Neely headlines Lester Patrick recipients
New York, NY (Sports Network) - Former Boston Bruin great Cam Neely was among four recipients of the 2010 Lester Patrick Trophy named Thursday.
Also presented with the award were renowned Boston-area natives and Hockey East coaches Jack Parker and Jerry York along with American Hockey League president David Andrews. The trophy is awarded to those who have shown outstanding service to hockey in the United States.
Neely, one of the most prolific power forwards in the history of the sport, scored 395 goals and had 299 assists over 726 regular-season games, the bulk of which were spent with the Bruins. He added another 57 goals in 93 playoff tilts, and also holds the Boston franchise record for career playoff scores with 55.
A former first-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks, Neely recorded three 50- goal seasons, including a memorable 1993-94 campaign when he returned from two injury-plagued years due to leg and hip problems and hit the mark in just 49 games. That effort netted the British Columbia native the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication to the sport.
Neely was forced to hang up the skates following the 1995-96 season and saw his No. 8 jersey retired by the Bruins. After being voted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, he joined the Bruins front office as vice president and was named team president this past June.
Parker won three straight Beanpot Tournaments with Boston University from 1966-68 as a player, and his charges have had virtual control of the February tournament over the last 20 years. Since taking the reins as head coach in 1973, he has guided the Terriers to six NCAA title game appearances with three national championships (1978, 1995 and 2009) and is one of only three coaches in NCAA history to reach the 800-win plateau. He is the only one, though, to accomplish the feat at one school.
York coached at Clarkson and Bowling Green before returning to his alma mater of Boston College in 1994, injecting life into a long-standing rivalry with Parker and BU. During his 16 years at the helm, he has guided the team to seven NCAA title game berths and three national championships, all in this decade (2001, 2008, 2010). His 850 career victories is second all-time to Ron Mason's 924. He also guided Bowling Green to an NCAA title in 1984.
Both men have shepherded past and present NHL talent such as Mike Mottau, Chris Drury, Keith Tkachuk, Tony Amonte, Brian Gionta, Shawn McEachern, Rob Blake, Garry Galley, Brooks Orpik, Matt Gilroy and Nathan Gerbe.
Andrews has been president of the AHL since 1994 during which time the league has experienced a wealth of expansion and growth. He was instrumental in bringing all 30 NHL teams' top developmental affiliates under the AHL umbrella and in 2001 led one of the largest expansion efforts ever in professional sports, bringing nine new cities into the fold, including six from the former International Hockey League.
The enterprise expanded the league beyond its former reach of smaller towns in the eastern part of North America to locations such as Chicago, Toronto, Cleveland, Houston, San Antonio, Winnipeg and Milwaukee. The league is scheduled to further expand in 2010-11 to Charlotte and Oklahoma City.
