Southborough's Brown to participate in Beanpot for first time as head coach

Greg Brown’s hockey career took him to the pinnacle of the sport both nationally and internationally.

He played in the National Hockey League and the Olympic Games. While playing for Boston College, he was nominated as a two-time Hobey Baker finalist and earned two Hockey East MVP awards and All-America honors.

Boston College has won 20 Beanpot championships, but not with Brown on the ice. The teams he played on in 1987, ‘89 and ‘90 lost in the first round each year.

The St. Mark’s School graduate and former Southborough resident will participate in the Beanpot on Monday for the first time as a head coach when his Eagles (9-10-6) play No. 8-ranked Harvard (15-6-1) at 5 p.m. at TD Garden. (No. 3 Boston University, the defending Beanpot champions, and Northeastern play at 8 p.m.).

Brown was an Eagles assistant from 2004-18, a stretch where BC won three national championships. He did not play college hockey in 1988 as a sophomore in order to play for Team USA in the Calgary Winter Olympics.

"I don't feel like it's (the Beanpot) a brand new experience," Brown told the Daily News in a phone interview after Sunday's practice. "Hopefully I can use some of the things I learned to figure out how to have our team play our best hockey."

BC won five consecutive Beanpots from 2010-14 when Brown assisted head coach Jerry York.

The Eagles are seventh in the 11-team Hockey East standings and a month remains before the postseason, but the Beanpot represents a chance to play some of the most meaningful games of the season.

"It's our first part of the season where everything is magnified," Brown said. "There's a trophy on the line. Everything matters more; every faceoff, every power play or penalty kill. It's a single-elimination tournament against teams that you really want to beat."

Brown never had the chance to skate around the Garden ice as a player with the coveted Pot, but did play in a memorable consolation game.

During his freshman year, in 1987, the Eagles played Harvard in the third-place game, a game BC won 7-6 in overtime when a slap shot from near center ice by Ken Hodge Jr. went into the net as time expired. The victory gave BC coach Len Ceglarski his 556^th career win, setting an all-time record at the time. It was the last time a consolation game went to overtime.

The game also included future NHL players Bob Sweeney, Craig Janney, Kevin Stevens and Brian Leetch from BC and Harvard’s Don Sweeney. Harvard’s captain was future Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli and local Crimson players included Andy Janfaza (Natick), Allen Bourbeau (Acton-Boxborough) and Ed Krayer (Acton).

"As a player, the Beanpot was not a fond memory for me," Brown said. "As an assistant coach all those years, seeing our guys have the opportunity to win, was very gratifying. It's a big event in its own right and it can also spur you on for the rest of the season. It's a two-fold excitement winning that tournament."

Brown played in the 1992 Albertville Olympics after he was drafted 26th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1986 NHL draft. He played for Pittsburgh and Winnipeg in addition to Buffalo, scoring four goals and adding 14 assists in his NHL career. He played eight more seasons in Europe, retired in 2003 and, after coaching with York at BC, was an assistant coach for the New York Rangers until 2021.

Brown was hired in May of last year to replace York, who had retired as college hockey’s winningest coach (1,123). Brown is just BC’s fifth head coach over the past 90 years. His younger brother Doug was a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Detroit Red Wings (‘97, ‘98), part of a 15-season NHL career in which he scored 160 goals.

After playing under Ceglarski, who won 673 career games, and coaching with York, Brown isn't feeling any pressure to fill their shoes.

"They had such impressive runs and really helped build the foundation for where BC hockey is today," he said. "Of course I want to keep that tradition going and hopefully have some of the success that they had one the ice. But also importantly, to keep the culture and the feeling of BC hockey so positive on campus by doing things the right way."

Brown is one of many area participants on Beanpot rosters:

Boston College

Cam Burke, Boxborough, Gr., F

Has two goals (both vs. UMass-Amherst on Jan. 7) and six assists this season. Played four seasons at Notre Dame, where the Irish won the Big Ten championship his freshman season. Played at Noble and Greenough.

Jack Dempsey, Natick, So., F

Has yet to play for the Eagles. Played one year at Natick High, two at Catholic Memorial and two at Dexter Southfield, where he totaled 51 points in 30 games as a senior. Also played for the Jr. Bruins.

Connor Joyce, Dedham, So., F

Has three goals and four assists, including a goal and an assist in a 9-6 win over Boston University on Dec. 9. Was a team captain at St. Sebastian’s.

Jack Moffat, Wellesley, Sr., G

Has not appeared in a game for the Eagles since 2020.

Played at St. Sebastian’s and for the Boston Jr. Eagles and Boston Jr. Terriers.

Christian O’Neill, Westwood, Gr., F

Has three goals and two assists. Played four seasons at Princeton, serving as a captain during his senior year. Attended Belmont Hill.

Henry Wilder, Needham, Jr., G

Appeared in three games this season, allowing just one goal in just under 18 minutes of play. Earned first win – and had an assist - as an Eagle in his college debut with 30 saves against UConn in 2020. Owns the Hotchkiss School single-season record for highest save percentage (.942) and career record for games played (66)

Boston University

John Copeland, Wellesley, Sr., D

Played in 15 games for Terriers with no points and is a +4. Played at Belmont Hill, serving as captain senior year.

Jay O'Brien, Hingham, Sr., F

Four goals and 19 assists. Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round (19th overall) in 2018. Received the Boston Bruins' John Carlton Memorial Award as the most outstanding high school or junior hockey player in Eastern Massachusetts. Played at Thayer Academy, where he was named to the All-USA Hockey Player of the Year Award, after totaling 43 goals and 37 assists in just 30 games in 2017-18. His coach at Thayer was former Boston University and NHL player Tony Amonte.

Northeastern University

James Davenport, Natick, Jr., D

Has appeared in six games with no points. Played at St. Sebastian’s and for the Victoria Grizzlies of the British Columbia Hockey League. Also played for the Boston Jr. Eagles.

Matt DeMelis, Hingham, Sr., F

Appeared in 25 games and has two goals and five assists. Played the 2018-2019 season in the USHL for Youngstown Phantoms (60 games), finishing with 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists).

Jack Hughes, Westwood, So., F

Younger brother of Riley has four goals and seven assists, including three points vs. Harvard on Jan. 1. Had an assist in last year’s Beanpot. Second round draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2022. Played with the USA U18 and U17 teams in the World Championships. Father Kent is general manager of the Montreal Canadiens.

Riley Hughes, Westwood, Sr., F

Alternate captain has a goal and four assists. Drafted in the seventh round by the New York Rangers in 2018. Also played for the Junior A Vancouver Grizzlies, where he finished the 2018-19 season with 58 points (24 goals and 34 assists), the fourth-most by a rookie in each category.

Chase McInnis, Hingham, So., F

Appeared in two games this season with no points. Played at Dexter Southfield. His father, Marty, played in the NHL for 12 seasons and totaled 420 points.

Anthony Messuri, Arlington, Fr., F

Has appeared in three games with no points. Four-year varsity hockey player at Arlington High School, where he won the John Carlton Memorial Award from the Boston Bruins in 2020, the first public high school player to win the award since 1999. Scored 41 goals to go with 71 assists during his career for the Spy Ponders and was on two teams that won Super 8 championships. His father, John, the head coach at Arlington, is the all-time leading scorer at Princeton (178 points).

Harvard University

Sean Farrell, Hopkinton, Jr., F

Leads team and Ivy League with 34 points, including 22 assists, and ranks second in the nation in points per game (1.62). Farrell represented Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, leading the team in scoring with six points. Drafted in the fourth round by the Montreal Canadiens in 2020. Led USHL in assists (41 in 44 games) during the 2019-20 season while playing for the Chicago Steel. Had 27 goals and 28 assists in 28 games for St. Mark's in 2016-17.

Luke Khozozian, Weston, So., F

Has yet to skate in a game this season. Belmont Hill captain for 2019-20 season.

Ian Moore, Concord, So., D

Has 10 assists and is a +11 on the season. He has blocked a team-high 26 shots. Drafted in the third round by the Anaheim Ducks in 2020. Named to ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team last season. At St. Mark’s for the 2019-20 season, Moore was the top scorer for New England prep hockey defensemen with 46 points.

Henry Thrun, Southborough, Sr., D

Harvard’s top scoring defenseman with 23 points. Had five assists against Bentley last season and earned two assists in last year’s Beanpot. Drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2019. Played at St. Mark’s and won a gold medal at the 2017 U17 World Hockey Challenge.

Philip Tresca, Newton, Fr., F

One goal and four assists. Played at Rivers School. Totaled 54 points in 61 games for the Muskegon Lumberjacks last season.

Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimDumas.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Southborough's Brown, local hockey players set for 70th Beanpot