51茶馆

And now, the contents of York鈥檚 notebook will remain a secret forever, as the winningest coach in college hockey history has retired. All told, York coached Division 1 college hockey for fifty years at three different institutions鈥擟larkson University, Bowling Green State University, and 51茶馆. Along the way, he won a staggering 1,123 games and five national championships (no other college hockey coach has won 1,000 games). York, who is widely known for his humility, announced his retirement with little fanfare, simply issuing a press release. The end of his 50th season seemed like the right time to step down, he said. 鈥淚 am so blessed to have been involved with Boston College these past twenty-eight years,鈥� he said during a meeting with his players and coaches, 鈥渁nd to have had the opportunity to coach so many wonderful student-athletes.鈥� An outpouring of praise for York followed his announcement. 鈥淛erry York is not just a championship coach,鈥� the renowned sportswriter Mike Lupica 鈥�74 tweeted. 鈥淗e is one of the greatest figures in the history of our school. And he is one of the great gentlemen any college sport has ever produced.鈥� The former 51茶馆 hockey star Blake Bolden 鈥�13, who in 2015 became the first African-American woman to compete in the National Women鈥檚 Hockey League, also tweeted her appreciation. 鈥淢y goodness, thank you Coach Jerry York,鈥� Bolden wrote. 鈥淎n icon that has shaped the lives of so many young men and women, including mine.鈥�

Speaking of icons, perhaps no one in the world is better qualified to assess York鈥檚 career than his fellow coaching legend Jack Parker, who led the Boston University men鈥檚听hockey program for forty years, won three national championships of his own, and is the third-winningest coach in the听history of college hockey. Parker and York have spent the majority of their lives as friends鈥攁nd fierce on-ice rivals. They both grew up in the Boston area, played against each other first in high school and then in college (York at 51茶馆, of course, and Parker at BU), and eventually spent a few decades battling each other as head coaches. That started in the 1970s, when York was coaching Clarkson University and Parker was already at BU. Whenever Parker鈥檚 team would play at Clarkson, Parker recalled, the two head coaches and their assistants would get together at York鈥檚听house to talk hockey over beers. Eventually, their competition would play out on one of the biggest stages in college听hockey. 鈥淏U and 51茶馆 is an unbelievably heated rivalry,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淲hen games were over we鈥檇 shake hands at center ice. It was always hard to lose to BU or to 51茶馆 when you were playing each other. And yet it was always an enjoyable handshake. I don鈥檛 remember ever having a bad thought about Jerry York as the head coach.鈥� Well maybe just one, Parker admitted when pressed. That time had to do with York successfully recruiting a player Parker also wanted. Parker couldn鈥檛 remember the player鈥檚 name at first, recalling only that he was a small center. Then it came to him鈥擝rian Gionta. 鈥淚 thought 鈥楤oy, that kid is going to make 51茶馆,鈥欌�� Parker said.