Copyright The Boston Herald
For any Bostonian with an ounce of institutional hockey knowledge, retired Boston University coach Jack Parker’s resume speaks for itself. The only problem was, it wasn’t speaking loudly enough, at least not north of the border in Toronto where the Hockey Hall of Fame is. Enter Bernie Corbett, a third generation BU Terrier (1983 grad and student team manager), voice of BU hockey for the past 41 years, font of knowledge and great raconteur of the local sports scene. He would also become an indefatigable advocate for the long-time BU coach’s candidacy for the HHOF, which will come to fruition with Parker’s induction on Monday night. “I certainly thought about it for a while and then I really started to think about it when (Boston College coaching legend Jerry York) went in (in 2019). Jerry absolutely deserved to be in but Jack should be in, too,” said Corbett. “I gave it a lot of thought and I knew of Jim Rice and (late statistician) Dick Bresciani of the Red Sox and he was really the driving force to get Jim Rice’s candidacy heard and eventually got him into Cooperstown.” Drawing from that inspiration, Corbett tapped into his own vast Rolodex in the hockey world and got in touch with a couple of people who are on the HHOF committee, both of whom were sympathetic to his cause. “One of them said, ‘You make the case, you put it all together and put it on paper, get it to me and I’ll make sure that it gets distributed to the people on the committee.’ It was like making a case to the Supreme Court of hockey.” So Corbett went to work compiling his accomplishments – 897 wins, 13 Frozen Four appearances, three NCAA championships, 73 players who went on to play in the NHL, 28 Olympians (including Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig, Dave Silk and Jack O’Callahan, who were part of the 1980 momentous win over the Soviets), and now former players who have gone on to the coaching (Mike Sullivan, John Hynes, Joe Sacco, David Quinn) and GM ranks (Chris Drury, Mike Grier). But it had to be a stealth campaign, operating under the rules of “omerta,” said Corbett chuckling at the underworld reference. Both Corbett and Parker (who retired in 2013) are movie buffs and lines from “The Godfather” are exchanged between them frequently. “I was really so happy with, number one, getting him in. The other thing I was so happy about was that he didn’t know anything about it and it was a complete surprise to him,” said Corbett, a Stoneham native. “It was almost equally gratifying that he had nothing to do with it.” But beyond the wins, losses and accolades, there was the man who remained in his players’ lives, through good times and tough times. Corbett pointed out all the time he spent with Travis Roy after the forward was paralyzed in his first collegiate game in 1995, with goalie J.P. McKersie after he was involved in a near-fatal cycling accident, and with the Bavis family, first after twin Terriers Michael and Mark lost their father, Dick, and then after Mark was killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. “It was really a deep portrayal of the man in full,” said Corbett, adding that the influence he had on his players was deep and lasting. “Mike (Eruzione) said ‘I’m 71 years old and if I have a decision to make in my life, I wouldn’t hesitate. Jack would be the first person that I’d call.’ If you go right down the line, I think there would be literally hundreds of guys who’d say the same. Jack is at the wakes, he’s at the funerals, he’s at the weddings and everything in between.” Parker, said Corbett, has a persona that is quintessentially old Boston, in the best sense of the term, while also being unique unto himself. “He may have landed in the Annisquam Yacht Club in Gloucester but he’s still got the three-decker-in-Somerville ethic, which is one of the reasons he was such a great coach,” said Corbett. “He’s like a Matt Damon in ‘Good Will Hunting.’ Jack’s got like a Mensa IQ but he’s never lost that wise-ass, street-smart persona, which is one of the elements of his charm and appeal. He could go toe-to-toe with people and can take off the gloves and yet he’s a brilliant guy.” And on Monday night, that Somerville guy will be where he belongs, among the greats of the game to which he dedicated his rich and influential life.
