Varsity Club Hall of Fame
Jim Fahey, of Milton, Mass., has been elected to the Northeastern University Varsity Club Hall of Fame for excellence in the sport of men’s ice hockey. Fahey, Class of 2003, will be inducted along with four others in formal ceremonies at Northeastern’s Matthews Arena in Boston, Mass., on Friday, April 13, 2012, at 7 p.m.
A two-year captain on Huntington Ave., Fahey left Northeastern as its single-season school record-holder for points by a defenseman with 46. As a senior in 2002, he earned JOF/AHCA All-American honors and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist. In 2010, Fahey was one of two Northeastern players named to Hockey East’s All-Decade team.
Born in Milton, Mass., Fahey starred at West Roxbury’s Catholic Memorial High School, guiding the squad to four state titles and captaining the team for two years. Fahey was named Catholic Conference MVP after his senior season in 1998, and earned All-Scholastic honors from the Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Patriot Ledger. Fahey arrived at Northeastern already an eighth-round selection of the San Jose Sharks in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.
Fahey wasted little time cracking the lineup his freshman campaign, skating in 32 of 34 contests. With five goals on the season, Fahey made the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, prompting head coach Bruce Crowder to say that the freshman had “become a go-to guy for us.”
Such a go-to guy, in fact, that as a sophomore Fahey was named assistant captain. Fahey responded by leading all Northeastern defenders with 20 points, twice earning Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honors. Fahey also scored his first career goal in a Beanpot game on Feb. 14, 2000, against Harvard.
Promoted to captain for the 2000-01 season, Fahey again led all NU blue-liners in scoring, finishing fourth on the squad with 27 points and second with 24 assists. For the second straight year Fahey played in every game for the Huskies, recording seven multi-assist games en route to Hockey East All-Star honors.
If Fahey’s first three seasons were impressive, they pale in comparison to his senior campaign. After becoming Northeastern’s eighth two-term captain, Fahey rewrote the Husky record books: his 46-point season still stands as the school’s single-season record amongst defensemen. Fahey became only the second defenseman to lead Northeastern in scoring over a season, notching a point in 22 games and two or more points in 16 contests. With 111 career points, he is one of just five NU blue-liners to score 100 career points.
That year Fahey was unanimously named a Hockey East All-Star and was voted to the All-New England squad. He was also named as one of the 10finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, presented each year to the nation’s top player. Fahey would go on to win the Walter Brown Award for New England’s top American-born player, as well as the New England Writers Award as the region’s outstanding defenseman.
After his career on Huntington Ave., Fahey spent time in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks and the New Jersey Devils. During his rookie season with the Sharks, Fahey led all rookie defensemen in scoring despite spending time in the minors. Fahey also scored a goal playing for Team USA in the 2003 World Championships. He then took his talents overseas, spending time with the Krefeld Penguins in Germany. Fahey also co-founded the non-profit Hope Strengthens Foundation.
Fahey and his wife, Brenell, live in Walpole, Mass., with their two children: Shay Alan and Cullen James.
