Guide to the Joe Bertagna Papers, 1976-1996

Collection number: MC 205
Size: 1 box (0.33 cu.ft.)

About Joe Bertagna

Joe Bertagna grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts and played high school hockey there for the legendary Eddie Burns. His hockey career continued at Harvard University, where he was a standout goaltender. He graduated from Harvard in 1973 and then studied journalism at Marquette University. After college, Bertagna played professionally for the Milwaukee Admirals in the International Hockey League and in Cortina, Italy, where in 1975 the team won the Italian Ice Hockey championship.

He has authored books and videos on the fundamentals of the position (Goaltending was published in 1976) and edited Crimson in Triumph, a book on the history of Harvard athletics. Bertagna began his professional coaching career in 1985 with the Boston Bruins, staying with them as the goaltender coach until 1991 and rejoining the team for the 1994-95 season. He also has coached with Team USA (1991 Canada Cup and 1994 Winter Olympics) and with the Milwaukee Admirals (1994-96). Bertagna has operated his own summer goalie camps since 1973.

On the administrative side, Bertagna ranks as one of the premier college hockey leaders in the country. After serving as Sports Information Director at Harvard, he was named Tournament Director for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) in 1982. He later served as Public Relations Director and Executive Director before being named Commissioner of the League in 1991. On July 1, 1997 he was named as the fourth commissioner of Hockey East. His professional accomplishments at the ECAC included the league’s first television package and first hockey-only corporate sponsorships. At Hockey East, Bertagna made his mark immediately. He engineered the Fox television package in 1998 and was instrumental in the league tournament setting attendance records in both 1999 and 2000, the year of the first FleetCenter sellout. Nationally, Bertagna has also served as the Executive Director of the American Hockey Coaches Association since 1991 and as a member of the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee since 1998. He is currently its chairman. He also served as the Goaltending Coach on the Team U.S.A. Men’s Ice hockey Team in 1993-1994. For more information on Joe Bertagna’s hockey schools, visit Bertagna Goalie Schools

About the Joe Bertagna Papers

The Joe Bertagna papers primarily consist of his writings during the years 1976-1996. These include manuscripts, articles and reports he prepared in his various capacities in the sport of hockey. The first series contains the typewritten manuscript and the galley proofs for his 1976 book Goaltending. The second series includes more than two dozen published articles that appeared in many different publications spanning the years 1976-1992. The content of these articles ranges from coaching and education to Mr. Bertagna’s recollections of his playing days, and to historical and opinion pieces. Series three contains three reports prepared by Mr. Bertagna. The first is an evaluation of the Boston Bruins goaltenders following the 1987 season. The second is an extensive and detailed report of the activities of the 1994 USA Olympic hockey program, divided into seven parts. The last report was prepared for the American Hockey Coaches Association in 1996 when the organization was celebrating its centennial. The fourth and final series includes two videotapes on goaltending instruction. Hardbound copies of Goaltending and the 1985 history of Harvard athletics, Crimson In Triumph, are available in Special Collections.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

This collection is open.

Copyright Notice

Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Joe Bertagna Papers, 1976-1996, MC 205, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.

Acquisitions Information

Donated: Joeseph Bertagna, Gloucester, MA, August 1, 2001 (Accession #: 2001.36)

Series 1: Manuscripts

Box 1
Box 1, Folder 1		Manuscript of Goaltending, pp.1-50, 1976?
Box 1, Folder 2		Manuscript of Goaltending, pp.51-end, 1976?
Box 1, Folder 3		Goaltending, Galley Proofs, 1976?

Series 2: Published Articles

Box 1, Folder 4		Articles, January 17, 1976-March 9, 1976 “Hockey in Europe – C’est Interesante!”, January 17, 1976 “Mmmmm Good! Clarence,” January 24, 1976 “The Enemy Remembereth Snively,” January 30, 1976 “Peter Gunn and Causeway Street,” February 7, 1976 “Oh That Home Ice Advantage,” February 21, 1976 “Hey You In Section 395,” March 9, 1976 “All Done By Austrians,” The Puckster, March 9, 1976
Box 1, Folder 5		Articles, November 1976-February 1981 “Lies, Laughs and Locker Room Legends,” November 1976 “Two Man Machines,” December 1976 “The Man Behind The Mask,” December 1977 “Johnny Superstar and the World PeeWee Championship,” January 1978 “Get Better Goalies,” January 1981 “The Key is Preparation,” Hockey February 1981
Box 1, Folder 6		Programs, 1981-1985 “Has It Really Been 20 Years?,” 20th Annual ECAC Division One Ice Hockey Championship Program, March 13, 1981-March 14, 1981 “Top Of The Floggers,” Hockey, April, 1981 “A New Look For The Old Game,” 21st Annual ECAC Division One Ice Hockey Championship Program, March 12, 1982-March 13, 1982 “Tourney Trivia Quiz,” The Puckster, March 25, 1982-March 27, 1982 “Good Hockey Talk; Let’s Hear It,” 22nd Annual ECAC Division One Ice Hockey Championship Program, March 11, 1983-March 12, 1983 “No, it’s not the last tournament!” 23rd Annual ECAC Division One Ice Hockey Championship Program, March 9, 1984-March 10, 1984 “It’s the Same Game But…” 1985 Beanpot Program, February 4, 1985-February 11, 1985 “The Inspirational Terry Flaman,” Beanpot Masters Program 1985 “Can the Engineers Repeat?” 24th Annual ECAC Division One Ice Hockey Championship Program, March 15, 1985-March 16, 1985
Box 1, Folder 7		Articles, February 2, 1987-February 8, 1993 “The First Anniversary of the Blizzard Story,” 1987 Beanpot Program, February 2, 1987-February 9, 1987 “A Year of Surprises,” 26th Annual ECAC Division One Ice Hockey Championship Program, March 13, 1987-March 14, 1987 “Are the Defending Champs Doomed?” 1990 Beanpot Program, February 5, 1990-February 12, 1990 “Of Beanpot Stories, Old and New.” 1993 Beanpot Program, February 1, 1993-February 8, 1993 “Looking Into the Crystal Ball,” Face Off, February 1993 “Women’s Hockeyfest,” 29th Annual ECAC Division One Ice Hockey Championship Program, March 10, 1990-March 11, 1990 “Alumni Making Their Mark,” Hockeyfest ’92 Program, March 12, 1992-March 14, 1992

Series 3: Reports

Box 1, Folder 8		Boston Bruins Goaltending Evaluation, 1986-1987
Box 1, Folder 9		Team USA Report, Introduction, 1994
Box 1, Folder 10		Team USA Report, Stats/Results, 1994
Box 1, Folder 11		Team USA Report, Finance, 1994
Box 1, Folder 12		Team USA Report, Travel/Hotel, 1994
Box 1, Folder 13		Team USA Report, Media, 1994
Box 1, Folder 14		Team USA Report, Miscellaneous, 1994
Box 1, Folder 15		Team USA Report, Personal/Fun, 1994
Box 1, Folder 16		Team USA Report, Finance Envelope, 1994
Box 1, Folder 17		AHCA [American Hockey Coaches Association] Report, Press Releases, 1996
Box 1, Folder 18		AHCA Report, Stops and Starts, 1996
Box 1, Folder 19		AHCA Report, Polls and Drills, 1996
Box 1, Folder 20		AHCA Report, Sample Media, 1996