Official Shawn Walsh Memory Thread

After just hearing of the passing of Shawn Walsh, I feel that it is appropriate to honor his life and his tremendous coaching career by allowing people to post their favorite memories of his life and his coaching.

Mine has to be the game against Providence in 1998 when he stood up on the back of the bench and urged the crowd on with the Black Bears down 2-0. Maine scored three goals in 5 minutes to win 3-2.

He was a great man and a great coach. He will be sorely missed in both capacities.

[Jake]

I too just heard the news. Very, very, heartbreaking. As with all Maine fans I was one hoping that this would be one more battle that he would have won. Unfortunately he didn't, I salute his valiant effort.

My thoughts are with his family and close friends.

My most personal memory is the same as Adam's. That moment during that critical PC game and he got the crowd up and the team up and we went on to win. It was amazing. UMaine hockey will never be the same.

Wow...to listen to Dan Hannigan be on the verge of breaking down was amazing and I knew what was going immediately I didn't want to hear the words....

God rest his soul.

[walrus]

I have so many memories I can't list them all. I guess standing on the dasher yelling at whatever ref. Its a sad sad day in Maine hockey and more importantly for all the people Shawn touched in a personal way. My thoughts are with Shawns kids, wife, parents and other family. I'm so sorry.

[sig]

Just want to expreess my heartfelt regrets to the family and Maine fans. Go bears!

[archon70]

My thoughts go out to the family and friends of Coach Walsh. He was a man unlike no other. May his memory and legacy live on through others......

Erik

[Maine Pudge]

Maine hockey truely will never be the same. All the joy I feel when Maine wins and sometimes even when Maine loses can be attributed to him, the goosebumps I get when Maine takes the ice, the pride I take in wearing a Maine hockey hat, even when i'm enrolled at BC, the absolutely indescribable feeling I get when time after time, Maine pulls off a last minute win in the big game...it is all because of Shawn Walsh. Thank you Shawn because only you can make that possible. What he did for the hockey program at Maine and even the whole state of Maine is, at best, only paralleled, never surpassed by anyone in any sport at any level at any college. My condolences go out to the players and to his family. Maine hockey and college hockey and ice hockey in general has lost a great person.

-Andy

[Zlax45]

Sean Walsh was a great guy. I never meet him him in person but he was a great guy and an awesome hockey coach. I hope that everyone can recover from this tragic loss.

Truly sad news about the passing of Coach Walsh. He was a fighter right up until the end and will be sorely missed by Hockey fans around the Country. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. In my opinion, there was never a team that I dreaded facing more than a Walsh coached Black Bear team.

[KLEINER!!!]

To me, Shawn Walsh was Maine Hockey. The program, as well as the rest of the conference, will never be the same. I can speak for all of BU when I say that we'll miss you.

I have been a Hockey East fan ever since the league began back when I was in grade school.

There were times when you would be infuriated by Shawn Walsh's antics on the bench, times when you dispised the Black Bears for how good they were -- and when controversity reared its head with the violations the program endured.

And yet, after all those years spent watching Maine grow into a national power, I developed a true respect for Coach Walsh. Everything he did, he did it for the good of his team. Every tantrum he threw on the bench, he seemed that he did it to fire up his squad. (And I will never forget what the on-ice officials did by removing him from his final game in the Centrum last March -- something they should be even more ashamed of now than before.)

I have to say I've never seen ANY coach get as much out of his players as Walsh did. No matter what the talent level was, Maine would be there fighting away, Walsh getting everything out of the players' capabilities and then some.

His enthusiasm, his honesty -- if you were a true college hockey fan, you couldn't help but admire everything he did for his team and the game. It goes without saying that Maine hockey will never be the same, and college hockey itself has lost one of its greatest champions.

We will ALL miss you, Coach Walsh.

[Lou]

My most vivid memory of Shawn Walsh was watching him yelling "Bleeping Rabbit Ears!" at the CCHA ref who then tossed him out of the game, his last as Maine coach, against BC in the NCAA's. He was a great coach who overcame personal and professional adversity. It would be fitting if the Bears could win the title.

[Handyman]

For once, this Gopher fan is speechless...my heart goes out to his family and friends...and all the fans of Maine. A sad day indeed

I want to extend my condolences & those of several Northeastern fans at the very sad news & passing of Coach Walsh. Shawn Walsh (as rightly said) was Maine Hockey.

His fiery presence will be missed as much in Matthews Arena as in Maine; not to mention by thousands of folks nationwide.

Our prayers & thoughts extend to his family.

I think the greatest memories I have of Shawn surround the simply fact that he loved what he did. I can't recall how many times, win or lose, he would proclaim after a hard fought game that "THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR COLLEGE HOCKEY!!"

That passion for the game cannot be faked. Coach was one in a million and we will miss him profoundly.

[gscott13]

stunned... nothing more to say

I echo the same sentiments as fellow NU fans...

a sad day in a sad month. If they ever build a new arena for Maine Hockey... his name should go on it.

Rest in peace Coach.

[BCeagle]

I just turnd on the news and found out. My condolences to the Walsh family and to Maine fans. This is truly a great loss for all of college hockey. Coach Walsh was in the prime of his life and I am truly saddened by this news. We're all going to miss him.

[phb]

My thoughts and prayers to Coach Walsh's family and the entire Maine hockey community.

He was a competitor--a force behind the bench. It won't seem the same when Maine visits the Whit this year. Rest in peace.

Peter

[Gibber]

We'll miss you coach. You were one of the best.

[rufus]

adam, this is one thread i certainly wished i'd never have to be posting on. it never truly entered my mind that this would be a battle that coach wouldn't win. i feel sick, there's a huge knot in my stomach.

it's easy to say how much maine hockey will miss him. he basically built the program from nothing. but he was more than just a great hockey coach. what he did for the state of maine as a whole was just as important as what he did for maine hockey. "this one's for everyone in the state of maine" he said after 1993, and he wasn't just saying it, he truly understood how much it meant for our school and state, and people.


i never really knew him personally, but did have occasion to greet and chat with him a couple of times. and he was always polite, enthusiastic, and willing to spend a few minutes, no matter the occasion or demands on his time. he truly cared for the game, his players, and the fans.

my favorite walsh memory(there are so many) is this: the son of a guy i know went to a baseball clinic put on by wink and the rest of the umaine staff, and shawn was asked to speak to the kids, i believe about preparation, motivation and work ethic, something along those lines. when this kid came home, he told his father that he was all set to go play hockey for the man, walsh's talk made that much of an impression upon him.

also, the number of kids i've either talked with myself, or others told me about, who, after seeing maine teams play, wanted nothing more than to play hockey at the university of maine.

god bless you shawn. all of my best to your family and friends in this saddest of times.