DAVID EMMA WINS HOBEY
 
    David Emma, the all-time Boston College leader in goals (112), assists
    (127), and points (239), won the 1991 Hobey Baker Award.  However, there
    was quite a bit of uproar in Boston over the way the announcement was done
    this year.  The committee had decided to announce the winner immediately
    following the national championship game, "in case the winner was playing
    in the game."  But somehow the news was leaked, and Bostonians knew that
    Emma had won the award Friday, more than a day before the announcement was
    planned.  Channel 5 announced it on their 11 pm newscast.
 
    Still, the committee kept Emma in a closed room at the St Paul Civic
    Center, without any way for Emma to even see the game, until after the game
    ended.  He wasn't even allowed to leave the room to go to the bathroom
    because it was feared someone would spot him and deduce that Emma was the
    winner.  ESPN made the announcement before the third overtime because it
    had decided not to wait around for interviews after the game; after all,
    people were waiting to see that hour-long SportsCenter from the NCAA Hoop
    Final Four.  But Emma was still kept locked away.  Finally, the official
    announcement came after the game, but at that point reporters were more
    interested in meeting their deadline after the incredible game.  The
    Hobey winner was shoved aside.
 
    What's wrong with this picture?
 
    AMONTE SIGNS
 
    BU's Tony Amonte, from Hingham, Mass., has signed with the New York
    Rangers.  He will be available for their opening round playoff series.  I
    expect that this means that Saturday's championship was the very last we
    have seen of the Amonte-McEachern combination.  I thought they would go to
    the Olympics together, but now that looks doubtful.  Too bad.
 
    Last night channel 5 in Boston broke the Amonte signing news (a press
    conference was to be held in NY today) and showed Amonte's mom dragging
    him to a store to buy a suit.
 
    LOWELL TO CHANGE NAME
 
    With the consolidation of Massachusetts higher education underway, the
    University of Lowell will apparently be changing its name to the University
    of Massachusetts at Lowell, or UMass-Lowell.  No word on when this will
    take effect.  Two other Mass. state colleges are also affected, including
    Southeastern Massachusetts University (ECAC North), which will apparently
    become something like UMass-Dartmouth.  Athletic programs at the three
    schools should not be affected at all.
 
 
    - mike