By E.M. Swift
CATHOLIC MEMORIAL West Roxbury, Mass.
People have told Bill Hanson, the fiery coach of Catholic Memorial in West Roxbury, Mass., that he reminds them of Bobby Knight, and not just because both win. "I'm kind of high-spirited," Hanson says, "but I'm working on channeling it in a positive direction."
Hanson, 57, says this with a twinkle in his eye. With 503 wins, and having won 16 state titles in the last 21 years, most recently in 2005, Hanson won't be changing his style anytime soon. When he curses a blue streak after a player messes up, he doesn't apologize. "The American vernacular contains these words," he says with a shrug. "It's part of life."
Ted Donato, who played forward for the Boston Bruins for nine seasons and is now coach at Harvard, is one of the 26 NHL draft picks Hanson has coached. He credits Hanson with being ahead of other high school coaches in using video, creating power plays and forechecking systems, and says Hanson's practices are more fast-paced than any Donato experienced in college or the NHL. Sometimes Hanson can push the limits: In '88 he threw one of his players up against the glass after the kid rolled his eyes at a criticism. In '96 he challenged one of his stars to a fight in the locker room after he'd mouthed off during the postgame handshakes. Years later, at weddings and christenings, they laugh about it. "I'm old school," says Hanson, who is also CM's guidance counselor. "We're a private Catholic school. We educate the entire kid. If I had to go around being politically correct, they'd see my backside real fast."
None of his players want that. "I've grown up a ton in my three years playing for him," says Mike Keenan, a senior on this year's team, which was 4-0 through Sunday. "He cares about everything: what you wear, how you stand during the national anthem. If he tells you to skate around a circle in practice, you'd better not cut corners."
Ted Donato, class of 1987, is one of several Hanson graduates to go on to the NHL.
Chris Nilan, class of '76 This enforcer, one of nine NHL players to spend more than 3,000 minutes in the penalty box, holds the record for most penalties in a game, with 10. He played for 13 seasons and won a Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1986.
Paul Stanton '85 The college All-America defenseman at Wisconsin won Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and '92.
Jim Carey '92 Carey won the Vezina Trophy with the Washington Capitals in 1995-96, going 35-24-9 with a 2.26 goals-against average.
Chris O'Sullivan '92 In 1995 the defenseman led BU to a national title. He played parts of five seasons with three NHL teams.
Jim Fahey '98 The defenseman has skated for the San Jose Sharks and the New Jersey Devils -- for whose AHL affiliate in Lowell, Mass., he currently plays.
-- Joe Lemire
