The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation has announced its 2023 “Legend of College Hockey’ recipient as Jerry York.
York began his coaching career at Clarkson where he spent seven years and led the Golden Knights to an ECAC championship in 1977. While at Clarkson, he had a 125-87-3 record.
In 1979, York took over the Bowling Green program where he would be at the helm for 15 years (1979-94) and finish with a 342-248-31 record. He led the Falcons to four regular-season CCHA championships (1982, 1983,1984, 1987), a postseason CCHA championship in 1988, and a national championship in 1984.
York later returned to Boston College, his alma mater, and coached from 1994 to 2022, leading the Eagles to four national championships (2001, 2008, 2010, 2012) along with runner-up finishes in 1998, 2000, 2006, and 2007. In Hockey East, York’s Eagles captured nine Beanpot titles, made 18 NCAA tournament appearances, 12 Frozen Four appearances, and won 12 Hockey East regular-season titles, nine postseason crowns, and four national titles.
In his 50-year coaching career, the Watertown, Mass., native went 1,123-682-128 (.614), making him the winningest coach in college hockey and only collegiate coach to have more than 1,000 wins.
York was named the Hockey East Coach of the Year five times (2004, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2021) and received the American Hockey Coaches Association’s Spencer Penrose Award in 1977. In 2004 and 2014, he was named the New England Coach of the Year, and in 2010 was awarded the Lester Patrick Award.
On Nov. 18, 2019, York was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, making him only the fifth coach in NCAA history to be inducted and the first to exclusively coach at the collegiate level. On Dec. 9, 2021, he was officially inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
As a player, York was a three-year letterman with the Eagles from 1964 to 1967 and had 134 points (64 goals, 70 assists) in 81 games. His points total also ranks him among the school’s all-time leaders in career points, goals and assists, and single-season points and assists. In 1967, York was named to the All-America First Team, All-New England Team, and won the Walter Brown Award given to the best American collegiate player in New England. The Eagles went 60-26 while York was on the squad, won the Beanpot in 1965, and finished second at the 1965 NCAA tournament. His Boston College jersey was retired April 12, 2010.
York has coached four Hobey Baker Award winners – George McPhee (1980), Brian Holzinger (1992), Mike Mottau (1997), and Johnny Gaudreau (2012). In addition to the award winners, York coached 39 top-10 finalists and 13 Hobey Hat Trick finalists.
York will be honored along with this year’s Hobey Baker Award winner at the annual Hobey Baker Award banquet and golf outing this summer in St. Paul, Minn. Banquet and golf information will be available soon by visiting the Hobey website.
Key Hobey Baker announcement dates for 2023 include:
• Top Ten list of candidates: March 15
• Hobey Hat Trick of three finalists: March 30
• Hobey Baker Award announcement: April 7
The 2023 Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced from a field of three Hobey Hat Trick finalists on April 7 during the NCAA Frozen Four championship in Tampa. The award ceremony will be broadcast nationally on NHL Network and streamed live at hobeybaker.com.
