Legendary Boston University coach Jack Parker announced his retirement today after 40 years behind the bench, and it's a strange day for college hockey. He is an institution at BU, to the point where the rink on which his team plays is named Jack Parker Rink at Agganis Arena. For tens of thousands of people, perhaps more, in the greater Boston area and throughout the country, Jack Parker is BU hockey, and it's easy to see why. His 894 wins and counting is the third-largest total in NCAA history, behind only retired Michigan State coach Ron Mason (924) and current Boston College bench boss Jerry York (933), Parker's professional archrival. But unlike both of those guys, Parker did everything at one school, which is also his alma mater. It doesn't seem like anyone's going to get anywhere near that mark any time soon. At the same time, I find it difficult to sit here and listen to all this stuff about what a great guy Jack Parker is because his legacy is also what happened off the ice for BU.

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