Sweeney Makes NHL; Calls Garden Home

This afternoon, Don Sweeney '88 will skate on the ice of Boston Garden. He won't be playing in the Beanpot. He won't be playing in the ECAC Championships.

He won't be facing the RPI Engineers or the St. Lawrence Saints, or any other college team in the nation. Today, Harvard hockey alumnus Don Sweeney will trade in his Crimson for the gold and black of the Boston Bruins.

Today at 5:30 p.m., Don Sweeney, the surprise of the Boston Bruins pre-season camp, will play his first regular-season NHL game.

"I'm very excited," said Sweeney, voted New England's best defenseman last year. "It's a new beginning. Same game, new beginning."

That new beginning will come against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sweeney's defensive mate? None other than Raymond Borque.

"That makes it a little bit easier," Sweeney said of his new partner in defense. "There wasn't a kid around who didn't say, `Wouldn't it be great to play with Ray Borque.' I was one of those Kids."

Like any other rookie in his first game, Sweeney will be nervous. He will also be anxious, eager for the puck to drop and the game to start.

"I hope that all the anxiety will go away," Sweeney said. "Hopefully all my thoughts will channel into the game."

In his four years at Harvard, Sweeney was one of the best defensemen in Crimson history. Coach Bill Cleary once said that he has never seen anyone accelerate as fast as Sweeney. He has accelerated all the way to the pros.

"I think what [the Bruins] are looking for is his speed," Associate Coach Ronn Tomassoni said. "He's a tremendous skater. He also has the ability to move the puck and get it out of the zone."

Springtime

Sweeney, who scored six goals and dished out 23 assists last year for Harvard, played for the Maine Mariners, Boston's minor league team, last spring and traveled with the Bruins during their drive to the Stanley Cup Finals.

"That broke the ice completely," Sweeney said of his spring fling with the Bruins. "I kind of got the taste for the pro game."

At the Bruin camp, Sweeney had to compete with five veteran defensemen, including Gord Kluzak, Glen Wesley and Michael Thelven. Some thought Sweeney was headed back to Maine.

Surprise.

"He's worked his tail off. At that level, you just can't back down," Tomassoni said. "I think he's going to surprise a lot of people. He's not a surprise to us."

Yet, Sweeney will always wear the Crimson under his new Bruin jersey. With this year's Harvard squad expected to contend for the national title, Sweeney will still be making frequent trips to Bright Center.

"For as long as I'm here at the Garden," Sweeney said, "I'll be watching Harvard."

And Harvard will be watching Sweeney.