Allow me to go off on a tangent tonight and then get into the topic of this
post.
 
Tonight, Boston Garden hockey history officially came to a close as the
Boston Bruins played their final game in the building, a 3-0 exhibition win
over arch rival Montreal.  However, the game took a backseat to the
hourlong postgame festivities.
 
After the game ended, longtime Bruins' announcers Fred Cusick and Bob
Wilson took turns announcing the Bruins' stars of yesteryear who had made
their final trip to the building to be honored and take a final skate on
Garden ice.  With all the memorable moments that have occurred in the
Garden, it's hard to imagine one more being added to the list, but on this
night there was one.
 
Among the stars who were introduced - Hall of Famers, Stanley Cup champs,
trophy winners - one appearance stood out above and beyond all of the
others.  A player whose entire NHL career lasted only 75 games, who never
won a Cup or was selected to the Hall of Fame.
 
Young Normand Leveille was a Bruin for only two seasons, from 1981 through
1983.  He tallied 17 goals and 25 assists in those 75 games and was hailed
as a future great, possibly destined to take his place someday as one of
the best players ever to play for Boston.  That is, until a sudden brain
aneurysm (if I remember correctly) that he suffered during a game left him
partially paralyzed early in the 1982-83 season.  He never played hockey
again.
 
Among all the ovations received by all the heroes tonight - and there were
many, including Number 4 himself - none were bigger than the moment the
crowd's shock turned to vociferous cheers as Leveille was announced, was
helped out onto the ice with cane in hand and, aided by Bruins' greats past
and present, took a final skate around the Garden ice and raised his arm
triumphantly in acknowledgement of the crowd's appreciation.
 
I don't think anyone could have expected this, and as the camera panned the
crowd, it was clear that there was not a dry eye in the place.  There have
been many great moments in Garden hockey history, and this was yet another
- possibly one of the greatest.
 
Which leads me to the relevance to college hockey...
 
Friday, the Garden will be closed for a final time, as the brand new
FleetCenter officially opens Saturday night and Boston ushers in a new era
of history in this hockey hotbed.
 
What are your favorite college hockey moments in Garden history?  I'm a
little surprised we haven't covered this yet, but this seems like a good
time.  The Garden has hosted numerous college hockey events over the years,
including almost all of the Beanpots, NCAA championships, ECAC and Hockey
East championships, and so on.  I'm interested in hearing your favorite
moments, and I think a lot of other people would be too.
 
For this, I ask that you restrict your selections to events you were
actually present at.  That means I cannot include events like the famous
Blizzard of '78 Beanpot when 11,000 people were stranded in the Garden
overnight after the first night of the tournament and the championship had
to be postponed a month.  I never went to a college game at the Garden
until the 1987 Beanpot, but since then, I have been at approximately 60-70
collegiate games there, so I have a lot to choose from.
 
I suspect I have a few moments that few, if anyone else, will choose, so
I'll wait a day or two before posting my list.  I also need time to think
back over the games I was at and come up with a good list.  I have a few
candidates, but I don't want to leave anything out.
 
A suggestion: while most choices may involve great performances by your
favorite team(s), think about memorable moments that involved other teams
or players.  Come up with a list of 1, 3, 5, whatever and give us a few
comments about why those events were memorable to you.
 
College hockey and the Boston Garden have gone hand in hand for over 40
years.  I think it's fitting that as they prepare to close the old barn for
one final time Friday night, we rehash some of the moments that stand out
in our minds relating to the college game.
 
Please post your thoughts to HOCKEY-L; you could send them to me, but then
you'd be depriving others of the chance to reminisce and enjoy the memories
of Garden college hockey - as well as depriving those who weren't fortunate
enough to be there of gaining an appreciation of the Garden's stature in
the history of the game we love and support.
 
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                   [log in to unmask]            *HMM* 11/13/93
>> Co-owner of the College Hockey Lists at University of Maine System  <<
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