Official Shawn Walsh Memory Thread

[King]

One other tidbit: I see alot of people mentioning how terrible it is that his three boys will grow up without a father. He also left a daughter, no?

[Alicat]

I was driving home from work when I thought that I heard mention of you...but I didn't hear enough of it to be sure. I came home and told my wife that I had to look something up online, and unfortunately my fears were confirmed.

Coach, we met several times at Snively Arena during the early years. You probably wouldn't remember me. I learned to hate you and your teams, but that was out of fear of playing against you. In meeting you I realized that you were a real person. In seeing you with other HE coaches I realized how much you were respected. I watched. I learned. I learned that you were a master of the game I love.

Thank you for making my life a little better. In meeting you and seeing you succeed in what you did, I saw a tenacity that I can only be jealous of. You were a fighter. You were a winner. I will miss having the oppotunity to chant at you, to jeer you, to be afraid of our team playing your team. But most importantly, once again, thank you.

-A lifetime UNH fan

[Bizzaro]

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Shawn Walsh. I have never talked to the man but can understand that effectiveness of his coaching. Coaching not only improves players skills on the ice but your development as a human. The list is long of drafted players and all-americans but in many different ways Coach Walsh touched lives that will never be the same. For 17 years he was doing this at this level and who knows how many years before that. We have truely lost not only a great hockey Caoch but a Human. In days where we don't know what way the world is turning we face this. In no disrepect tomorrow we will all get up and do our daily things, however we will all think of this and have sad hearts. Shawn I can speak for everyone on here and when I say, We will miss you !


From a boy in Toronto, who has always been a UNH FAN !

[BlackBearBobby]

Some articles from today's Portland Press Herald:

http://www.portland.com/sports/college/hockey/010926walsh1.shtml
http://www.portland.com/sports/college/hockey/010926walsh2.shtml
http://www.portland.com/sports/college/hockey/010926walsh3.shtml

[UNH_frenzy]

Heart felt condolences to the Walsh family and the entire UMaine community from the UNH Wildcats.

[BlackBearBobby]

Someone had asked where donations in Shawn's memory could be made. From goblackbears.com :

Those who wish to remember Shawn Walsh in a special way may contribute to the Coaches Foundation, a charitable organization.

The Coaches Foundation
P.O. Box 115
Bangor, Maine 04402

Those with questions about the foundation may call 207-990-4075

I just wanted to add that the money that would be donated to the Coach's Foundation now will aid other coaches that have cancer. Hopefully the money can be used on Chris Serino, Head Men's Ice Hockey Coach at Merrimack College, as he was just diagnosed with throat cancer, I believe. So the money that could be donated in memory of Coach Walsh, could be used to save the lives of other coaches, Chris Serino for example.

[nanookfan]

I think I speak for much of the college hockey community when I say college hockey lost one of the all time great coaches in Shawn Walsh. I've always admired the way he could put a team together and win consistently.

To the Walsh family, my deepest sympathies are with you. As a Merrimack fan, I was fortunate enough to watch many Maine games over many years at the Volpe Complex. I also remember quite well the series in the 1994-1995 season when the Black Bears made the trip to play the Nanooks. His teams travelled far and wide to play teams all over the country, and I hope his successor does the same.

[Bainsey]

Originally posted by King
One other tidbit: I see alot of people mentioning how terrible it is that his three boys will grow up without a father. He also left a daughter, no?

A stepdaughter.

[wildbill]

As a UMaine alumnus and rabid hockey fan that saw the program through its best times (42-1-2) and the worst times (the season right after 42-1-2) I can say that Shawn Walsh was the epitome of sportsmanship throughout his coaching career. He will be missed.

[kellyd2727]

May god bless Walshy's Family, both blood and UMaine.

[Puck Swami]

There are very few people in the college hockey world that truly transcended it, and Shawn Walsh was one of them.

Consider:

He took a backwater, isolated school from futility to a feared national powerhouse with perhaps the greatest championship season in modern history, then fell down, picked himself up and got his program to win an NCAA title again. No one has ever done that.

He recruited and coached the greatest player in the history of college hockey's modern era in Paul Kariya. No one has ever done that.

He basically galvanized the state of Maine and put it on the sports map. No one had ever done that.

He grabbed the eastern hockey old-boys club by the throat and dragged it upward with him, until Hockey East was the equal of the WCHA and CCHA through his aggreesive international recruiting and coaching style. No one had ever done that.

No one worked harder and cared more for his players, his school and his game than he did, and if we learned anything from him, we learn the value of work ethic and loyalty. If all of us put 1/2 the effort into our lives that he put into his, we'd all be masters of our own universes...

So Shawn leaves us for the big rink in the sky. Right now, he's probably holding court with Badger Bob Johnson, John MacInnes, Snooks Kelley, Eddie Jeremiah and John Mariucci.

And I'm sure he's talking their ear off...

Godspeed, Shawn.

We will remember you as long as this game is played...

[BCFinn09]

I've never been a Shawn Walsh fan. But his accomplishments in both the hockey world and life are truly commendable and I respect him for that. My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family during this tragic time.

[Jim McSweeney]

well stated, Puck Swami.

[saltydog]

"If you don't have the best of everything.....make the best of evrything you have."
Shawn Walsh

[MaineAttraction]

I went to the Alfond Arena the morning after Coach Walsh passed away. As an alumni and hockey fan since 82, it was where I needed to be. It was about 8:30 am and as I watched the students make their way across campus, it was obvious that the news had been delivered. I went into the Alfond and then to the ice and found that I was all alone. As I looked down on the ice that had just been resurfaced and prepared for what was supposed to be the first day of practice, I stood in disbelief of yesterdays news. I looked down on the ice and pictured Coach Walsh marching on the ice with the crowd on its feet and the Stein song playing like it did every winter in Orono. But all too soon the sounds drifted off and I realized that I would never see this great coach again. I looked up at the National Championship banners and as my eyes teared up, the banners started to flutter as if a strange wind had entered the building. At that point I knew that Maine Hockey was still alive and someone was watching all that entered the Alfond...

[Chuck Murray]

The life story of Shawn Walsh, UMaine hockey coach is a classic tale of redemption. Chapter One - a young iconoclastic outsider comes in, upsets the Hockey East applecart by doing things in ways his fellow coaches are unaccustomed to, and in the process leads his program to the top of the heap.

Chapter Two - iconoclastic outsider gets carried away, goes over the line, gets caught, and is brought to heel by the powers-that-be for his offenses. Both he and his program suffer as a result. He comes to a professional crossroads, and is faced with a decision: run from the problems and take a job elsewhere, or stick it out and try to restore his program to its former glory.

Chapter Three - humbled, remorseful coach shuns the easy way out, and selects the hard road to restoring his program despite suffering through penalties brought about under his watch. It is not an easy, overnight process, but steady progress is made, and previously-damaged fences are mended along the way. A noticeable change in demeanor is obvious, yet the program does eventually return to the same level of success - top of the heap.

Chapter Four - with professional and personal vindication intact, the older, wiser coach is poised for the prime years of his career when he runs smack into the biggest, most difficult opponent he has ever faced. A daunting foe that fights in a silent, unrelenting manner. Using all of the lessons he has learned over the course of his professional life, he attacks the opponent fiercely and gives no quarter. Both friends and former foes galvanize in support of his battle, and in the end it matters not that the coach succumbs to the relentless, inexhaustible opponent.

It seems appropos that even at the end, Coach didn't lose the fight of his life. Like his teams, he never stopped battling ... but eventually, having expended all of his energies to repel the foe, he just simply ran out of gas. There was nothing left in his tank to ward off his opponent, which moved in while his defenses were down to bring the battle to its inevitable conclusion.

It's a conclusion that leaves the college hockey world - even those of us who didn't see eye-to-eye with the iconoclastic outsider - with a painfully empty feeling that touches the core of our spirits.

Godspeed, Walshy ... the old place just won't be the same without you ... :(:(

[acs64]

I just called into the office and found out about Shawn's passing. Here in San Antonio, Texas, as you would expect, it is not on the front page or sports pages of any newspapers, and I have not logged onto this board for awhile.

A sad day for all of college hockey. I cannot add anything that probably hasnt already been said in the 10 plus pages of this thread. He brought Hockey East to a level of play at par with Western hockey and for that all of HE should be grateful.

His competitive fire and intensity will be sorely missed in the league in the years to come. Tim Whitehead will have all Maine fans total respect and support as he begins this most difficult job of trying to continue the excellence that was known as Maine Hockey.

My best wishes and condolences to his family and friends.....What a great coach, a great man........his name will be spoken amongst the greatest college hockey coaches of his era. May he rest in peace.........

GO BLUE

[Minuteman in A2]

My aunt and uncle got Umaine season tickets as they became D1. I grew up rooting for Walshy and the black bears and they provided some of the best hockey moments i have ever witnessed. When Umaine came down to amherst in '98, ranked # 1, we upset the black bears and shawn was FURIOUS (much to our delight). before the game the next night, we were howling at walsh, and he merely smiled and help up his hand with the largest blue gem i have ever seen on it. thats how i like to think of shawn walsh, as a champion.

[blkbear]

Originally posted by acs64 Thank you Mr. Murray. This from a Wildcat fan is special.
I just called into the office and found out about Shawn's passing. Here in San Antonio, Texas, as you would expect, it is not on the front page or sports pages of any newspapers, and I have not logged onto this board for awhile.

A sad day for all of college hockey. I cannot add anything that probably hasnt already been said in the 10 plus pages of this thread. He brought Hockey East to a level of play at par with Western hockey and for that all of HE should be grateful.

His competitive fire and intensity will be sorely missed in the league in the years to come. Tim Whitehead will have all Maine fans total respect and support as he begins this most difficult job of trying to continue the excellence that was known as Maine Hockey.

My best wishes and condolences to his family and friends.....What a great coach, a great man........his name will be spoken amongst the greatest college hockey coaches of his era. May he rest in peace.........

GO BLUE