Somerville superstar Jack Parker, a hockey legend

Jack Parker and the Boston University Terriers celebrate winning the 2009 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four Final. — Photo courtesy of Mitchell Layton|HHOF-IIHF

By Norah Doyle

Somerville native Jack Parker will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this November.

Parker first picked up a stick and laced up his skates when he was 12 years old, following in his twin brother’s footsteps. Both boys were students at St. Ann’s K-8 Catholic school and had started their athletic careers as basketball players.

Parker spent lots of his youth playing basketball at Trum Field Recreation Center, where he met Joe Quinn, who would play a pivotal role in his rise to hockey stardom. Quinn was Parker’s first hockey coach, who started a junior high hockey team for Somerville when Parker was in middle school.

A few years later, when Quinn got a job at Catholic Memorial, Parker transferred schools to continue to play hockey for Quinn in his junior and senior years of high school.

“Joe was very, very, instrumental with me being a hockey player. That’s for sure,” said Parker, speaking fondly of his old coach.

After graduating from Catholic Memorial, Parker went on to play hockey for the Boston University (BU) Terriers, becoming team captain in his senior year. Parker graduated from BU in 1968, and his coaching career at BU began a year later when he joined the staff as an assistant coach. In 1973, when head coach Jack Kelly left, Parker was promoted to head coach of the Terriers, a job he held until his retirement in 2013.

Parker’s BU team has won three NCAA titles and appeared in 24 NCAA tournaments. By the end of his career, Parker had collected 897 career wins over the course of 40 seasons, all at Boston University.

The three national championship wins are, of course, favorite wins from Parker’s career, but his fondest memories of winning perhaps come from the Beanpot Championships.

“When I was playing, Jack Kelly used to say that ‘you can’t be the best in the east and you can’t be the best in the nation until you’re at least the best in Boston,’” said Parker. “We need the Boston championship, so winning the Beanpot championship was always exciting as a player and exciting as a coach.”

Parker has a soft spot for BU’s freshman hockey team, despite it being retired in 1972.

“I always tell people that the most fun I ever had playing hockey was playing freshman hockey and the most fun I’ve had coaching was coaching the freshman team,” said Parker.

When Parker was told he’d be inducted into the Hall of Fame, he was taken aback to say the least.

“I saw the call from the Hockey Hall of Fame. I thought for sure they were calling me to ask me a question about one of my players who got in. Keith Tkachuk was a great player for us and then a great Olympian,” said Parker. “When they told me they were calling me to tell me I was in, I was kind of flabbergasted.”

The induction celebration will be held Saturday, November 10, 2025, in Toronto, Canada. Parker hopes to bring along his family: his daughter, grandkids, and son-in-law.

“But I’m also hoping to be able to get all my assistant coaches, they were instrumental with us winning so many games for all those years,” said Parker. “It’ll be fun to see all those guys again.”

In his retirement, Parker has taken up some new hobbies like skiing and sailing, and has also enjoyed getting to watch his grandkids play sports.

As a Hall of Famer to be, Parker encourages young and aspiring hockey athletes to live in the moment.

“Enjoy where you’re at and not so concerned about where you’re going. If you’re a sophomore in high school, don’t be considering ‘oh I wonder where I’m gonna be in college in college.’ Just enjoy the year you’re at right now and try to develop yourself in that year and not project,” said Parker.

Parker also encourages young athletes to play multiple sports, as he did with basketball and hockey.

“Try to play more than hockey, I think it helps get to be better athletes, which makes them a better hockey player in the long run.”

Check out the official Hockey Hall of Fame website for more information about the induction class of 2025 and festivities surrounding the induction.