Montgomery Details
Matt Bourque, UMaine's Sports Information Director, has provided
some answers to Mike's questions about the pending retirement of
Jim Montgomery's #19.
 
>The PC-Maine game will be on NESN Friday night - was this game chosen
>so that the event would be on tv?  When was the decision made?  It
>seems a little odd that we only find out 3 days beforehand.
 
The decision was made last week by a standing committee of two faculty
members, two alumni and one head coach.  With the possibility that NHL
play might resume at some point, UMaine officials decided that this
weekend represented the best time to conduct the ceremony.  Friday was
selected because of NESN--to give more fans the opportunity to
see the event.  The game is sold out anyway.
 
>On the one hand, I was thinking that it would be nice to have both 19
>and 9 retired in the same ceremony.  But Montgomery really deserves
>his own show.  Number 9 will get his day, too, but I am happy that
>Montgomery's will come first.
 
 
Maybe someday, but Kariya fails to meet the first qualification for
number retirement--a degree.  He is continuing to work on it during
his summers, but isn't there yet.  Matt indicated that Kariya was
invited to Friday's event, but declined because he was concerned that
he would deflect attention from the very worthy honoree.  A class
act, as always.