Mushaluk makes father’s long trip worthwhile

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BOSTON – When you’re travelling across one province, two countries, three time zones, eight states, and 2,800 miles, it’s a great thing when fate makes it well worth the trip.

Such is the case for Roger Mushaluk: former coach, permanent father, and current biggest fan of Jeff Mushaluk, a sophomore defenseman for the University of Maine’s hockey team.

Mushaluk, who has seen his only son play just three collegiate hockey games in person, will see him play his fourth Saturday night as Maine takes on Denver for the NCAA Divison I national championship.

“I told my wife this would be my dream weekend, seeing Jeff and not even knowing he’d get this far, maybe getting a Bruins playoff ticket, and then seeing a national championship game with my son in it,” said the elder Mushaluk.

Mushaluk’s dad made the two-day trip from his home in Armstrong, British Columbia to Boston via plane and automobile earlier this week.

“I had only seen him play two games before this,” Roger Mushaluk said while watching the Black Bears practice Friday afternoon at the FleetCenter. “The time and money make it tough to see him much, but as it turns out, I’m seeing his first two games (season-opener at Nebraska-Omaha) and the last two.”

His son made the trip much more worthwhile and cost effective by helping to set up the game-winning goal in Maine’s 2-1 win over Boston College Thursday.

Since opening their first- round NHL playoff series against Montreal with a 3-0 win, the Bruins and tickets to their games have become harder to get, but the Mushaluk mojo continued working this weekend as he was able to secure a prime Bruins seat without even chasing down a scalper.

“This morning I got a club seat for $160 at the ticket office. It was the only one they had left,” said Jeff’s dad. “I’m really excited because they’ve been my team since I was a little one. Murray Oliver, Johnny Bucyk, and later on Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque have been my favorite players.”

The B.C. (the Canadian province, not the Boston college) native likes all Boston pro sports, even the Red Sox.

“I’ve been following Boston forever. I really liked (Carl) Yastrzemski,” he said.

Mushaluk began a seven-hour drive from Armstrong to Seattle at 7 a.m. Tuesday. He then flew five hours from Seattle to Pittsburgh, had a two-hour layover, and then flew on to Boston.

“It’s tiring and you lose a lot of sleep, but I told Jeff we’d come to see him if he made the Frozen Four, and I wasn’t joking,” he said.

The trip was too expensive for mother Laurel and younger sisters Ashley and Jaclyn to accompany Roger, but they’ll be crowded around the TV set watching ESPN Saturday night.

Tickled pink over dress blues

The Black Bears trotted out some new threads Thursday as they unveiled their alternate – also known as third and special – jerseys featuring Columbia blue as the primary color and a big Black Bear head on the front of the jersey rather than the script “Maine” or “Black Bears” lettering.

“I was kind of surprised when we walked in the dressing room today and saw them hanging there,” said Bangor’s Derek Damon, a junior forward. “It just seems to give us a lift every time. Guys like playing in the baby blues … I don’t know. I prefer playing in the dark blue. It makes us look tougher, but hey, whatever makes us win, you know?”

Whether the “baby blues” had anything to do with the 2-1 win is debatable, but what’s not is Maine’s record while wearing them. The Bears are 4-0 overall since debuting them at home earlier this season.

“I’ve been in this game long enough to know that superstitions really don’t matter much, but having said that, I do feel we love playing in them, we’re comfortable in them, and maybe it does have a little extra positive effect,” said coach Tim Whitehead.

Maine is now 2-0 at home in the alternates, 1-0 at a neutral – or home-away-from home site (Cumberland County Civic Center) and now 1-0 on the road.

Whitehead was the one who made the call to wear the blues and he had the option because Maine was officially the away team Thursday.

“I think what makes them so special to us is that we don’t wear it all the time,” Damon said. “Maybe we wear it three or four times a year for special occasions and tonight was a special occasion, definitely.”

Mainely Eagles fans

Several Maine hockey fans were in attendance at Thursday’s Frozen Four night game, but not all of them were rooting for the Black Bears.

Huh?

Former Bangor mayor and city councilman Michael Aube was there to watch the game, but he wasn’t wearing blue and white. He was wearing the colors of the enemy: B.C.’s maroon and gold.

“I root for both teams when they’re not playing each other, but when they have to play each other, I go to my loyalty and my blood runs maroon,” said the Boston College Class of 1972 alumnus and Eagles football season ticket holder.

Aube’s son Mike was also decked out in BC regalia, but alas, he also had a good excuse. He’s a freshman at Boston College.

Frozen Four baby

It has been quite a week for Maine equipment manger Peter Richmond.

His wife, Brandy (Nevells), gave birth to their second child, Parker Joseph, on Monday at Bangor’s Eastern Maine Medical Center. On Tuesday, he was packing up and leaving for Boston with the team.

“It was perfect timing,” said Richmond. “It was a tough choice. But my wife was good about it. She said you worked ninth months for this [Frozen Four].”

Mileage record

The Maine-Denver national final has already set a record: the greatest mileage distance between two teams in a championship game.

It is 2,207 miles from Orono to Denver. The previous record was 2,021 in 1950 when Boston University played Colorado College.

Four of the last six championship games have gone to overtime. Maine beat New Hampshire 3-2 in overtime in 1999 but lost to Minnesota 4-3 in OT in 2002.

The other four times Maine has reached the championship game, the Bears went to overtime in either a semifinal or the final.

The WCHA has won five of its six national championship games against Hockey East institutitons.