The No. 6 that longtime Boston University coach Jack Parker wore during his playing days for the Terriers will be retired by the school.
Athletic director Mike Lynch made the announcement at the team’s banquet Saturday night.
After 40 years of coaching the team and 897 wins, Parker announced his impending retirement shortly before the end of the season.
His number will be only the second retired by the Boston University hockey program. The other is No. 24, which was worn by BU freshman Travis Roy when he crashed into the boards 11 seconds into his first shift, leaving him paralyzed.
After the honor was announced Saturday night in the presence of Jack Kelley — Parker’s coach as a BU player — Parker quipped that his old coach would say that he didn’t deserve it.
“He’d say that I wasn’t that good a player … and he’d be right,” Parker said.
Parker apparently requested that tributes and speeches in his honor be kept to a minimum Saturday night in favor of honoring this year’s team, but inevitably there were any number of brief but emotional comments from BU players, coaches and staff.
The banquet typically ends by naming the next year’s captain, but that did not happen. Parker said he wants incoming coach David Quinn to own the final decision on who will lead the team.
The retirement of the number had been decided days earlier by BU’s Board of Trustees but kept a secret until Saturday night.
