Northeastern students who double as fans of the NHL are likely to be aware of the Nashville Predators and their general manager, Dave Poile.
A three-time NHL Executive of the Year, Poile’s Predators have qualified for the NHL playoffs and gone to the conference quarterfinals in each of the past three seasons.
What the fans might not be aware of, though, is that Poile is an NU graduate (class of ’71) and was inducted into Northeastern University’s Hall of Fame in 1987.
With the Predators in town to play the Bruins, Poile was on hand at Tuesday’s Beanpot media day as a special speaker. He capped off the luncheon with a speech that detailed his time at Northeastern, the meaning of the Beanpot and the rewards that come from playing college hockey.
Poile touched on how he came to Northeastern by way of playing high school hockey in California. The first time he ever came to Boston, he said, was when he came to NU. He also harkened back to his playing days, when wool sweaters and wooden sticks were used and Matthews Arena was owned by Boston University, leaving Northeastern players without their own locker room.
The 2001 Lester Patrick Trophy winner, which is awarded to personnel who make outstanding contributions to hockey in the United States, also spoke of the connections college hockey can build, and told the players present of the value of their experience. He added that the bright stage of the Beanpot can be an invaluable stepping stone for college hockey players.
“My guess is that your future employer will be at that game,” he said.
Afterward, in an interview with The News, Poile spoke about his time at school, explaining how his experience with college hockey and what he learned from Northeastern combined to direct him into his current line of work.
“Northeastern was good for me, both as a chance to play Division I hockey, and obviously it helped set me up for my eventual career goals to be either a hockey player or hockey executive,” he said. “It turns out I wasn’t quite good enough to be a player, but playing hockey and getting a college education was the perfect resume to get into hockey management.”
He explained that, during his time as a Husky, the Beanpot could mean an entire season to players, and was looked at as something that could put a bright spot on an otherwise tough year for the team.
“It was the whole season [for us] because unfortunately we weren’t too competitive up to that point. So it was a chance to sort of salvage our season for sure, for bragging rights,” he said, “and it meant a lot to try and do well in that. It was a lot of recognition for the school and for a lot of players individually.”
He also had words of advice to offer up to players, both for their future as hockey players and as people, and for their upcoming Beanpot tournament.
“Just be appreciative of how good hockey has been to [the players], and realize all the doors that it opens up for you both on and off the ice, and the opportunities it’s going to create for them for the rest of their life,” he said. “And play hard. Win. There’s nothing better than winning.”
Lastly, he spoke of what a Beanpot title could do and mean for the Northeastern community, and admitted to still pulling for his alma mater every year when Beanpot time rolls around.
“It’d be huge. When they first won it several years ago it meant a lot. It really puts you on the map and Northeastern needs some wins in a big tournament like the Beanpot to get their program to a higher level,” he said. “This is the year.”
