The 2011 Beanpot final featured gamers from Arizona, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Michigan, New York, Florida, and 4 Canadian provinces, all gambling as hard as the following for neighborhood bragging rights, in a sport that have become an on the spot classic between Boston College and Northeastern.
But the game also featured two gamers born and raised in Boston itself - BC’s brothers Jimmy and Kevin Hayes.
The Beanpot is impossible to think about or talk approximately with out veering into nostalgia: the infinite retellings of the tale of the Blizzard of ‘78; fans’ stories of watching for the T with others from their place of origin, heading to the Garden to root on nearby stars who made it to the next stage; grainy spotlight reels of ancient triumphs.
This is and usually could be a part of the allure of the event, at the same time as the four collaborating colleges and as college hockey itself have converted in recent decades.
Because of this records, it felt greater fitting and special when one of these Boston youngsters - BC’s Jimmy Hayes - knocked in the game winner in extra time to down Northeastern, 7-6, in one of the pleasant Beanpot finals in latest reminiscence:
The 2011 Beanpot very last featured players from Arizona, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Michigan, New York, Florida, and 4 Canadian provinces, all gambling as hard as the next for nearby bragging rights, in a recreation that became an immediate conventional among Boston College and Northeastern.
But the game also featured two gamers born and raised in Boston itself - BC’s brothers Jimmy and Kevin Hayes.
The Beanpot is not possible to reflect onconsideration on or talk approximately without veering into nostalgia: the infinite retellings of the tale of the Blizzard of ‘78; enthusiasts’ testimonies of watching for the T with others from their hometown, heading to the Garden to root on local stars who made it to the following degree; grainy spotlight reels of historical triumphs.
This is and usually may be a part of the attraction of the event, even as the four participating faculties and as college hockey itself have converted in current a long time.
Because of this history, it felt more becoming and unique whilst one of those two Boston children - BC’s Jimmy Hayes - knocked in the sport winner in beyond regular time to down Northeastern, 7-6, in one of the nice Beanpot finals in recent memory:
Watching this from the stands, I couldn’t assist however feel more glad to look Hayes positioned inside the winner. Another inevitable part of the Beanpot is the pleasant “not from Boston” barbs from BU or Northeastern - yet it changed into one of the handiest players from Boston on the ice who walked it off, and he did it for the Eagles.
Hayes turned into a local famous person from more than one angles - a Dorchester youngster, a Bruin, a part of a massive Massachusetts hockey circle of relatives - however he additionally had a uniquely BC tale, and performed an vital position in a golden age of Boston College hockey.
While BC has grown right into a country wide and international logo, the history of the college - and in particular its hockey application - is deeply intertwined with the metropolis it became born in.
Jimmy Hayes became in such a lot of methods a throwback to these roots - a nearby kid who starred at BC, inspiring his brother and cousins to comply with along.
Between Jimmy Hayes, Kevin Hayes, and Ryan and Casey Fitzgerald, the own family become a part of the thrashing heart of Boston College hockey for a decade. If you attended away video games throughout this period you knew that the Hayeses and the Fitzgeralds and their friends were always there in numbers.
Jimmy Hayes’s story ties collectively extraordinary golden a long time for BC enthusiasts.
Yes, he had the nostalgic and romantic enchantment of the nearby youngster starring at BC. But he was additionally very plenty a important a part of powerhouse, nationally ranked BC teams that cemented the program’s reputation as one of the historic dynasties in university hockey.
Under Jerry York, BC’s aspirations moved past just competing for Beanpots and closer to competing for country wide hardware, generating NHL stars and Olympians, and attracting super expertise from everywhere in the world, not just Greater Boston.
York’s great teams - with Jimmy Hayes’s 2010 and 2011 Eagles honestly being on any list of these first-rate teams - blended the high-quality of both worlds, with the group topping the country wide rankings while also cleansing up at the Beanpot and presenting celebrity gamers from New England.
Hayes was a key piece of those teams, scoring 35 factors as a part of BC’s national championship winning group in 2010. This included a memorable two purpose outburst in only 23 seconds in the 1/3 period against Yale in the NCAA local very last, capped off through Hayes’s iconic “John Wall” birthday celebration. Hayes then added three points all through BC’s Frozen Four romp over Miami and Wisconsin.
Hayes’s latest retelling of “the John Wall” on his podcast is definitely hilarious - in case you’ve ever met “Big Kevin” Hayes, Jimmy an
In 2011 Hayes become even better, scoring 21 dreams, such as 5 recreation winners. In addition to the game-winner in opposition to Northeastern inside the Beanpot very last, he scored the sport-tying aim in opposition to BU inside the semifinal the week earlier, and helped set up Tommy Cross’s OT winner to ship BC into the championship game. The 2011 team went 31-eight-1, such as a 14-1-1 mark at home.
Hayes’s contributions to incredible BC groups already made him a application legend, however his time with the Bruins simplest introduced to his precise local legacy - part of a liked list of players who moved from BC to the neighborhood pro groups. Even even though he fought via struggles in the course of his tenure with the Bruins, for those people rooting tough for him there have been still first-rate reminiscences - an smooth participant to root for not just because of his neighborhood roots, however additionally because of his huge persona that made him a favorite of fellow players:
My non-public standout memory from Hayes’s Bruins profession turned into scoring a shootout sport winner after a 10 round marathon towards Tampa:
It wasn’t just his on-ice accomplishments that made his tale a unique BC story, however the manner he turned into without a doubt held in such excessive regard by way of so many former teammates and coaches, developing his recognition as an off-ice chief, a gregarious presence, and a committed pal and teammate.
Hayes and his teammates of his era stayed close even inside the years after graduating BC, as they moved directly to pro careers inside and outside of hockey, and to starting families and raising children. Those BC teams had been continually so close, and stay close, as is reflected inside the reminiscences shared by way of teammates on social media for the reason that passing:
It’s possible that one day we’ll see some other youngster who grew up along the T score an OT, Beanpot-triumphing intention for BC, even though those players are getting an increasing number of rare. It’s viable we’ll additionally see some other great dynasty that racks up trophies like BC did at some stage in the time of the Hayes brothers.
But to get to peer both on the same time turned into a completely unique revel in for this system, the enthusiasts, and the college. Jimmy Hayes carved out a unique vicinity in BC records, and a legacy that gained’t quickly be forgotten on the Heights.
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