Top 12 Boston College Sports Figures in 2012

6. Parker Milner | Goaltender, men’s hockey

At first, the fans wondered how he would replace John Muse. Then, Milner got benched. All he did after that was win 19 games in a row, push BC towards a national title, and be named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2012 Frozen Four. Milner had one of the most remarkable up-and-down seasons one can remember in college hockey, but now, nobody questions his abilities.

5. Johnny Gaudreau | Forward, men’s hockey

Any time a freshman makes an impact, it’s of great help. When he utterly dominates the competition at this level and is amongst the best players in the NCAA Tournament on a championship team, well, that’s different. Now, the sophomore sensation Gaudreau, ending 2012 in Europe playing on the US World Juniors team, is a legitimate Hobey Baker candidate and is another great talent in a long line of talented Boston College hockey players.

4. Gene DeFilippo | Former athletic director

Until October or so, everything in the Boston College Athletics Department had DeFilippo’s mark. As the football team rapidly declined, DeFilippo became a focal point for alumni anger, but he shocked the BC community in August when he announced his retirement. We may not hear Gene’s name around here for a while, and seeing him around Boston College may or may not happen, but evidence of his having been here is all around us, and we will see it for years to come.

3. Brad Bates | Athletic director

It is only fitting that the man who replaced DeFilippo should be right near him on the list. Taking over the department in October, Bates already made his own mark by dismissing Frank Spaziani a day after the 2012 football season ended and hiring Steve Addazio to take the reins in December. At that point, Bates was on the receiving end of some indignation of his own, but that seems to have quieted down considerably as we enter 2013. Bates will be at the center of everything that goes on around here for a long time.

2. Frank Spaziani | Former coach, football

Perhaps no person was the target of so much Boston College angst in 2012 as Frank Spaziani, the doomed head football coach who drove the team to a 2-10 record. There is no doubt at all that Spaziani was in over his head, and his dismissal did not come as a surprise, but there was a lot of bandwidth used this year regarding his status and the job he was doing.

1. Jerry York | Head coach, men’s hockey

Committed Boston College Eagle for life. National champion. King of college hockey wins.