Boston College Athletics
Caulfield Goes The Extra Mile And Then Some
October 15, 1999 | Men's Hockey
Oct. 15, 1999
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Kevin Caulfield doesn't play hockey for the notoriety, the fame or the glory. Sure, everyone likes to see his name in print and on television once in a while. But, Caulfield, a senior forward at Boston College, is more concerned about the little things: Being the first one in the weight room and the last to depart, leaving an almost legendary work ethic in his wake, going into a corner for the puck knowing full well of the inevitable punishing check that is about to come, and staying after practice day after day working on his puck handling and skating. No coach or teammate must tell Kevin Caulfield to push himself. The voice comes from within with an unending obsession with success weighing heavily on his mind.
The epitome of a player who puts team goals before his personal needs, Caulfield makes contributions to the team that extend beyond the box score. While his desire and hard work don't earn him points on the stat sheet, they have gone a long way in making him a popular force on an already tight-knit squad. The Hyde Park, Mass. native and Thayer Academy product is looking to conclude his career with a trophy presentation in Providence during the season-ending NCAA Frozen Four.
"Everyone knows this is the last shot (at a championship)," Caulfield said. "We need to stay focused and not look ahead. There are a lot of things I want to accomplish, another HOCKEY EAST title, a Beanpot and a national championship."
A resident of the Boston-area his entire life, Caulfield desperately wants to capture a Beanpot crown, something that has eluded him and his teammates during their stay on the Heights. A regular spectator at the Beanpot since childhood, Caulfield envisions the frustration and bitter taste that will exist should the Eagles not take home the annual battle for Beantown bragging rights during the first two Mondays of February -- and he'll do whatever it takes to avoid it.
During his first three seasons with the Eagles, Caulfield has steadily improved the offensive aspect of his game while maintaining his role as one of the team's power forwards, someone not afraid of contact and collision. With 22 goals, 24 assists and 46 points to his credit the player they call 'K.C.' is looking to contribute more offensively, something that would make the NHL's Washington Capitals content. The Capitals selected Caulfield in the fifth round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.
"It would be nice to put up some more numbers," Caulfield said. "I think they (the Capitals) would like to see that. Every kid's dream is to play in the NHL and it is now crunch time."
Boston College coach Jerry York, who entertained the physical forward on his one and only official visit, is happy with the strides Caulfield has made during his stay in Chestnut Hill. York, entering his 27th year as a college head coach, points to Caulfield's competitiveness and desire to succeed as determinants to overall team prosperity.
"He (Caulfield) is a real key to our club," York said. "He does a lot of the small things well, he finishes his checks well, he wears down opponents by the strength of his game and he is so strong on the boards. His off-ice work habits are really top, top end. Anything he can do to make himself and the team better he does."
Speaking of Caulfield's willingness to put in extra time away from the spotlight, players, coaches and team support personnel alike rave about his uncanny knack for hard work, a phrase repeated constantly, almost like a broken record when the subject of Caulfield is raised.
Take hockey strength and conditioning coach John Whitesides. A huge fan and admirer of the way Caulfield goes about the business of preparing for and maintaining his strength and physical condition during the season, Whitesides gushes when talking about the senior forward. Going as far as pronouncing Caulfield the standard bearer in the arena of the team's strength work, Whitesides seemingly never runs out of positive thoughts on Caulfield.
"He is always in here (the weight room)," Whitesides said. "Before practice, after practice, whatever it takes to get it done. He is a tireless worker who rolls up his sleeves and works hard."
One of six hockey players in the '1,000 pound club', an exclusive grouping reserved for those who can put up 1,000 pounds in combined weight in the bench press, squat and hang clean, Caulfield realizes that his intense nature wears off on his teammates.
"Everybody, even the freshmen, takes weight training pretty seriously," Caulfield said. "We're all in there to do a job and reach our goals. It has to be all business, no taking days off. There has to be a dedication to lifting."
While many players tend to get worn down and fatigued as the long and arduous season winds its way toward late March and early April, Caulfield is a player who gradually becomes stronger and more powerful, an attribute noticed by both York and Whitesides.
Mike Mottau, a teammate of Caulfield's since their days at Thayer Academy, doesn't hesitate before pronouncing No. 23 as one of the team's most valuable assets. Not only a teammate and a roommate but a best friend, Mottau categorizes Caulfield and fellow senior winger Tony Hutchins in the same category: lunch pail players whose little contributions benefit the team immensely.
"As a captain you need people like him to work hard," Mottau said. "He is really determined and motivated. In a sense, he is one of our biggest leaders. His work ethic is definitely contagious."
Mottau, property of the New York Rangers, realizes that the likelihood of playing with his longtime teammate after this season is minimal, therefore making the upcoming campaign take on a kind of last-hurrah atmosphere.
Caulfield, who heard from Northeastern, Boston University, UMass-Amherst and Providence during the recruiting process, had no qualms about deciding to come to Boston College, envisioning at the time the success and prosperity that eventually would present itself in copious doses.
Quick to acknowledge that he would have been laughed at four falls ago if he dared to discuss Boston College and the Frozen Four in the same sentence, Caulfield is aware of the sky-high expectations swirling around the program. While he wants to capture the school's first national title in 51 years more than anything, he realizes that nothing is a given and nothing comes without a price.
"We haven't had any puck luck our past two times in the (NCAA) Tournament," Caulfield said. "Last year I think we were clearly the best team in the Frozen Four, but it just didn't work out. This year we're not just content with HOCKEY EAST. We want to win it (national title)."
Anyone who has spent a minute around Caulfield knows luck isn't what he is about. Tell him to be in the weight room by 6:30 a.m. and he'll show up at 6:15. Tell him to be careful when it comes to banging into the boards, he'll just go harder. Tell him that this is the year many pundits see the Eagles winning it, he remains focused and keeps working. Working harder than anybody else on any team in any conference. That's the indelible mark he'll leave on the program come April.
