may have come as a shock to Parker, who amassed 897 wins and three national championships in 40 seasons behind the bench at BU before retiring in 2013. But for
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Jack Parker amassed 897 wins and three national championships in 40 seasons behind the bench at BU before retiring in 2013.
Matthew J. Lee
Corbett, whose friendship with Parker dates to his time as the hockey team's student manager before graduating from BU in 1983, had become increasingly perplexed in recent years when Parker was not included among the honorees.
Yet five years later, York was still the lone college-only coach in the Hall, prompting Corbett to take action.
Corbett drew inspiration from Dick Bresciani, the late Red Sox publicist who compiled a compelling statistical case for Jim Rice that
'That's a story I always had in my own very disturbed mind,' said Corbett, who also serves as host of the 'Games People Play' podcast with producer Andrew Bernstein. 'People said that Bresciani championed the cause of Jim Rice to the Hall of Fame. He made the case, put it together, researched it, and that resonated with me.'
Corbett decided to find out what the committee looks for in determining whether someone is worthy of admission. One prominent member of the committee told Corbett to start making the case, which would go beyond wins and losses.
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There was also an international component: How many of his players represented the country in the Olympics or World Championships? How many were drafted, and how many went on to play in the NHL? And there was the coaching tree: Who went on to work in the NHL when their playing careers were over?
'I knew my mission at that point,' said Corbett. 'I've got to be as thorough as possible, research this thoroughly and try to include all the key points, so I get all the information together.'
The results? Parker coached 73 players who went on to play at least one game in the NHL, and 143 NHL draft picks. They appeared in a total of 23,470 games, scoring 4,179 goals and 6,408 assists for 10,587 points.
Parker coached 28 Olympians who combined for 36 appearances, perhaps most notably the quartet of Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig, Dave Silk, and Jack O'Callahan that captured gold with the 1980 Miracle on Ice squad. Four of his players ― Tony Amonte, Shawn McEachern, Tkachuk, and Scott Young ― skated for the US squad that captured gold in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. There were also 52 players who competed in World Juniors, for which Parker served as head coach in 1996.
Jack Parker coached 73 players who went on to play at least one game in the NHL, and 143 NHL draft picks.
Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
And as for that coaching tree? Eight former players have held coaching positions in the pro ranks outside of the NHL, including the AHL, ECHL, BCHL, and WHL. There have been 22 in the college ranks, and 23 in the NHL on coaching staffs or in front offices. And an additional 17 have worked in high school or prep hockey.
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Corbett submitted his findings to two members on the committee who had agreed to work with him as he made his case. Both were impressed and offered advice as to how best present the information.
'They said, 'Don't have a video, where you've got like 30 people talking about how wonderful he is,' ' said Corbett. 'I guess it just becomes redundant to collect 25 talking heads to say you're the greatest thing since Mother Teresa.'
Still, Corbett wanted to provide some visual aid, and he turned to Matt Dresens, whom he had worked with when Dresens served as a producer for his 'Hockey on Campus' podcasts for the 2018-19 season while he was a student at BU. Dresens was able to put his graphic design skills to use, producing a compelling package displaying all of the statistics Corbett had compiled.
Corbett already had compared Parker's résumé with York's, including the fact that they had the same number of appearances in the NCAA Tournament (24) and Frozen Four (13). But one of the members wanted Corbett to make another comp, and it would require some significant legwork.
Corbett's assignment was to look up the career of Brian Kilrea, who coached the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League for 32 seasons and was inducted into the Hall's Builders category in 2003, to see how many of his players went on to skate in at least 50 games in the NHL, and contrast those numbers to Parker. First, Corbett went back through the list of 73 players who played for Parker, and found 44 appeared in at least 50 games.
'It's too bad we couldn't get David Van der Gulik to play one more game,' joked Corbett. (Van der Gulik, who played four seasons with the Terriers and was the captain of the 2006 squad, went on to appear in 49 games for the Flames, Avalanche, and Kings.)
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Corbett reached out to the 67's and asked for a list of all the players coached by Kilrea who went on to the NHL. They complied, and the number was 54. They did not, however, include how many games each played. So it was up to Corbett, riding shotgun as he and a friend were driving from Boston to Saratoga, N.Y., to look up all 54 players and see how many reached 50 games. The final tally? Also 44.
With that research completed, those on the committee who would lobby on Parker's behalf felt they had all the ammunition they would need. Now all Corbett had to do was wait.
The announcement was at 3 p.m. on June 24. Corbett got a call from one of the committee members at 12:30 p.m. They needed contact information for Parker.
'I was so happy and relieved,' said Corbett. 'Jack's 80, and this is the time for it.'
Corbett was not the only one taking his age into account. Parker was about to hop on a boat with a friend to go sailing when he got the call.
'This friend knows nothing about sports, and I mean nothing,' said Parker. 'So I got the call, and I said, 'We've got to turn around. I have to get back to the house. I've got to get on a conference call in about half an hour. I know you don't know anything about sports, but this is a pretty big deal.'
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'He said, 'Oh congratulations. When's the induction?' I said, 'November.' He said, 'November? Do they have any idea how old you are?' '
Upon returning home, Parker shared the news with his wife, Jacqueline. His thoughts turned to his twin brother Bob, who died in April 2024, and how Parker wished he could give him a call. He then reached out to his former assistants before the news was announced.
'It's amazing how quickly word travels,' said Parker. 'I get home, and all of a sudden people are texting me. I got a whole bunch of texts from former players congratulating me.'
When the selection show aired, it listed the names on the 18-member committee, giving Parker some insight as to who might have lobbied on his behalf.
Among those on the list were Pierre McGuire and Brian Burke, both of whom he knows and have deep college hockey roots. Hall of Famers Harry Sinden, who as general manager of the Bruins twice tried to lure Parker to the NHL, and Lou Lamoriello, who coached against Parker at Providence College and served as the first commissioner of Hockey East, were not on the committee, but had pushed for Parker's inclusion in the past.
Later that day, Parker connected with Corbett, who was happy to finally reveal what he had been up to for the last year. Over the course of their friendship, Parker has teased Corbett about the endless facts and figures he always seems to have at his disposal.
'He would tell me, 'Bernie, you've got way too much information,' ' said Corbett. 'I think this time it actually paid off.'
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