Gridiron Club of Greater BostonPress Release

  

Steven Whitney of Boston College is Winner of

61st Walter Brown Award 

 

Versatile Alternate Captain Named Best American-born Division One College Hockey Player in New England by Gridiron Club of Greater Boston 

 

BOSTON - March 19, 2013 -Gridiron Club of Greater Boston president Bob Norton announced today that Boston College senior right wing Steven Whitney (Reading, Mass.) is the winner of the 61st Walter Brown Award, presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England. Whitney finished first in the final balloting ahead of runner-up  Eric Hartzell (White Bear Lake, Minn.) of Quinnipiac and third-place finisher Johnny Gaudreau (Carney's Point, N.J.) of BC. 

 

Whitney is assistant captain and leading goal scorer for the Eagles. His 25 goals in 36 games to date is the second highest total in the country. He has added 18 assists, bringing his scoring total to 43 points. He already surpassed his scoring totals of last year when he had 16 goals and 23 assists in 44 games.

 

Six of Whitney's goals this season have been game-winning scores. Thirteen of his goals and nine of his assists have come either in the third period or in overtime, placing him in first in the nation in that category.

 

Whitney is the 23rd player from Boston College to win the Walter Brown Award since its inception in 1953. The award was established at the 20th reunion of the 1933 Massachusetts Rangers in honor of Brown, who coached the Rangers to America's first World Championship in Prague, Czechoslovakia. BC's head coach Jerry York was the award winner in 1967, and associate head coach Greg Brown received it in 1990.

 

Before enrolling at Boston College, Whitney attended Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass. His older brother Joe was also a four-year letterman for Boston College and captain of the 2010-11 squad.

 

"Steven Whitney's leadership of this year's BC team has been truly exceptional," remarked Tim Costello, chairman of the Gridiron Club's Hockey Awards Committee. "Not only has he habitually come up with critical goals or assists when the game is on the line. He has also been a fixture on both the power play and the penalty kill, and he has dropped back to play defense a number of times when Coach York needed experienced help back there."

 

"Though we had a particularly impressive field of sixteen semifinalists for this year's Walter Brown Award, and tremendous performances from Eric Hartzell in the Quinnipiac goal and from Johnny Gaudreau up front for BC, Steven Whitney clearly stood out," added Costello.

 

The 61st Walter Brown Award will be presented at the New England College Hockey Writers' Dinner on April 16 in Saugus, Mass.

 

                                   Walter Brown Award Winners

   

1953       Ray Picard            Northeastern

1954       Bob Babine           Boston College

1955       Bill Cleary             Harvard

1956       R.J. Cavanaugh    Northeastern

1957       Bob Cleary            Harvard

1958       Bob Cleary            Harvard

1959       Mike Karin            Middlebury

1960       Art Chisholm        Northeastern

1961       Tom Martin          Boston College

1962       Dave Grannis       Harvard

1963       Bill Hogan            Boston College

1964       Richie Green        Boston University

1965       Bob Gaudreau      Brown

1966       John Cunniff        Boston College

1967       Jerry York            Boston College

1968       Tim Sheehy          Boston College

1969       Paul Hurley           Boston College

1970       Tim Sheehy          Boston College

1971       Joe Cavanagh       Harvard

1972       Bob McManama     Harvard

1973       Tom Mellor           Boston College

1974       Ed Walsh              Boston University

1975       Ron Wilson           Providence

1976       Richie Smith         Boston College

1977       Bob Miller             New Hampshire

1978       Joe Mullen            Boston College

1979       Ralph Cox             New Hampshire

1980       Bill Army               Boston College

1981       Mark Switaj          Boston College

1982       Chuck Marshall      Northeastern

1983       Mark Fusco           Harvard

1984       Cleon Daskalakis   Boston University

1985       Tim Army             Providence

1986       Scott Fusco          Harvard

              Scott Harlow        Boston College

1987       Brian Leetch        Boston College

1988       Mike McHugh       Maine

1989       Lane MacDonald   Harvard

1990       Greg Brown          Boston College

1991       Dave Emma         Boston College

1992       Rob Gaudreau      Providence

1993       Dave Sacco          Boston University

1994       Jacques Joubert   Boston University

1995       Mike Grier           Boston University

1996       Jay Pandolfo         Boston University

1997       Chris Drury           Boston University

1998       Chris Drury           Boston University

1999       Mike Mottau         Boston College

              Mike Omicioli       Providence

2000       Mike Mottau         Boston College

2001       Ty Conklin            New Hampshire

              Brian Gionta         Boston College

2002       Jim Fahey            Northeastern

2003       Mike Ayers           New Hampshire

2004       Steve Saviano      New Hampshire

2005       Dov Grumet-Morris Harvard

2006       Chris Collins         Boston College

2007       John Curry            Boston University

2008       Kevin Regan         New Hampshire

2009       Matt Gilroy           Boston University

2010       Bobby Butler         New Hampshire

2011       John Muse            Boston College

2012       Brett Gensler        Bentley University

2013       Steven Whitney    Boston College 

 

The Walter Brown Award

Commemorating the life and works of America's greatest sportsman, the Walter Brown Award is given annually to the outstanding American-born college hockey player in New England. The Walter Brown Award is the oldest nationally recognized honor accorded to individual players in the sport of American college hockey.

Brown coached the United States to its first world hockey championship in 1933. The U.S. team, the Massachusetts Rangers, comprised players from Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Notre Dame, and Boston Commerce High School. The Americans defeated the Toronto National Sea Fleas, coached by Harold Ballard, 2-1 in overtime in the final game of the 1933 World Tournament at Prague, Czechoslovakia. It was also America's first win over a team from Canada and the first loss ever suffered by the Canadians in international play. The U.S. team members established the Walter Brown Award at their 20th reunion in 1953.

Criteria for the selection committee include leadership, character, sportsmanship, and ability as well as on-ice achievement. The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston has been the steward of the Walter Brown Award since 1977.

2013-2014 Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Officers: Bob Norton, President; Jim Kearney, First Vice President; Larry Abare, Second Vice President; Dick Lawrence, Secretary/Treasurer.

  

Gridiron Club Hockey Awards Selection Committee and Advisory Board: Tim Costello, Chairman; Joe Bertagna, Tom Burke, Jim Connelly, Paul Costello, Ned Cully, Bob DeGregorio, Kevin Fleming, Steve Hagwell, Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Hon. Gordon A. Martin, Jr., Paul McNamara, Paul Stewart, and William J. Stewart III.
About the Gridiron Club, "Keepers of the Flame"
 
Founded in 1932, the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston (www.gridclubofgreaterboston.com) promotes the game of football at all levels and nurtures the ideals of citizenship, sportsmanship, leadership, and athletic and academic achievement. Through its annual dinners and golf tournament, the club carries on its tradition of honoring exemplary players, coaches and officials at all levels of the sport, and supporting worthy charitable causes, especially those that assist children.
Gridiron Club of Greater Boston
Tom Burke
Press Contact
Phone: 617-323-5694
Gridiron Club of Greater Boston

Tim Costello

Committee Chairman

Phone: 732-4254-5922

Email:[email protected]