These are the undisputable facts:
1)  Jack Parker is a graduate of Catholic Memorial (Class of '63, I believe).
2)  Jack Parker has been affiliated with BU hockey since 1963-64 season (this
is his 23rd year, correct?)
3)  Jack Parker and Bill Hanson have had a long term professional (and, I
assume, personal) relationship for nearly 20 years.
4)  Due to this relationship, Catholic Memorial has practiced and played
their home games at Walter Brown Arena for several years.  I would assume
that CM players would absorb some of the aura of BU hockey over that period
of time.
5)  For the last decade, CM has had the most successful public/parochial
hockey team in the state.  The dominant ,Division 1 caliber players on those
teams (with the already noted exceptions) have attended BU.
 
There is nothing wrong with what Jack Parker does.  He takes advantage of a
situation to maximize its benefit for BU hockey.  I assume that every
Division 1 coach and top recruiter looks for the same edge somewhere.  I
remember back in the '70s, UNH recruiting had a connection with Stratford
(Ont.) Junior B team.  Charlie Holt and recruiter Bob Norton (now esteemed
hockey analyst) were able to sign up many players from those teams.
 Eventually the connection faded because of change in personnel on both ends.
 You have to remember that college hockey is a business to the coaches and
recruiting is part of the process.  If they can develop a relationship that
makes part of their job easier, more power to them.
The bottom line is that there is nothing to be defensive about, its the way
the game works.
 
Greg Ambrose, UNH '72
Go Blue!!
 
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