Fusco Feats Likely To Remain Part Of Harvard Lore
Scott Fusco set a number of records at Harvard University – the longest scoring streak in school history (29 games) and the highest mark for career points (240), assists (133) and game-winning goals (17) – records he thinks will never be broken.
But before you go thinking Fusco is full of himself for thinking that, let him explain.
“Hockey has changed so much,” says Fusco. “Scoring is down, so that makes it difficult for anyone to reach those numbers. And with the amount of money there is in pro hockey, anyone who is good enough to break my records probably won’t stay in college long enough to do it.”
Fusco led the Crimson to three NCAA tournaments and the national championship game in 1983 and 1986, during a time when Harvard was still making its way up the hockey ranks.
“Harvard wasn’t really thought of as a hockey power like Wisconsin, Minnesota or Boston University,” he says. “Hockey people knew we were good, but the fans expected us to get killed.”
Fusco continued to help put Harvard on the map when he became the second player in school history to win the Hobey Baker Award after his brother, Mark, took it home three years earlier. He was drafted by the New Jersey Devils after his first two seasons with the Crimson, but after playing in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, opted not to enter the NHL.
“I played in Switzerland for a year and after that I decided I’d had enough of hockey,” he says. “Playing in the NHL was never a big goal of mine, and it was time to do something else.”
Fusco couldn’t stay away from the game for too long. He now runs a 15-team girls’ youth league outside of Boston, co-owns and manages a sports complex that houses the ice rink where his teams play, and plays a little pick-up Wednesday nights with his brother.
“There are a couple guys who have a few steps on me, but it’s a good level of hockey for a bunch of old guys,” Fusco jokes. “Hopefully, that continues forever. You never want to stop playing.”
Auge Came Close To Joining ‘Miracle’ Team
Les AugeTime has a way of rewriting history, especially when Hollywood is involved.
In the 2004 movie “Miracle,” there is a scene where Ralph Cox, played by actor Kenneth Mitchell, is the last cut made by coach Herb Brooks. But in 1981, a TV miniseries about the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team focuses on the last cut being Les Auge, who is played by Jerry Houser, who was Dave “Killer” Carlson in the movie “Slapshot.”
No matter how you slice it, Auge was one of the last players cut from the U.S. Team that went on to shock the sporting world at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Winter Games.
The St. Paul, Minn., native played for Brooks at the University of Minnesota from 1972 to 75, earning a spot on the NCAA West First All-American Team in 1975.
After several seasons in the minor leagues, Auge was reunited with Brooks at the 1979 IIHF World Championships in Moscow.
Hoping to earn a spot on the Olympic Team, Auge stayed with the program but was devastated when he was cut from the final Olympic roster.
Auge returned to pro hockey, spending time with the Fort Worth Texans and Hershey Bears before being called up by the Colorado Rockies.
Auge passed away at the age of 49, during open-heart surgery. The Gophers honored Auge by including him on a mural in Mariucci Arena.
Did You Know?
Bill Stewart was the first American coach to win the Stanley Cup. In his first season as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Boston native led the team to a Stanley Cup in 1938.
Born in Fitchburg, Mass., Stewart was an NHL referee who took a two-year hiatus to coach the Blackhawks. He put the stripes back on for one final season in 1941 before retiring.
Stewart’s grandson, Paul, followed in his footsteps as an NHL referee.
Tee Off With Olympians
To win an Olympic medal, you have to be a tight-knit group on and off the ice. The 1972 U.S. Olympic Team that won the silver medal in Sapporo, Japan was no exception. What is remarkable is how strong their bonds of friendship are today, more than three decades later.
The core of the team still gets together on a regular basis, usually on the golf course to share a few laughs and swap some old hockey stories. Over the years they have opened up their inner circle to include other Olympians and hockey players.
“The event is open to anyone who is a friend of hockey,” said Tom Mellor, a defenseman with the 1972 Team. “We’re one big family.”
On the heels of last year’s success, this year’s golf outing will take place on Sept. 20 at the Willow Bend Golf Course in Mashpee, Mass.
In addition to a round of golf, participants will be treated to a New England style clambake.
Among those schedule to attend will be Murray Williamson, who coached the 1968 and 1972 U.S. Olympic Teams, Keith “Huffer” Christensen and Mike “Lefty” Curran.
For more information or to reserve a spot in the tournament, contact Tom Mellor at tmellor@windhamcapitalgroup.com or (617) 330-7474.