Boston College head hockey coach Jerry York underwent successful surgery to remove prostate cancer on Friday, according to the BC athletic department.
The surgery, performed by Dr. Frank McGovern at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital, is believed to have removed all of the cancerous cells from York, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in late June.
According to the BC administration, York was up and walking within hours of the surgery and is expected to return to his Watertown, Mass., home sometime this weekend.
York is college hockey’s third all-time winningest coach, having compiled a record of 723-479-72 in 34 seasons. York served as head coach at Clarkson from 1972 through 1979 and at Bowling Green from 1979 through 1994. He has captured two national championships (1984, 2001) and has led six teams to the NCAA Frozen Four.
York was the third Hockey East coach in the last six years to be diagnosed with cancer. Maine head coach Shawn Walsh succumbed to the disease in September 2001 after a 15-month battle with renal cell carcinoma. Former Merrimack coach Chris Serino battled throat cancer the following year but made a full recovery.
In York’s case, the disease was caught extremely early by his doctors, which led to a positive prognosis from the outset. According to the college, should followup visits with the doctor show no further remnants of the cancer, York may not need any further treatment.
