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BOSTON — Agganis Arena, the 7,200-seat state-of-the-art college hockey rink that is home to the Boston University Terriers, was still a decade away from becoming reality when John Hynes arrived on the BU campus from Rhode Island in the fall of 1994.
And although his on-ice time as a Terrier was limited to less than 50 games over parts of three seasons, Hynes is still a proud product of the campus that is spread out along a few miles of Commonwealth Avenue in the heart of the city.
Hynes’ Minnesota Wild team will face the Bruins at TD Garden on Tuesday, but that building was unavailable a day earlier, with the city’s four college hockey schools — BU, Boston College, Harvard and Northeastern — skating in the Beanpot, their annual four-team tournament to determine hockey prowess in the city.
So, for their Monday practice, Hynes took the Wild back to school for an hour of ice time at Agganis.
“A lot of memories here, and a big part of my life, not only away from the rink and education-wise but the career path,” Hynes said. “A lot of people here had a lot of influence on me as a young college guy and helped me through the ranks of coaching. So, it’s great to be back, to see some people, and it means a lot in my life.”
For two members of the Wild, a trip back to Agganis brought back memories of times they weren’t made to feel so welcome. Wild forward Devin Shore played three seasons at Maine, one of BU’s rivals in Hockey East, and Wild forward Matt Boldy was the truly hated cross-town villain while playing two seasons at BC.
“It wouldn’t have been my first choice of where we could’ve skated, but it is what it is,” Boldly said with a smile. “I think I played here twice, and I think we won twice. We won the Hockey East regular season (championship) here, so some good memories.”
Shore’s final season at Maine was 2014-15, when a loaded BU team went all the way to the NCAA title game, and brought home the Hobey Baker Award, won by current Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel.
“This brings back memories of playing all throughout Hockey East. There are some great programs and really great buildings to play in. It feels like a long time ago, but it brings back good memories,” Shore said. “My last year was Eichel’s first year, and he lit it up that year.”
With Wild general manager Bill Guerin moving winger Kirill Kaprizov to long-term injured reserve on Sunday, it opened up roster (and cap) space for defenseman Jonas Brodin and forward Marcus Johansson to rejoin the team.
Both were full participants in Monday’s practice.
While Hynes did not promise they would be in the game night lineup in Boston on Tuesday, he liked what he saw from both in practice.
“I would say most likely,” Hynes said when asked if they would return. “They practiced today and I haven’t talked to the trainer or anything, but the fact that they did come on the trip, had a full practice today and they both feel good, as long as they get the clearance after practice they should be good.”
Brodin has missed the past dozen games with a lower-body injury he suffered in a Jan. 7 home win versus St. Louis. Johansson has missed the past eight games with an upper-body injury suffered in a Jan. 15 home loss to Edmonton, when he was elbowed in the head by Oilers star center Connor McDavid.
Hartman slammed with 10-game suspension
The break for the 4 Nations Face-Off will drag on and on for Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman, who was suspended 10 games by the NHL’s Department of Players Safety on Monday evening.
Hartman, who was assessed a match penalty in Minnesota’s 6-0 loss at Ottawa on Saturday, will next be eligible to play in a NHL game on March 9, when Minnesota hosts Pittsburgh.
Considered a repeat offender by the league, with multiple suspensions on his past resume, Hartman will forfeit $487,804.90 in salary, which will be donated to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Late in the second period of the Wild’s lone trip to Ottawa this season, Hartman drove the head of Senators forward Tim Stutzle into the ice during a faceoff. The pair had been penalized for a scrap earlier in the game.
Currently in his sixth season in Minnesota, Hartman, 30, has seven goals and 10 assists in 48 games.
The bulk of Sammy Walker’s hockey career has been played in Minnesota and Iowa, but the former Minnesota Gophers captain will be getting a taste of the desert soon. On Monday, the Wild traded Walker, 25, to the Utah Hockey Club for future considerations.
Walker, who was the 2018 Minnesota Mr. Hockey winner at Edina and the Big Ten’s rookie of the year a season later as a U of M freshman, later signed with the Wild as a free agent and played 13 NHL games over two seasons, recording a goal and an assist.
Walker helped Minnesota win the 2022 Big Ten title and reach the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time in eight years. He was an AHL All-Star with Iowa as a rookie.
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