THE BEANPOT: A SPORTS TREASURE

For two Mondays every February, fans in the college hockey hotbed of the northeast focus all of their attention on the TD Banknorth Garden. Home to the NHL's Boston Bruins, the Garden plays host to one of the most cherished annual events in the hockey world: the Beanpot. For 57 years now, the Beanpot has brought Boston's four college hockey teams--BC, BU, Northeastern, and Harvard--together to determine bragging rights and bring pride and glory back to their respective student bodies and fan bases. Quite simply, the Beanpot is one of the greatest events in all of sports because it blends the historical significance of some of college hockey's most prestigious programs with the civic pride that comes from having all four teams call the same city home. Add it all up and you get one of hockey's most entertaining spectacles each and every year.

One obvious reason for the tournament's annual success is the fact that all four schools are only a couple of miles apart. According to Jack Parker, Boston University's head coach for the past 36 seasons, "the fact that it's the same four schools makes all the difference in the world." The close proximity of the universities means fans of one school almost always know fans from another, which raises the stakes for the players out on the ice. Winning is that much sweeter when you defeat your primary rivals, and just as important to the victory of one team is the defeat of the other three.

The history of the four teams also adds a layer of rich tradition to the annual February showdown. Three teams--BC, BU, and Harvard--have all been crowned NCAA Champions, with Boston College taking last year's crown. In fact, BU has won four national titles, BC three, and Harvard one back in 1989. Northeastern, the one Beanpot school that has never had the honor of winning a national championship, is by far the school with the least amount of success. But each year, the Huskies get a shot at their more successful older brothers on Boston's biggest stage. When NU's Tim Judy scored in double overtime to move a struggling Northeastern squad past Harvard (a top-10 team at the time) in 2005's tournament, it was the defining moment of his four years in college hockey. Said Judy "that was by far the biggest goal I've scored in my career. On that stage, in this environment, it was unbelievable." Northeastern appears to have as good a chance as anyone to win the 2009 event, as they are one of the top teams in Hockey East this season, and are currently ranked third in the nation.

The pageantry, passion, history, and emotion of the Beanpot continue to go unmatched. From the first Monday in February--when the first round is played--to the next week's final, all eyes in Boston will be firmly focused on the action at the TD Banknorth Garden. When finally the captain of one of these four programs will get to lift the Beanpot over his head, his program will be the talk of the town. At least until next February, when we'll do it all over again.