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Looking
ahead to the Agganis Arena
Jack Parker hails new arena as versatile venue for University activities
By Brian Fitzgerald
When it comes to BU hockey, Jack Parker is pleased with the past, but he is fired up about the future. Parker, who has begun his 30th year as coach, feels the same way about his team’s home rink.
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| Jack Parker, BU hockey coach and executive director of athletics, Nick Tsiotis, coauthor of Harry Agganis, “The Golden Greek,” Phil and Paul Agganis, brothers of the late Harry Agganis (SED’54), BU Chancellor John Silber, David F. D’Alessandro, chairman and CEO of John Hancock Financial Services, Inc., and a BU trustee, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, BU President Emeritus Jon Westling, and BU Trustee Chairman Richard B. DeWolfe (MET’71) (from left), at the October 16 event celebrating the naming of the John Hancock Student Village and the Harry Agganis Arena, and the opening of the complex’s new track and tennis center. Photo by Kalman Zabarsky | |
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With a nod to 31-year-old Walter Brown Arena, Parker also speaks with
excitement about the construction of the Harry Agganis Arena, a 6,200-seat
facility scheduled to open in late 2004.
“Walter Brown Arena has been a fabulous place to play because of
the great home ice advantage,” says Parker (SMG’68, Hon.’97),
who is also BU’s executive director of athletics. “But with
this new arena we will leap ahead to set a new standard of excellence
among hockey venues. And it will be just as loud as the old one.”
Parker joined BU administrators, including Chancellor John Silber, and
members of the BU community, as well as Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, at
the October 16 naming ceremony for the John Hancock Student Village, which
will include the new arena, being built on the 10-acre site of the old
National Guard Armory.
“When I first started coaching, we had the best arena in the league,
and one of the best arenas in college hockey,” Parker says. “But
it became apparent years ago that we would need a new facility.”
To be sure, Walter Brown Arena has been good to Parker’s teams.
With a capacity of 3,806 and a low ceiling, it quickly gained a reputation
as a claustrophobic nightmare for the opposition. Every voice in the stands
can be heard, creating a loud cacophony for visiting teams. The hockey
Terriers have enjoyed a .728 winning percentage in the building, and they
were undefeated there during the 1974-75, 1975-76, 1977-78, 1978-79, and
1999-2000 seasons. In recent years, however, it has been frequently sold
out, shutting out all but the most rabid fans during important games and
playoffs.
As soon as plans were announced for a new home for BU hockey, Parker consulted with University officials and the architectural firm, CannonDesign, about the facility’s design. He wanted to ensure that his team retained home ice advantage, which could have been lost in a oversized venue with no personality and plenty of empty “nosebleed” seats near the rafters. “We wanted to make sure that we could fill it,” he says, “and we wanted to make sure that the players could hear an enthusiastic crowd. Plus, it will have all the other amenities that will make it a much nicer, more comfortable situation for the players and the fans.”
The arena, named for the late Harry Agganis (SED’54), a standout BU athlete, Red Sox first baseman, and community hero, will be expandable to 7,200 spectators, and include concourse-level boxes, chairback seating, a lounge, and two levels of underground parking. “Our weight room will be second to none, and the video theater will be a great place to watch game films,” says Parker.
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| The Harry Agganis Arena will seat 6,200 spectators for hockey games. Architect’s concept by CannonDesign |
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The arena will be the centerpiece of the John Hancock Student Village, which was named in recognition of a corporate sponsorship of $20 million from John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. The project’s first phase, an 817-bed residence hall, opened in 2000. The 80,000-square-foot track and tennis center on Ashford St. was ready this fall, and a fitness and recreation center is scheduled for completion in early 2005. Additional residence halls will also be built.
Parker points out that the arena will also provide a badly needed midsized venue for cultural events and performances in Boston, as well as for large alumni gatherings, conventions, professional meetings, and trade shows.
Those plans are appreciated by BU Trustee David D’Alessandro,
chairman and CEO of John Hancock. “I have been very impressed with
the fact that BU has expressed a willingness to use the facilities for
the community,” he says. “This arena will enable many smaller
organizations to experience world-class facilities and enhance sports
and entertainment in New England.”
Gifts and pledges to the Student Village, including John Hancock’s
corporate sponsorship, now top $47 million, putting BU close to its first-stage
fundraising goal of $50 million. “We’ll raise a total of about
$2 million from our former players,” Parker says. “We’ve
had a great response from them, especially from our NHL-ers.”
The arena “will certainly make it easier for us to recruit student
athletes,” says Parker. “From an appearance point of view
and from a functional point of view, our new rink won’t take a backseat
to anyone’s facility. When Boston University does something, it
does it right.” The entire John Hancock Student Village project
“will absolutely, positively make a huge difference in the feel
and look of the campus. For the student who lives here, the campus will
feel like it’s unified.”
18 October 2002
Boston University
Office of University Relations