Boston College vs. Boston University Hockey: A Storied Rivalry

The rivalry between Boston College and Boston University, often called the Green Line Rivalry, B-Line Rivalry, the Battle of Boston, or the Battle of Commonwealth Avenue, stands as one of the most passionate and enduring in college sports. This rivalry, named after the Green Line, a light rail line that runs along Commonwealth Avenue and links the two schools as part of Boston's MBTA public transit system, extends beyond hockey, encompassing other sports like football and men's soccer. However, it is on the ice where the animosity truly ignites.

Genesis of a Classic: Early Years

The hockey series began on February 6, 1918, marking the first year BU started playing hockey. In that single game of the season, BU faced a 3-1 loss against BC at the Boston Arena. Since then, no other opponent has appeared on either team's schedule more often. The rivalry has been an annual affair since the 1946-47 season. Since 1949, the two teams have met at least twice a year.

Championship Pedigree: National Stage

With 18 NCAA championship game appearances between them, Boston College and Boston University both field perennially competitive collegiate ice hockey teams. The two teams met thrice annually as part of their regular Hockey East season schedule and often also meet in the Hockey East and NCAA postseason tournaments. Both teams boast impressive national championship records, with Boston College securing titles in 1949, 2001, 2008, 2010, and 2012, and Boston University claiming victory in 1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, and 2009. The two rivals faced off in the 1978 championship game in Providence, with BU claiming its third national championship with a 5-3 victory.

Beanpot Battles: Local Supremacy

Adding another layer of intensity, BC and BU, along with Harvard and Northeastern, participate in the annual Beanpot Tournament held at TD Garden each first and second Monday in February. The Eagles and Terriers often square off in the championship game. In the 70 years of the tournament, the two teams have played for the Beanpot trophy 22 times, with BU winning 12 of the championship matchups and BC winning 10. The Terriers have triumphed more often, winning the title 31 times compared to the Eagles' 20 titles (Harvard and Northeastern combined have only won 19 times). Boston University is sometimes jokingly referred to as “Beanpot University” because of its success in the annual mid-season hockey tournament called the Beanpot. This highly anticipated single-elimination tournament is contested by Boston University, Northeastern University, and Harvard University, with the winner receiving the coveted Beanpot trophy and bragging rights over its Boston rivals. The four-team tournament is played on the first two Mondays of February at the TD Garden. Of the 63 Beanpots played since the 1952-1953 season, Boston University has been victorious on 32 occasions.

The Animosity: More Than Just a Game

The rivalry is highlighted by its intensity and mutual contempt between both players and fans. For instance, after BU's victory over BC in the 1978 national championship, BU co-captain Jack O'Callahan was quoted as saying "We shouldn't have to beat BC for the nationals. Hell, we can do that anytime." In a 2005 Sports Illustrated article, BC senior captain Ryan Shannon said that "Every once in a while, out in a restaurant, you see familiar faces. But hockey culture is so humble. Outside the rink, you see those guys as human beings," but when the on the rink: "They're evil." At every game, regular season and playoffs, the spirited student sections - BU's nicknamed the Dog Pound and BC's the Superfans - are seated in proximity to each other and hurl insults and chants back and forth.

Memorable Moments: Defining Games

The rivalry was amplified when on January 8, 2010, BC and BU faced off at Fenway Park, the first men's college hockey game to be played at Boston's iconic ballpark. BU and BC ratcheted up their rivalry on Jan. 8, 2010, when they played each other at Fenway Park in front of 38,000 fans, the biggest crowd to ever watch the teams play. Sports Illustrated columnist Steve Rushin went so far as to call BU-BC the biggest rivalry in all of sports.

The 2023-24 season saw historic matchups between the two rivals. In their 292nd and 293rd all-time meetings on January 26-27, 2024, the schools battled for the first time as both the 1st and 2nd ranked teams in the country. No. 2-ranked Boston College hosted the No. 1 ranked Terriers at Conte Forum in the opener of the home-and-home series, skating to 4-1 victory. BU hosted the Eagles at Agganis Arena the following night, with Boston College taking a 4-3 victory to earn the weekend sweep. The No. 3-ranked Terriers would avenge their losses just a week later on February 5 by defeating the No. 1-ranked Eagles in the first round of the Beanpot, by a score of 4-3. The two teams would meet for a 4th time in the Hockey East championship game on March 23, once again as the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in the nation.

Coaching Legends: York and Parker

On November 8, 2013, the teams faced off in the first non York-Parker matchup since 1994. The Eagles defeated the David Quinn-led Terriers 5-1 at Agganis Arena. Parker retired in the 2012-13 offseason after 40 years of coaching the Terriers. During the 2020-21 season, Agganis Arena was unavailable for play, as it was being used for state COVID-19 pandemic purposes. Thus on February 6, 2021, Walter Brown Arena served as host for a matchup for the first time since January 17, 2004, where the Terries skated to a 3-1 win over No. On December 9, 2022, the Eagles and Terriers met in the first matchup since 1972 that did not include at least one of Jerry York or Jack Parker as head coach of their respective team. York retired in the 2021-22 offseason after 50 years of coaching.

Jack Parker is the longest-tenured and winningest coach in Boston University history. Parker's accomplishments are almost unparalleled in college sports. In 40 years, he won 876 games, the highest tally for a hockey coach who has spent his whole career at just one school, while winning 21 Beanpot titles, 11 conference tournament titles and three national championships in 1978, 1995, and 2009. Parker helped found Hockey East in 1984, when several teams broke away from the ECAC to form their own conference, and played a crucial role in building Boston University's state-of-the-art arena. The ice sheet at Agganis Arena bears his name - Jack Parker Rink. Parker was voted NCAA hockey coach of the year in 1975, 1978, and 2009, and his 30 NCAA tournament wins are among the most of all time.

Beyond Hockey: Other Sports

"The Green Line Rivalry" originally referred to the football rivalry between the schools, a series begun in 1893 and played annually from 1928 to 1942 and 1954 to 1962. In the 1954 to 1962 run of games both teams competed for the Sacred Cod Trophy in a round-robin series with Holy Cross. With BC leading the series 27-4-1, BU discontinued the rivalry after the 1962 season; a game was scheduled to be played at Fenway Park in 1963 but was scrapped due to the John F. No. No. The rivalry is predominant in men's soccer as well.

Boston University Hockey: A Deeper Dive

The Boston University Terriers men’s ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents Boston University. BU played in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) from 1961 to 1984, winning five tournament championships; and has since competed in the Hockey East Association, winning ten tournament titles. The Terriers have won five national championships and are the only eastern team to win back-to-back NCAA titles. Under head coach Jack Kelley, they won their first title in 1971 and repeated in 1972. BU won their other three titles under head coach Jack Parker, in 1978, 1995, and 2009. In 1972, 1995, and 2009, BU won the "triple crown," consisting of the Beanpot, conference tournament, and NCAA championships. In 1995 and 2009, the Terriers also won the Hockey East regular season title, giving the team four major trophies in a single season. From 1936-1954, BU was a founding member of the New England Intercollegiate Hockey League, winning five regular season titles and two tournament championships. In 1961, BU was again a founding member of a conference, this time for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). BU would win six regular season titles and five tournament championships in the ECAC before departing in 1984 to help form the Hockey East Association.

Olympic Glory

The' Miracle on Ice' team that defeated the Soviet Union and won the gold medal during the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, featured four Boston University players including Olympic team captain Mike Eruzione. Eruzione scored the famous winning goal against the Soviets with 10 minutes remaining, and Craig made 36 saves to preserve the 4-3 victory. Morrow, up to Silk. Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles? O'Callahan, who had injured his left knee in an exhibition match, returned for the famous "Miracle on Ice" game and in his first seconds on the ice, delivered a massive hit on a Soviet player that turned the puck over to the Americans near the Soviet defensive zone.

Other BU Rivalries

Boston University's biggest rival is Boston College. Referred to as the Green Line Rivalry or The Battle of Commonwealth Avenue because of the proximity of the schools and the means of transportation to get from one campus to another, the Terriers and Eagles have played each other well over 200 times since their first meeting in 1918. After the 1978 national championship victory over Boston College, BU co-captain Jack O'Callahan was quoted as saying "We shouldn't have to beat BC for the nationals. Hell, we can do that anytime." But every game between the teams is highly anticipated. BU and BC have played at least once a year since 1946, and at least twice a year since 1949. They usually play two Hockey East regular season games each year, and typically face each other once more in February during the Beanpot, with BU holding a substantial edge in tournament and head-to-head victories. The teams have twice played each other for the Hockey East Championship, in 1986 and 2006, with BU winning both titles. In 2005-06, BU and BC played six games-three in the Hockey East regular season, and once each in the Beanpot, Hockey East tournament, and NCAA tournament.

The rivalry between Boston University and Cornell dates to 1925 when Boston University beat Cornell 7-2. The teams played each other in the NCAA championship game in both 1967 and 1972, with Cornell defeating BU 4-1 in '67 and the Terriers taking the '72 title with a 4-0 win. The schools renewed the rivalry over Thanksgiving weekend of 2007, with a sold out game dubbed "Red Hot Hockey" at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. After scoring three goals in the first several minutes of play, BU went on to win 6-3. Red Hot Hockey returned to Madison Square Garden on November 28, 2009, with the two teams skating to a 3-3 tie after one overtime period. The event again sold out the arena.

In the first half of the 1990s, the BU-Maine rivalry was one of the most talked about in college hockey, with the teams battling each other both for eastern and national college hockey supremacy. Boston University defeated Maine in the 1991 Hockey East championship game, in overtime, and Maine returned the favor by soundly beating BU in the HE title game in 1993. In the '93 season, Maine won the national title and lost only one game all year, and it came at the hands of their rivals at BU. Maine had to forfeit most of its wins in the 1994 season because of recruiting violations.

Read also: History of the BU Bridge

BU's rivalries with Harvard and Northeastern stem mainly from regular meetings in the Beanpot, the tournament in which Boston bragging rights are on the line. BU also plays Northeastern three times each year in conference regular season play, and sometimes plays the ECAC-based Harvard in a nonconference game early in the season. BU, BC, Northeastern and Harvard formerly played their home games in the Boston Arena, the site of the first Beanpot in 1952 and the current home of Northeastern.

Hobey Baker Winners

The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player. Forward Chris Drury became BU's first Hobey Baker award winner after a senior campaign in which he scored 28 goals and assisted on 29 more. Drury's 113 career goals are the most in BU history. Drury has gone on to a successful NHL career, which included the 1999 rookie of the year award and a 2001 Stanley Cup championship with Colorado. Defenseman Matt Gilroy won BU's second Hobey Baker award after a senior season in which he scored eight goals and posted 29 assists. Gilroy came to BU as a walk-on and became a three-time All-American. Forward Jack Eichel won the Hobey Baker in 2015, after putting a 71-point year in only 40 games, becoming the third BU player to win the award. He edged the two others nominees that year, Zane McIntyre from North Dakota, and Jimmy Vesey from Harvard University. Vesey went on and won it the year after. Forward Macklin Celebrini won the Hobey Baker award in 2024, after recording 38 goals and 32 assists in 38 games, becoming the fourth BU player to win the award.

The Travis Roy Story

On Oct. 20, 1995, BU raised its fourth national championship banner as it opened a new season, yet just moments later the program suffered its greatest on-ice tragedy. On that night Travis Roy, a freshman recruit who grew up in Maine, was paralyzed from the neck down just eleven seconds into his first college shift. The 20-year-old Roy crashed head-first into the boards after a University of North Dakota player, Mitch Vig, avoided his check. Roy missed a year of college, but ultimately returned to BU, earning a degree in communications in 2000. Roy has remained a presence with the BU hockey program, attending games and on several occasions joining his teammates on the ice to celebrate Beanpot championships. Roy, (now deceased), has become an inspirational figure for sufferers of spinal cord injuries. In 1997 he founded the Travis Roy Foundation to raise money for research and individual grants, and in 1998 he published an autobiography titled Eleven Seconds. "It's very special to be a part of the BU hockey family," Roy wrote in a new afterword in the 2005 edition of his autobiography. In October 1999, Roy's #24 was retired and raised to the rafters of Walter Brown Arena.

Coaching History

Wayland Vaughan coached Boston University from 1928 until 1943, compiling an 87-82-8 record. Vaughan was far from the most successful coach in terms of winning percentage but maintained the Terriers program in the face of both the Great Depression and World War II. Harry Cleverly, the BU coach from 1945 until 1962, guided the Terriers into the era of the NCAA tournament, which began in 1948, and brought BU to its first national championship game in 1950 and an additional three appearances in the tournament, which consisted of just four teams in those years. Jack Kelley was the first coach to bring BU to the summit of college hockey. Kelley coached just ten seasons but appeared in four NCAA tournaments and won back-to-back titles in 1971 and 1972, his final years behind the bench. Kelley also won three ECAC regular season titles, one ECAC tournament title, and six Beanpots. Leon Abbott succeeded Kelley and picked up where Kelley left off with a sterling 22-win season in 1972-73. However, eleven of his wins were forfeited due to an ineligible player. Six games into his second season, Abbott was abruptly fired for withholding information about two Canadian players who had played junior hockey in their home country. The ECAC had ruled them ineligible, only to be cleared to play by a judge. At a conference meeting, Abbott admitted not pressing the players to disclose the compensation they received as juniors.

Home Ice

BU plays its home games at Agganis Arena (capacity 6,150) in Boston, Massachusetts. The hockey rink at the arena is named Jack Parker Rink after the team's longtime coach. Agganis Arena first opened its doors on January 3, 2005, for a hockey game versus the University of Minnesota.

Documentary

A documentary about the rivalry entitled The Battle of Comm Ave. was released in 2009 by Rival Films.

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