The Hockey Hall of Fame's 2019 induction weekend kicked off Friday when five inductees arrived in Toronto to accept their rings and take in the annual Hall of Fame Game.
Sergei Zubov, Hayley Wickenheiser, Jim Rutherford, Vaclav Nedomansky and Guy Carbonneau show off their new bling 💍#HHOF2019 | #HHOF | @BaronRings pic.twitter.com/uDd5y6NPJA
— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) November 15, 2019
There was one notable absence. Boston College men's hockey coach Jerry York, being inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend as a builder, opted not to take part in Friday's ceremony. Why? Well, it was a Friday night in November — York had a game to coach.
HOCKEY HALL OF FAME:
BROWN | CARBONNEAU | HUGHSON |
WICKENHEISER | YORK | ZUBOV
No. 16 Boston College beat Vermont, 5-1, in a Hockey East matchup Friday, and York earned his 1,074th victory as a collegiate head coach while the Hall of Fame game played out in Toronto. A few media members lamented York's absence:
What an idiotic decision by Jerry York to pass on the day’s festivities at the Hockey Hall of Fame so he could coach yet another US college game. That’s my view. You can disagree.
— steve simmons (@simmonssteve) November 16, 2019
The people who nominated him must be thrilled at how little it evidently means to him. https://t.co/4gYd7LOcua
— Cam Cole (@rcamcole) November 16, 2019
To say those comments ruffled a few feathers on Twitter would be putting it lightly.
Several media members who have covered York and his teams for years rose to the 74-year-old coach's defense, noting that his commitment to the collegiate game is what has earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame — and that his insistence on coaching BC before he joins his fellow inductees for Sunday's Legends game and Monday's official ceremony is exactly in-character.
If two eye surgeries in one season wasn't going to keep Jerry York off the bench for more than a few games, it's not surprising he's working on a night he's supposed to spend having everyone tell him how great he is. (Also, he is great) https://t.co/ImTjl011ew
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) November 16, 2019
Aggressively wrong, Steve. https://t.co/8hfX2BjOld
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) November 16, 2019
My blood just went to 4,000 degrees at the sight of this. Don’t speak about Jerry York if you don’t know him https://t.co/A64acXuNUJ
— Sara Civ (@SaraCivian) November 16, 2019
It feels like honoring a commitment to the hockey team that he coaches, but maybe that's just me. It's kind of what Jerry York is all about. Either way, idiotic is a pretty harsh way to describe it https://t.co/XtoR6F8B2U
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) November 16, 2019
NESN analysts spoke out on Simmons' comments after the Boston-based network's broadcast of Friday's Leafs-Bruins game.
"If anything it's a tribute, in my opinion, for Jerry York to say, 'I've got a team to coach, these are my kids. I've made a commitment to them. I'm going to honor that commitment,'" NESN host Dale Arnold said.
NESN’s postgame show (Dale Arnold, Andrew Raycroft and Barry Pederson) took note of Steve Simmons’ comments about Jerry York: pic.twitter.com/7KhFryNAPB
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) November 16, 2019
I do. He will have that moment Monday. Maybe coaching the players is more important to him than standing on a carpet pre game and the other quieter ceremonies. Who’s to say what’s most important to someone. Calling it idiotic was wrong https://t.co/x29rEoiFNy
— Ray Ferraro (@rayferrarotsn) November 16, 2019
York's Eagles play Vermont again Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The Eagles are 6-4 so far this season.
And for Simmons' part, he admitted Saturday morning that he would change the wording "idiotic" to "disrespectful" but still stood by his original tweet.