By Neal E. Boudette
Mike Grier was named general manager of the San Jose Sharks, becoming the first Black GM in NHL history. He’s also one of several members of the 1995 national championship team who have gone on to have long careers in the NHL either on the ice or in front offices or both.
Chris Drury, a freshman on the ‘95 championship team, is currently the president in general manager of the New York Rangers. Jay Pandolfo, a classmate of Grier’s, was an assistant coach for the Bruins until taking over as a Terriers head coach recently.
John Hynes was head coach the New Jersey Devils and is now head coach of the Nashville predators. Geoff Kealty is the Predators’ director of player personnel and assistant GM. Chris Kelleher is the Wild’s Director of Pro Scouting. Chris O’Sullivan is a longtime Islanders scout.
In the press conference announcing his appointment, Grier was asked about the team that produced this crop of hockey minds.
“It all starts with Coach Parker. He was the leader of those teams, he believed in the team first. [It was a ] Very unselfish group, but he pushed everyone to be the best version of themselves they could be. He believed in us, held us accountable and, I think, we all learned from that. We learned from the ups and downs, the wins and losses. And it’s just a culture he built there that was unbelievable.
“We won a national championship. We lost the year before in the finals, and we came back. No one complained. We had Chris Drury on the fourth line. Everyone knows the career he had. He was on the fourth line, never said a word. Jay Pandolfo was on the third line, a two-times Stanley Cup winner. Never said a word. No one ever complained about their ice time, or was looking for credit, or put the blame on anyone else. That’s a testament to Coach Parker. It’s probably all those lessons and what we learned that’s why we all advanced in hockey.”
Grier is quite a story. His father, Bobby, was an NFL running back from Detroit and moved his family to the Boston area when he was named an assistant coach with the Patriots. Mike and his older brother Chris both started playing hockey at young ages, and Mike ended up focusing on hockey when he was over the weight limit for Pop Warner football.
He played prep hockey at St. Sebastian‘s and came to BU as a walk on - he didn’t have a scholarship. He was also overweight and out of shape. But after a year of working with Mike Boyle, then BU’s strength and conditioning coach, he slimmed down, built muscle, and became a force on the ice.
In his sophomore year he scored 29 goals and had 26 assists for 55 points in 37 games, playing on the first line with Chris O’Sullivan and Steve Thornton. The Terriers swept the hardware that year. They beat BC to win the Beanpot, beat Providence in the Hockey East title game and then knocked off Lake Superior (6-2 in revenge for the previous year), Minnesota and hated Maine to win their fourth national championship.
Grier was drafted — in the 9th round in 1993 by the St. Louis Blues, 219th overall. And by his junior session with the Terriers, he was a serious prospect.
He was slowed by a knee injury in his junior season but still managed 21-26-47, and then signed with the Oilers.
He spent six seasons in Edmonton, one and part of a second with Washington, two with Buffalo, three with San Jose and two more with Buffalo.
He built a reputation as a rugged third liner and sold penalty killer. Grier retired with 162 goals, 221 assists, and 383 points in 1,060 NHL games.
