Quoted without permission.
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Boston Globe, June 3rd, 1994
 
"Goodbye, BC; NHL may be next stop" by Michael Madden, Globe Staff
 
  A grim Mike Milbury, his college record a perfect 0-0-0, yesterday
resigned as hockey coach at Boston College before taking his first
paycheck from the school.  At the same time, he left the door open for
a return behind a National Hockey League bench, possibly in Hartford,
where he has emerged as a strong candidate.
  In a dramatic and surprise announcement that threw Milbury's career
plans and BC's hockey plans into sudden chaos, Milbury said he
resigned because he could not come to contract terms with athletic
directory Chet Gladchuk.
  The dispute with Gladchuk was not over financial terms, said
Milbury.  "I guess there may have been a misunderstanding over the
nature of the verbal agreements," he said during a press conference at
the Boston office of his attorney, James Maselan.
  The former Bruins player, coach and assistant general manager said
the misunderstanding came about partly because he hastily agreed to
become the BC coach a mere two months ago.
  "Clearly, I did not think this out well enough," Milbury said of his
decision to leave as Bruins GMM Harry Sinden's heir apparent and
accept a five-year contract to run the Eagles.  "Or I did not have the
specifics down well enough.  It was a mistake on my part."
  For his part, Sinden was caught unaware by his former protege's
latest move.  "I was shocked," he said, "I thought I was shocked when
he left here..."
  Souces said the dispute with Gladchuk involved the autonomy Milbury
thought he would have over the program.  Milbury was committed to
building a winning team at Chestnut Hill as soon as possible, and he
would do that with his players.
  Milbury reportedly learned that a number of scholarships had been
promised to incoming freshmen by previous coach Steve Cedorchuk and
his staff, who had been forced out by Gladchuk in mid-March.  Milbury
reportedly learned that he could offer only a few scholarships,
perhaps no more than four.
  Getting out of scholarship commitments would create a tangle at BC.
When the issue could not be resolved, Milbury resigned.
  Speaking at a separate press conference at the school later in the
day, Gladchuk addressed the issue of scholarships possibly being a
bone of contention: "We were at the NCCA maximum for everything.
Coaches. Budget for recruiting. Hockey sticks. Scholarships."
  The AD was aasked about scholarships for the Milbury family.
  "Not an issue," he said.
  Milbury's suddent resignation also partially can be explained by the
four available National Hockey League coaching jobs (New York
Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Whalers and Quebec Nordiques),
particularly for the Hartford position, for which the new owners might
want a name coach who can draw fans back to the Civic Center.
  Milbury said he would like to coach again in the NHL: "Coaching is
what I want to do, and I don't think it'll be a college coaching job
I'll take."
  "If I made a mistake [in taking the job], or if BC made a mistake,
it's much better served to part company now, rather than find out in
October that the relationship is untenable."
  Milbury looked as grim as when his Bruins lost a Stanley Cup game.
"I'm sad about this development," he said.  "And I want to express my
dismay at some issues we were unable to resolve, and we'll just let it
go at that.  There was a misunderstanding over the nature of the
verbal agreements, would be the best way to put it."
  Milbury issued a terse "no comment" when asked if he would return to
the Bruins -- with whom he is under contract until July 1 -- should
the team want him back.
  One report quoted Sinden as saying he was open to rehiring Milbury.
  "I did not say that," said Sinden.  "I said I have a job open and
I'm looking for someone to fill it.  I did say [Milbury] appears to
have wanderlust, but I was very careful not to say that [he would
rehire him.]  I was also careful not to say I wouldn't.  I initmated
the job was open to anybody.  I said I'll look at all candidates.  I
suppose you could that that to mean I'd consider him.  I wouldn't say
one way or the other.  But I have no idea what went on at BC.  I
haven't talked to anybody.  I don't know where he is coming from.  I'm
as in the dark as anybody else."
  Sinden sent a fax to the other 25 NHL teams to remind them that
Milbury is under contract to the Bruins until July 1 and that teams
must seek permission to speak to him about job openings.
  "There may have been a misunderstanding when Mike went ot BC," said
Sinden, referring to Milbury's NHL contract status.  "I wanted to make
sure they understood.  We've been paying Mike right along.  Mabye we
should bill him for his services for the past two months."
  Milbury said he would not seek another college hockey job because he
considers the BC post "the only college coaching position in the
country I would have accepted."
  Milbury said he sensed "quickly" after taking the BC job that there
were different interpretations by him and Gladchuk on the terms of his
contract.  "The concerns were not as deep early on," he said, "but
obviously, they came to this."
  Milbury said he had been in Chestnut Hill virtually "every day"
since taking the job, had met with the staff and had engaged in
recruiting.  All of that was "fun," he said, but within the last few
weeks, the dispute with Gladchuk became intractable.  "I have not
received a check from Boston Collge," said Milbury, "and I don't
expect one.  The two months that I gave [to the school] are two months
that they can have."
  Milbury said he tried to resolve the contractual differences with
Gladchuk himself, but in recent weeks, he called in Maselan.  Matters
came to a head Wendesday afternoon when Maselan and Gladchuk could not
reach agreement.
  "I'm going back to COlgate for my class' 20th reunion," Milbury said
of his immediate plans, "and I'm going to see my son graduate from
high school on Sunday."
  And, perhaps, take a phone call from Hartford, Philadelphia, or the
Island.  "Listen," he said, "I'm not a financially wealthy guy.  I'm
going to have t owork.  And I want to coach."
--
 
Globe staffers Bob Ryan and Nancy L. Marrapese contributed to this
report.
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This seemed to offer some more speculation.  There were also comments
on the local sports shows ["Mike Adams' SportsWorld" for one.] that
rumored that he wanted to drop scholarships for some current players.
[Sounded mostly like speculation than fact, though.]
 
It seems like Milbury was expecting to have more leeway in recruiting
next year's players than he got.  With that one previous incident with
the UML/BC recruit that Dave mentioned being just one part of it.
[Again, my own speculation based on prior rumors. :)]
 
adam
BU '89