The rink at Boston University???s new state-of-the-art Agganis Arena was formally dedicated to the coach who has devoted nearly 40 years of his life thus far to the Terrier hockey program at a gala in the Arena on Thursday (Oct. 6). None other than the beloved Jack Parker was the guest of honor as the Jack Parker Rink logo was unveiled, the coach was roasted by a laundry-list of celebrities and current sophomore forward Peter MacArthur was named the first recipient of the Terrier Pride Scholarship.

Nearly 1,000 attendees, including over 200 of Parker???s former BU hockey players, were witness to the event that helped raise $1.1 million for the Terrier Pride Scholarship program, established to provide vital support to Terrier student-athletes.

???Jack is extremely deserving of this honor and Boston University Athletics is proud to host this event in conjunction with the inaugural Terrier Pride Scholarship,??? said BU Vice President and Director of Athletics Mike Lynch. ???We are pleased to have raised money for our student-athletes, while at the same time paying tribute to the Coach???s innumerous contributions to both the BU hockey program and the University as a whole.???

The evening began with a reception and silent auction, which featured items such as a signed Red Sox jersey, a private practice with Boston Bruins Head Coach Mike Sullivan, dinner for 10 at Davio???s with Mike Eruzione and a chance to go behind the scenes for a taping of Denis Leary???s Rescue Me. Following the reception, people made their way into a curtained-off portion of the rink where the BU locker room was re-created on stage for Coach Parker.

Television sportscaster and Boston native Sean McDonough served as the Master of Ceremonies, with Denis Leary as the featured speaker. Much laughter flowed through the south half of the Arena as Leary joked with both the audience and the coach, but also paid homage to Parker???s job of turning his players into men.

On more of a serious note, Lynch awarded MacArthur the first ever Terrier Pride Scholarship before Travis Roy took the stage to introduce a tribute video to the Coach. Parker has touched Roy???s life in many ways since the unfortunate accident in the mid-90s that Parker refers to as his toughest time as a coach. After telling an anecdote of Parker???s competitive driving down Commonwealth Avenue, Roy noted, ???If you???re going to play with Jack, you better know the rules,??? which was followed shortly thereafter with: ???I think that was the first time I???ve called him Jack ??? I hope it???s okay.???

Also showcasing Parker???s competitive nature was Tufts President Lawrence Bacow???s comment in the video. Referring to a day when the two long-time friends were embarking on one of Parker's favorite pastimes, sailing, Bacow said to Parker, ???Back off coach, we???re just going for a sail ??? we don???t have to beat everybody in the ocean today.???

Many heartfelt comments followed in the video, which showcased the many lives that Parker has touched over the years. A teary eyed Parker was shown on the video monitors encasing the stage upon the conclusion of the montage, at which time the building erupted in applause. McDonough captured the moment by saying, ???Isn???t this nice to have while you???re still alive? Normally people are dead before they are recognized this way.???

In a total change of pace, Dave Silk, Jack O???Callahan, Donald ???Toot??? Cahoon, Bill Cleary and Steve Sweeney took to the stage for the ???roast??? on Parker. Although the theme was a roast, the five men on stage could not help but pay tribute to the Coach.

???As great as wins and losses are, Jack will be known much more over time for knowing the people under the BU sweater,??? said Dave Silk, who played for Parker in the ???70s before winning a gold medal with the infamous 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.

???You at least let us win four Beanpots,??? joked Bill Cleary, former director of athletics at Harvard. ???That???s more than you gave BC and Northeastern, so I???ve got to thank you for that.???

The most sneering Parker got all night was from Steve Sweeney, a comedian and radio personality, who started off by saying, ???You???ve been here 40 years? Talk about a rut.???

Following the roast, BU President Dr. Robert Brown unveiled the Jack Parker Rink logo, then introduced the man of the hour.

Given a lengthy standing ovation while both entering and exiting from the stage, Parker thanked all those in attendance and noted, ???I can???t begin to describe what this means to me. It hasn???t fully sunk it but I will be forever grateful.???

The theme of Coach Parker???s remarks was that he has had a lot of help along the way, from players to coaches to BU administrators to his family. Much of the audience would probably agree that it???s not hard to help when the person being helped is Jack Parker.

Coach Parker begins his 33rd season behind the bench in an exhibition game versus the University of Toronto at the Jack Parker Rink at Agganis Arena on Friday (Oct. 7) at 7:00 p.m.

To purchase tickets or for more information, click here or visit the Ticket Office at 925 Commonwealth Avenue, Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., or call 617-353-GOBU (4628).