Official Shawn Walsh Memory Thread

[TerryBranigan]

I was very saddened to read about Shawn Walsh's passing this morning in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. I played club hockey at Bowling Green under Shawn during the 77-78 & 78-79 seasons. It was apparent even then that he was focused on becoming a great hockey coach, despite the fact that he was so young at the time. I know he learned a lot from Ron Mason during that time, and he passed a lot of that hockey sense on to all of his players (including those of us who were just Ohio H.S. stiffs). At the same time, he seemed to know when to take things seriously, and when to let loose. My condolences go out to all of his family, as well as the entire Maine hockey community.

[Rabid Gopher]

I want to give my deepest sympathies to the Maine players, coaches and fans. The world of hockey lost a good one :(

As a Gopher fan I can remember the regional game against Maine last March like it was yestserday. I can't believe he went so fast. I thought he had the cancer beat. He looked like he was as full of energy as anyone else during that game and the tournament. I was really down when the Black Bears beat the Gophers in O.T., but I have to say it was one of the games that will stick in my memory as a great one! The only other that is so clear in my mind is the game against Michigan in 1996 (I think??) when Mike Legg scored that freaky over the goalies shoulder goal.

Hang tough....

[wyman]

My favorite memory of Coach Walsh was when Maine played at the 1991 Frozen Four in St. Paul.

They played Northern Michigan, and he had hired the Blaine High School band to be the band for the Maine team. Blaine HS has the same school colors as Maine, so if you were to just glance at the band, you would think they were the real deal.

Apparently a year or two earlier, Walsh had been scouting a Blaine player and made a mental note that the school colors were the same. Genius.

My deepest sympathies to the Walsh family and Maine fans everywhere.

[JAM]

I attend UMaine from 88-93. During that time I had the pleasure of meeting Shawn on a couple of occasions when I baby sat for his kids. He was a great guy as well as a great coach. He always got the best from his players. Very rarely did you see a flat UMaine team.

For me there are a few UMaine hockey memories that stand out. One was the triple overtime win vs PC in the first round of the HE Tournament. The great overtime win vs UNH to win there second National Title. And finally their first title and the first National title for the school, I will never forget that game. I was on a Rugby road trip to URI, most of the team was in a bar watching the game all standing around one TV. When Jim scored the winning goal we went crazy, We were all filled with so much pride.

Good Bye Shawn, you will be missed. My deepest sympathies go out to his wife and kids.

[My Friend Pat]

My condolences go out to Coach Walsh's family. It's always hard to see a good person pass away too soon, but with children it hits you extra hard.

My first recollection of Coach Walsh was back in the fall of 1986. In at least one of the preseason polls BU was #1, and we opened the season with 2 at home vs. Maine. The Black Bears came in and swept us (a disappointing start to a disappointing season). But you couldn't help but notice what a charismatic figure Coach Walsh was on their bench. His career in Maine was amazing.

[Gopho Sapiens]

My condolences to family and friends.

It is a sad day for hockey fans everywhere.

[NCAA watcher]

For all of us who liked to tweak the Maine contingent about all the french players and those with academic issues, the follwoing is a tribute to Walsh's influence on the players to do their best in the classrooms. In particular, Scott King is now in Med School, and a couple of other guys earned their MBAs.

University of Maine
Mike Barkley (Vernon) BS Business (1992) Masters at UBC
Campbell Blair (Vernon) BS Education (1992)
Scott King (Richmond) BS Zoology(1990) Attending Med school
Bruce Major (Vernon) BS with honours (1989)
Dave Nonis (Burnaby) BS (1990), Masters Business (1991)
Lee Saunders (Nanaimo) Grad 94
Claudio Scremin (Richmond) BS with Honours (1990)
Blair Marsh (Victoria) Grad 96
Jason Mansoff (Merritt) Grad 97
Dan Shermerhorn (Vernon) Grad 97
Leo Wlason (Penticton) Grad 97
Steve Kariya (Nanaimo) Grad 99

http://www2.mybc.com/sports/bchl/record_book/college2.html

All-Hockey East Academic Team
Michael Barkley (ME-1989-92)
Campbell Blair (ME-1990)
Trapper Clark (ME-2001)
Kevin Clauson (ME-2000)
Ben Guite (ME-2000)
Markus Gustafsson (ME-1999)
Todd Jackson (ME-2001)
Doug Janik (ME-2001)
Martin Kariya (ME-2000-01)
Paul Kariya (ME-1993)
Steve Kariya (ME-1996-97, 1999)
Dan Kerluke (ME-2000)
Scott King (ME-1989-90)
Cory Larose (ME-1998-2000)
James Leger (ME-1999-2000)
Anders Lundback (ME-1998)
Jason Mansoff (ME-1994-95)
Blair Marsh (ME-1995-96)
Matthew McKerrow (ME-1992)
Peter Metcalf (ME-1999,2001)
Devin Mintz (ME-1992)
Jim Montgomery (ME-1991,1993)
Daniel Murphy (ME-1993)
Scott Pellerin (ME-1992)
Nate Ponitz (ME-1998)
Don Richardson (ME-2001)
Martin Robitaille (ME-1992)
Jean-Ives Roy (ME-1992)
Nils Satterstrom (ME-1997)
Claudio Scremin (ME-1990)
Gray Shaneberger (ME-1999-2001)
Dan Shermerhorn (ME-1994-97)
Garth Snow (ME-1991,1993)
John St. Pierre (ME-1994)
Brian Straub (ME-1991)
Adam Tate (ME-2000)
Eric Turgeon (ME-1998-2001)
Joakim Wahlstrom (ME-1990)
Matt Yeats (ME-2001)

[walrus]

Watcher
FYI Scott King is now an orthopedic surgeon

[walrus]

http://sports.mainetoday.com/college/hockey/010925proreax.shtml

http://sports.mainetoday.com/college/hockey/010925sollcol.shtml

A couple of articles from Portland papers, the second one is probably the best I've read and sums up most of my feelings towards Shawn

Anyone interested in hearing interviews with Tim Whitehead and players, Check out www.zoneradio.com for the next 2 hrs. follow the link to the sports zone.

[lporter]

Maine Hockey will never be the same. I think I spent as much time watching what Shawn did on the bench as I did watching the guys on the ice.
I've been a fan since 5th grade and although the players eventually became "real people" to me in college, Coach Walsh never did. He was larger than life.
May God watch over him and his family....

"Shouting to the rafters ring" may be hard this season, but we will have to do it. Shawn would be disappointed if we didn't.

Shawn Walsh Arena has a great ring to it....

[Smudge]

I just wanted to say Shawn Walsh affected my life. I respect his strength of character. I am a fellow alum class of '93. I must have gone to a dozen home games 1993. College hockey will move on because Walsh would want it to be. I will always have his hockey memories in my mind and will pass onto our children. To all a fan and player - keep the torch high. Love of the game and for loved ones is forever. To Walsh family - I Thank You!

Scott White

[HCSmooth]

Being in the midwest I was somewhat in the dark as to coach Walsh's situation. I knew that he was sick, but had no idea it had gotten that serious that fast. I'm in a state of shock. There's really not much else i can say. I'm left speechless.

[tcranston]

Thanks to all of you for the kindness, the compassion, and the sincerity of your posts here. I am a Maine hockey "lifetime" (of the program, back to Jack Semler) season ticket holder, and the posts from HE opponents' fans have been supremely touching. I sit here and read the kindness from all our "bitter" rivals, and the tears won't stop. It doesn't hurt any less to think that Coach Walsh is gone, but I feel so much more connected to the expanse of sorrow that his passing has caused. I also feel so gratified for all your memories and prayers and poignant sayings.

May God hold Coach Walsh gently in the palm of his hand.

[Husky Fan]

What a terrible shock. Given the long, hard battle Shawn had with his health in the last year, it is so sad to think that it was pneumonia that ultimately was his undoing.

Along with the other NU faithful, I would like to express my deepest sympathies to Shawn's family and the U Maine community. :(

[chuck10]

This is very upsetting news. Shawn Walsh was a great college hockey coach, and an even better person. College hockey will miss Shawn, and I wish his family, friends, and fellow Maine hockey fans the best of luck in this difficult time.

[miwatkin]

god bless the family

[93champs]

It is very sad to read of Coach Walsh's passing. He had risen to great heights, been knocked down and risen again. There are not many who can do that in life.

I had the joy (most of the time) of working with Coach Walsh from the fall of 1991 through the 42-1-2 season in 1993. I could tell stories that would make the most avid BU/BC/UNH fan think he was a saint and stories that would make his most avid supporters think he was a devil.

But he was neither. He was a man. He had flaws. He had noble characteristics. He had a high profile job, so his highs and lows made headlines. There were parts of him I wished I had never seen, but in the end the good far outweighed the bad. If you ask almost any person, whether they played, did stats or filled water bottles in the last 17 years at Maine, they will tell you what a strong, positive influence Coach Walsh was in our lives.

My favorite memory of Coach Walsh was one Friday night in my freshman year. One player had had a lousy week of practice. He played poorly in the first period of our game. After that first period Coach stopped him in the hall outside the locker room. He didn't yell, he didn't berate him. In a soft voice he said, 'What's going on? You know you're better than this. What's happening?' The player started to tear up and admitted that his father had been hospitalized the weekend before. It wasn't clear what was wrong or when his dad would recover. He didn't want to tell anyone about it. Walsh put his hands on his shoulders and asked, 'How can I help?'

Outside the band was playing and the fans were noisy. Inside the locker room the players were trying to get pumped up for the second period. But in that hallway none of that mattered. Finally Walsh told the player that he had a choice to make. He could take some time off, even arrange to take time off from school, to go home and be with the family. Or he could take all the pain he had inside and let it loose on the ice. But Walsh told him, 'If you're going to go out there, you're going to work that much harder, because you're going out there for your dad.'

They went into the locker room and Walsh gave his usual pep talk. The guys lined up and filed out of the locker room. Walsh stood at the door waiting for the decision. Finally the player lifted his head and said, 'I'm ready.'

He scored a goal and set up another that night. Scored a pair of goals the next night and went on to score more than his share of goals by the end of the season. But more importantly, the smile that had been missing came back brighter than ever. And no one could ever convince me that it didn't all go back to that one conversation in the hallway outside the locker room.

I often think back to that moment and consider all the different outcomes that were possible depending upon how Walsh handled the situation. He couldn't have known what the problem was, but somehow he knew how to handle it. I am thankful that I got to witness that moment, although I was terrified to be stuck in that hallway at the time. It is a moment I'll never forget.

Thanks for the memories, Coach. You left all of us, especially those kids, far too early.

[COMterrier]

:( I was truly truly saddened by the death of Shawn Walsh. He was a great coach and even though I don't like Maine (being a BU fan, I don't think I"m allowed to!), I truly respected him. I thought he was a class act. I printed out a picture from the AP Wire today at work and hung it on my computer. It'll stay there for quite a while. I just feel for his three young sons who will have to grow up without a father in their life.
I'll always remember Shawn at the Hockey East Finals in 2000 vs. bc and how he had on a shamrock tie and the players all had shamrocks on their helmets. I thought, "Man, there's an Irishman if I ever saw one!" I never thought it would be his last regular season game.
the sports editor at work made me repent all the jeers we shouted at Shawn throughout the years, but it was only meant in jest, especially if they were beating the Terriers. I remember watching him at Walter Brown Arena, seeing him ready to jump over the boards. I thought someone should tie him down. But that's who he was, and no one can ever take that away.
Thank you for the great memories Shawn. The great plays, the memories, the tirades behind the bench. ;) You made the HE memorable.
Say hello to Ace and Mark for all of us hockey fans down here. And don't give the refs too hard a time up there!

[winger]

Wow I'm shocked ( I seem to be doing that alot this month). I never in my wildest dreams did I think that this would get him. I mean Walshy is a fighter. Say what I may about the whole NCAA thing, he stuck around and made a nice little national champion sandwich out of it. Never thought I would be sigining onto this web site and to see he is gone.
wow, i don't know what to say other than my thought and prayer to his family.

[King]

Originally posted by tcranston
Thanks to all of you for the kindness, the compassion, and the sincerity of your posts here. I am a Maine hockey "lifetime" (of the program, back to Jack Semler) season ticket holder, and the posts from HE opponents' fans have been supremely touching. I sit here and read the kindness from all our "bitter" rivals, and the tears won't stop. It doesn't hurt any less to think that Coach Walsh is gone, but I feel so much more connected to the expanse of sorrow that his passing has caused. I also feel so gratified for all your memories and prayers and poignant sayings.

May God hold Coach Walsh gently in the palm of his hand.

*tcranston--As uplifting as you find it that Maine's "rival" fans are offering their thoughts, favorite memories, etc; many USCHO veterans (like myself) find it equally uplifting to see so many posts from first-timers, newbies, etc. I wish it wasn't under these circumstances, but I find it just as heartwarming to see so many people making their first, second, third or whatever post just to offer their thoughts on the man.

Hope y'all stick around...