Hockey East announced Tuesday that USCHO’s Jim Connelly has been named the 21st recipient of the Joe Concannon Hockey East Media Award.
Connelly begins his 15th year covering the league in 2012-13 and is the third current or former member of the USCHO staff to receive the award, joining Mike Machnik in 2011 and Dave Hendrickson in 2001.
Connelly co-writes a weekly national column, “Tuesday Morning Quarterback” and co-hosts USCHO’s weekly radio show, “USCHO Live.” He began his writing career in 1999 covering the MAAC (now Atlantic Hockey) for USCHO and has covered every NCAA regional and NHL Draft since 1999 and every Frozen Four since 2000.
In addition to USCHO, Connelly has been published in The Hockey News, as well as on a number of national hockey websites. He has made TV appearances on the CBS Sports Network and NESN and since 2008, he has served as a part-time color analyst for Vermont radio when the team travels to the Boston area.
Connelly began his career in hockey behind the bench as an equipment manager for Massachusetts-Lowell while attending the school from 1992-96. During the 1997-98 season, Connelly was the public relations manager for the Beast of New Haven hockey team, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes.
Away from the rink, Connelly resides in Waltham, Mass., with his wife, Maureen and dog, Scout. Connelly has a successful career in corporate communications, having worked for a number of public relations firms before starting his own business, JMC Communications, in 2010. His clients have included a number of sports properties including the PGA TOUR’s Deutsche Bank Championship and the Head Of The Charles Regatta.
