The following is taken from Kevin Paul Dupont's pro hockey column in
the Sunday Boston Globe, but this segment really has more to do with
college hockey.
 
POULIN: IRISH FIGHTING FOR BOSTON RECRUITS
by Kevin Paul Dupont
 
Dave Poulin is returning to Boston.
 
Stop the presses?  The news conference at South Bend last week was a
fraud?  The Bruins pulled a fast one and Poulin will be back in black
and gold for the playoffs?
 
No.  No.  And sorry.
 
Named Notre Dame's new hockey coach last Tuesday, the 36-year-old
Poulin will begin his collegiate career as soon as his Washington
Capitals finish their postseason run.  He's going back to the school
he graduated from 13 years ago, backed by a dozen years of National
Hockey League experience and armed with at least 15 full scholarships.
 
It's that scholarship money, in part, that will bring Poulin back to
the Back Bay and surrounding burgs.  Jobs?  Yes, there are hockey jobs
in South Bend, and Poulin figures metro Boston is the perfect place to
find student-athletes who would like to help turn Our Lady into a
skating tigress.
 
"It's going to be a natural, no question," said Poulin, his message
inviting competition - and maybe a touch of paranoia? - from the likes
of the Boston University, Harvard, Northeastern and Boston College
hockey programs.  "There are so many quality kids up there, from the
standpoint of hockey and education...young men at Catholic Memorial
and Matignon.  Just look at the Caps.  We've got a pretty good goalie
[Jim Carey] out of Catholic Memorial."
 
CM perennially has been a feeder stream for the local colleges,
especially BU.  The Terriers won the NCAA hockey title just four weeks
ago, with no fewer than five CM grads, and now here's Poulin
threatening to muscle Jack Parker off the puck.  Imagine what that
will be like when Poulin wanders into the BU rink - home for CM
practices and games - just, oh, to take in a workout.
 
"Hey," said Poulin, sounding like the Tom Cruise character ("It's only
business") in "Risky Business."  "We've got to give kids an option."
 
Once again, kids, that address is: Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind. 46556.
Attention: Coach Poulin.  And, oh, if you're mailing from the Harvard
Square, Kenmore Square, Chestnut Hill or Symphony post offices,
postage will be paid by the receiver (only kidding, we're not looking
to disgruntle any postal workers).
 
Poulin should be a perfect fit for his new career and ND the better
for it.  In his 3 1/2 seasons in Boston, he was a classy, dependable
and sometimes stellar performer.  He not only anchored a third
checking line with faceoff proficiency and dogged checking, he also
was a near-constant threat on offense while doing it.  He not only
changed the oil and replaced the filter, he cleaned the ashtray, swept
the mats and Windexed the rearview mirror.  Philadelphia dealing him
away in 1990 (for Ken Linseman) was a landmark chapter in Flyer
mismanagement.
 
Beyond what you saw on the ice, Poulin was always the consummate
professional and gentleman, always agreeable and approachable.  If
there is ever an NHL players' guide on etiquette and decency, Poulin
will have to be the author.  Watching him work the parents of a
prospective ND hockey player - on one of those in-home visits - would
be a joy.  In 30 minutes, the kid will be signed up, Mom will be the
team cook and Dad will be driving the team bus.
 
"It makes it easier to leave [the NHL] because the challenge ahead of
me looks like so much fun," said Poulin, reached at home for a
telephone interview.  "I'm skating well now, too.  Injury hasn't been
a problem.  I'm leaving the game healthy and I'm having terrific fun -
the game is still a lot of fun for me.  So it helps, that feeling of
leaving while you're still on top."
 
In these final days of fling, Poulin finds himself a center converted
to left wing.  Dale Hunter anchors his line and Kelly Miller is on
right wing.  Combined, they're 102 years old.
 
"That's why they call us the Century Line," said Poulin.  "The other
night in New York, though, we scored all four goals - so we might be
old, but we're getting to play.  Is there ever a right time to say
goodbye?  Probably not.  But when you've got a situation like this,
leaving for something that looks so good, it sure makes it a lot
easier."
 
Like the Bruins and Flyers, the Capitals will be lesser a team with
Poulin out of the mix.  And what is true for the team is also true for
the league.  Good to know, however, that the NHL's loss could be New
England amateur hockey's gain.  Suddenly, going west, young man, could
mean more than a prolonged ride on the Green Line.
 
END SEGMENT
 
Dupont's weekly column includes the following notes relevant to
college hockey:
 
* Barry Melrose, recently-fired coach of the LA Kings, says that if
he's back behind a bench (possibly with the new LA Ice Dogs, formerly
the San Diego Gulls of the IHL), Cap Raeder will be by his side.
Raeder was assistant to Melrose in LA and is a former Clarkson head
coach.
 
* "Blaine Lacher skated off with Channel 38's Seventh Player Award
[note: voted on by the fans - mike] just prior to his 1-0 shutout of
the Whalers Wednesday night, prompting WEEI's Dale Arnold to say, 'Not
bad, pitch a shutout and they give you keys to a new car.'  Responded
Lacher, 'Yeah, if I get a few more, do you suppose they'll give me a
house?'"
 
* "He'll likely be too busy with the playoffs to attend, but the
Penguins' John Cullen will be inducted into BU's Hall of Fame next
Saturday.  Cullen remains the Terriers' all-time leading scorer
(98-143--241 in 160 games, '83-87).  He'll turn 31 this summer and is
a leading candidate to win the Masterton Trophy (perseverance,
sportsmanship and dedication) after a remarkable return from neck and
spine injuries."
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Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93